STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman CAROL A. MURPHY
District 7 (Burlington)
SYNOPSIS
Requires State Board of Education to include instruction on mental health first aid training as part of professional development requirement for public school teachers.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning mental health first aid training for public school teachers and supplementing chapter 6 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The State Board of Education shall, as part of the professional development requirement established by the State board for public school teachers, require each public school teacher to complete at least eight hours of instruction in mental health first aid training within the public school teacher's first year of employment and to obtain recertification in mental health first aid training every three years thereafter. The instruction in mental health first aid training shall include information on topics including, but not limited to: how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health illnesses and substance use disorders; the risk factors and warning signs for mental health illnesses and substance use disorders; interventions and strategies on how to assist an individual in both crisis and non-crisis situations; and overviews of mental health illnesses that may present in children and adolescents, including depression and mood disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma, psychosis, and substance use disorders.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill directs the State Board of Education to require each public school teacher to complete eight hours of instruction in mental health first aid training within the first year of employment and to obtain recertification in mental health first aid training every three years thereafter.
The training would include, but not be limited to, information on: how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health illnesses and substance use disorders; the risk factors and warning signs for mental health illnesses and substance use disorders; interventions and strategies on how to assist an individual in both crisis and non-crisis situations; and overviews of mental health illnesses that may present in children and adolescents, including depression and mood disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma, psychosis, and substance use disorders.
To stay updated on the latest information regarding mental health and substance use disorders, it is recommended that recertification in mental health first aid training be completed every three years.