An Act To Provide Youth Mental Health First Aid Training to Secondary School Health Educators
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 1335
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: McCREIGHT, BREEN, BROOKS, FARNSWORTH, FULLER, HERRICK, HILLIARD, RECKITT, CARPENTER

Legislative Document
No. 1335
H.P. 929
House of Representatives, April 6, 2017
An Act To Provide Youth Mental Health First Aid Training to 
Secondary School Health Educators
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative McCREIGHT of Harpswell.
Cosponsored by Senator BREEN of Cumberland and
Representatives: BROOKS of Lewiston, FARNSWORTH of Portland, FULLER of Lewiston, 
HERRICK of Paris, HILLIARD of Belgrade, McCREA of Fort Fairfield, RECKITT of South 
Portland, Senator: CARPENTER of Aroostook.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA c. 223, sub-c. 10 is enacted to read: 
SUBCHAPTER 10 
YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING 
§6671.  Youth mental health first aid training 
The department shall establish a youth mental health first aid training program for 
health educators in secondary schools pursuant to this section. 
1.  Recipients of training.  The department shall schedule training for and ensure 
training is provided to health educators in secondary schools responsible for 
implementing health education pursuant to section 4723. 
2.  Providers of training.  The department shall ensure training is delivered by 
trainers who are properly certified by a national organization for behavioral health as 
designated by the department to provide training pursuant to subsection 3.  
3.  Content of training.  The training provided pursuant to this section must be in 
compliance with a course of instruction in youth mental health first aid operated by the 
national organization for behavioral health under subsection 2 and include training on the 
skills, resources and knowledge necessary to assist students in crisis to connect with 
appropriate local mental health care services, training on mental health resources, 
including the location of local community mental health centers, and training on action 
plans and protocols for referral to such resources.  Recipients of the training must also 
receive training to: 
A.  Safely de-escalate crisis situations; 
B.  Recognize the signs and symptoms of mental illness, including such psychiatric 
conditions as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major clinical depression and anxiety 
disorders; and 
C.  Timely refer students to mental health services in the early stages of their 
development of mental disorders to avoid subsequent behavioral health care and to 
enhance the effectiveness of mental health services. 
4.  Rules.  The department shall adopt rules to implement this section.  Rules adopted 
pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, 
subchapter 2-A. 
SUMMARY 
This bill requires the Department of Education to establish a program to ensure health 
educators in secondary schools receive training from properly credentialed trainers in 
youth mental health first aid.