S 3627: Requires training for teachers and administrators in the area of mental health response; requires office of mental health to assist in development of curriculum for training.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 3627 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE January 29, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. FERNANDEZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education AN ACT to amend the education law and the mental hygiene law, in relation to requiring training for teachers, administrators and instructors in the area of mental health response training The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 3004 of the education law is amended by adding two 2 new subdivisions 7 and 8 to read as follows: 3 7. No later than twelve months after the effective date of this subdi- 4 vision, the commissioner, in conjunction with the office of mental 5 health, shall require the training of teachers, administrators, and 6 instructors in the area of mental health response training. Such mental 7 health response training shall include instruction in: 8 a. the recognition of the signs and symptoms of present or developing 9 mental health crises or illnesses; 10 b. the awareness of and appropriate response to mental health crises 11 including but not limited to attempted suicide or suicidal ideation, the 12 threat or practice of self-harm or harm to others, substance use disor- 13 ders, depression, anxiety and panic attacks, and other mental health 14 crises or illnesses, in keeping with standards promulgated by the Ameri- 15 can Academy of Mental Health and as determined by the commissioner; 16 c. identifying and sharing information, as determined by the commis- 17 sioner but which shall include but not be limited to, about mental 18 health professionals, services and resources, the role of familial and 19 social supports for the prevention, treatment, and recovery from mental 20 illness, and the importance of diet, nutrition, exercise, and regular 21 socialization in the management of stress, anxiety, depression and 22 addiction or other such mental health crises and illnesses. 23 8. Mental health response training shall not include training in the 24 diagnosis, treatment, or counseling of students, peers, or members of EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD00048-01-5 
 S. 3627 2 1 the community. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to allow a 2 person to provide any service for which a license, registration, certif- 3 ication or other authorization under title eight of the education law is 4 required and which the person does not possess. The commissioner is 5 authorized to promulgate rules and regulations necessary to establish 6 such training pursuant to this section. 7 § 2. Section 7.07 of the mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new 8 subdivision (i) to read as follows: 9 (i) The office of mental health shall advise and assist the commis- 10 sioner of education in developing a training curriculum for teachers, 11 administrators, and instructors in the area of mental health response 12 training as described in section three thousand four of the education 13 law. 14 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.