RCW 43.20A.765: Mental health first aid training for teachers and educational staff.

Subject to appropriation for this specific purpose, the department shall provide funds for mental health first aid training targeted at teachers and educational staff. The training will follow the model developed by the department of psychology in Melbourne, Australia. Instruction provided will describe common mental disorders that arise in youth, their possible causes and risk factors, the availability of evidence-based medical, psychological, and alternative treatments, processes for making referrals for behavioral health services, and methods to effectively render assistance in both initial intervention and crisis situations. The department shall collaborate with the office of the superintendent of public instruction to identify sites and methods of instruction that leverage local resources to the extent possible for the purpose of making the mental health first aid training broadly available.