HB 19-1120: Youth Mental Health Education And Suicide Prevention 

The bill allows a minor 12 years of age or older to seek and obtain psychotherapy services with or without the consent of the minor's parent or guardian if the mental health professional determines the minor is knowingly and voluntarily seeking the psychotherapy services and the psychotherapy services are clinically necessary. A mental health professional providing psychotherapy services to a minor may, with the consent of the minor, advise the minor's parent or legal guardian of the psychotherapy services provided, unless notifying the parent or legal guardian would be inappropriate or detrimental to the minor's care and treatment. However, the mental health professional is permitted to notify the minor's parent or legal guardian without the minor's consent if, in the opinion of the mental health professional, the minor is unable to manage the minor's care or treatment. The mental health professional is required to engage the minor in a discussion about the importance of involving and notifying the minor's parent or legal guardian and document any attempt to contact the minor's parent or legal guardian. If a minor communicates a clear and imminent threat to commit suicide, the mental health professional is required to notify the minor's parent or legal guardian of the minor's suicidal ideation. The bill requires the department of education, in consultation with the office of suicide prevention (office), the youth advisory council, and the suicide prevention commission, to create and maintain a mental health education literacy resource bank. The resource bank is available to the public free of charge. The bill requires the state board of education to adopt standards related to mental health, including suicide prevention. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)  

CEA supports increasing the mental health services and interventions available to students. The standards adoption process will be within the cycle for the existing standards and must take into account what districts and schools already are doing to support mental health education.