Sponsored by:
Assemblyman CHARLES MAINOR
District 31 (Hudson)
Assemblywoman ANGELICA M. JIMENEZ
District 32 (Bergen and Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Requires State Board of Education to include training in mental health as part of professional development requirement for public school teachers.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning mental health 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. a. 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 training in mental health. The training shall include, at a minimum, information regarding common mental health disorders that may arise in children and adolescents, information to assist teachers in recognizing early signs of mental health problems and children who may need professional mental health services, and information on appropriate intervention and referral strategies.
b. The State Board of Education, in consultation with the Commissioner of Human Services, shall establish appropriate requirements for the training in mental health, including requirements regarding who may provide the training and any minimum hour requirements for the training in each professional development period.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill directs the State Board of Education to require each public school teacher to complete training in mental health, as part of the professional development requirement for teachers. The training must include, at a minimum: information regarding common mental health disorders that may arise in children and adolescents; information to assist teachers in recognizing early signs of mental health problems and children who may need professional mental health services; and information on appropriate intervention and referral strategies. Under the bill, the State board, in consultation with the Commissioner of Human Services, will establish appropriate requirements for the training in mental health, including requirements on who may provide the training and any minimum hour requirements for the training in each professional development period.