2023 Colorado Revised Statutes › Title 25 - PUBLIC HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT (§§ 25-1-101 — 25-59-106) › ADMINISTRATION (§§ 25-1-101 — 25-1.5-701) › Article 1.5 - POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT (§§ 25-1.5-101 — 25-1.5-701) › Part 1 - GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES (§§ 25-1.5-101 — 25-1.5-122) › Section 25-1.5-113 - Crisis and suicide prevention training grant program - creation - process - reporting requirements - fund - definitions

(1)
As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
(a)
"Department" means the department of public health and environment created and existing pursuant to section
25-1-102
.
(b)
"Fund" means the crisis and suicide prevention training grant program fund established in subsection (5) of this section.
(c)
"Grant program" means the crisis and suicide prevention training grant program created in subsection (2) of this section.
(d)
"Office of suicide prevention" means the office of suicide prevention in the department, established pursuant to section
25-1.5-101 (1)(w)
.
(e)
"Public school" means a school of a school district, a district charter school, or an institute charter school.
(f)
"School district" means any public school district existing pursuant to law.
(g)
"School safety resource center" means the school safety resource center in the office of school safety in the office of the executive director in the department of public safety, established pursuant to section
24-33.5-1803
.
(h)
"Suicide prevention" or "comprehensive suicide prevention" includes the following components:
(I)
Strategies or approaches that seek to prevent the onset of suicidal despair, commonly known as "suicide prevention";
(II)
Public health intervention supports, including community training, workforce development, quality improvement and provision of technical assistance to support the adoption of best suicide attempt behavior intervention and postvention practices and policies; and
(III)
Postvention responses to and support for individuals and communities affected by the aftermath of suicide attempts and suicide deaths.
(2)
(a)
There is created in the department the crisis and suicide prevention training grant program. The purpose of the grant program is to provide financial assistance for the provision of comprehensive crisis and suicide prevention training annually, if grant funding is available, for all teachers and staff at public schools and school districts in Colorado who work directly or indirectly with students. Priority for grant awards is for public schools and school districts with educators and staff who have not yet received such training. The grant program may authorize up to four hundred thousand dollars in grants per year in varying amounts based on the size and need of the public school or school district.
(b)
On and after January 1, 2019, a public school or a school district may apply to the department for a grant pursuant to the guidelines adopted in subsection (3) of this section to provide crisis and comprehensive suicide prevention training in the public school or school district.
(c)
The department shall administer the grant program in consultation with the office of suicide prevention and the school safety resource center.
(d)
Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the department is not required to implement the provisions of this section until sufficient money has been transferred or appropriated to the fund.
(3)
(a)
On or before November 1, 2018, the office of suicide prevention and the school safety resource center shall make recommendations to the department for the administration of the grant program, and the department shall adopt formal training guidelines for the grant program. The guidelines must include:
(I)
Application procedures by which public schools and school districts may apply for a grant pursuant to this section;
(II)
Criteria to utilize in selecting public schools and school districts to receive grants and in determining the amount of grant money to be awarded to each grant recipient. The criteria, at a minimum, must include:
(A)
That first priority for grant awards is to provide crisis and comprehensive suicide prevention training to public schools and school districts that have not previously received such training;
(B)
An emphasis on providing such training to all staff at the public school or school district, not just educators;
(C)
A requirement that each application, at a minimum, must describe how the applicant public school or school district will use a grant award to provide comprehensive crisis and suicide prevention training to all educators and staff who have not yet received such training or provide a train-the-trainer program to interested individuals who have not yet received such training; or
(D)
An emphasis on providing a train-the-trainer program for employees at the public school or school district that are designed to prepare the program attendees to teach a teen behavioral and mental health training course, as well as improve overall school climate and promote teen behavioral and mental health. For the purposes of this subsection (3)(a)(II)(D), a "teen behavioral and mental health training course" is a course that trains students in high school to identify, understand, and respond to signs of behavioral and mental health disorders among their friends and peers.
(b)
If there is money remaining in the fund after grants are made to all public schools or school districts that applied for a grant and that had not previously received crisis and comprehensive suicide prevention training, the department may award grants to a public school or school district that had previously received such training.
(c)
The office of suicide prevention and school safety resource center shall assist the department with reviewing grant applications, making recommendations to the department on which public schools and school districts that applied must receive a grant from the grant program and the amount of each grant, and acting as a resource for grantees.
(4)
(a)
Each grant recipient shall submit a written report to the department not later than six months after the expiration of the term of its grant. The report must include a summary of activities made possible by the grant money.
(b)
The department shall include in the report required pursuant to section
25-1.5-101 (1)(w)(III)(A)
the following information regarding the administration of the grant program during the preceding year:
(I)
The number of public schools and school districts that received a grant from the grant program;
(II)
The amount of each grant award by recipient;
(III)
The number of pupils who are enrolled at each public school or school district of each grant recipient;
(IV)
The number of school staff and educators who were provided training as a result of a grant; and
(V)
A copy of the grant recipients' crisis and comprehensive suicide prevention plans.
(5)
(a)
There is established in the state treasury the crisis and suicide prevention training grant program fund. The fund consists of money transferred or appropriated to it and any other money that may be made available by the general assembly. The money in the fund is continuously appropriated to the department for the direct and indirect costs associated with implementing the grant program. Any money not provided as grants may be invested by the state treasurer as provided in section
24-36-113
. All interest and income derived from the investment and deposit of money in the fund must be credited to the fund. Any amount remaining in the fund at the end of any fiscal year must remain in the fund and not be credited or transferred to the general fund or to any other fund.
(b)
No more than three percent of the money annually expended from the fund may be used for the expenses incurred by the department in administering the grant program.
(c)
The department may seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, and donations from public and private sources to implement this section; except that the department shall not accept a gift, grant, or donation that is subject to conditions that are inconsistent with the provisions of this section or any other law of the state. The department shall transfer all private and public money received through gifts, grants, and donations to the state treasurer, who shall credit the same to the fund.
(d)
Nothing in this section requires the department to solicit money for the purposes of implementing the grant program.
Amended by 2023 Ch. 120,§ 15, eff. 4/27/2023.
Amended by 2021 Ch. 49, § 7, eff. 9/7/2021.
Added by 2018 Ch. 333, § 2, eff. 8/8/2018.
L. 2018: Entire section added, (SB 18-272), ch. 2002, p. 2002, § 2, effective August 8. L. 2021: (1)(h) added and (2)(b), (3)(a)(II), (3)(b), and (4)(b)(V) amended, (HB 21 -1119), ch. 211, p. 211, § 7, effective September 7.
2021 Ch. 49, was passed without a safety clause. See Colo. Const. art. V, § 1(3).
For the legislative declaration in SB 18-272, see section 1 of chapter 333, Session Laws of Colorado 2018. For the legislative declaration in HB 21-1119, see section 1 of chapter 49, Session Laws of Colorado 2021.