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ROBERT L. EHRLICH, JR., Governor
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Ch. 403
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include certain mental health programs; requiring the Youth Suicide Prevention
School Program to develop and implement certain mental health programs;
authorizing the State Department of Education to assist in implementing
certain programs; requiring the State Department of Education to seek certain
federal funds for Youth Suicide Prevention School Programs; and generally
relating to the Youth Suicide Prevention School Program and mental health
programs.
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
Article - Education
Section 7-504 and 7-505
Annotated Code of Maryland
(2004 Replacement Volume and 2004 Supplement)
Preamble
WHEREAS, More children and young adults die from suicide each year than
from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, and chronic lung disease
combined; and
WHEREAS, More people die from suicide than murder and more than 4,000
young people take their lives each year, making suicide the third leading cause of
death among individuals between the ages of 10 and 24 years; and
WHEREAS, More than 800,000 teens in the United States suffer from
depression each year and more than 500,000 make a suicide attempt requiring
medical attention; and
WHEREAS, Many suicides are preventable through programs such as the
Columbia University TeenScreen program, poor to peer support programs such as
Active Minds, Inc. and high school psychology clubs; and
WHEREAS, The ultimate goal of TeenScreen is to make mental health
screening as accepted and routinely implemented as school based screenings for
vision and hearing and pediatrician screenings for tuberculosis and scoliosis; and
WHEREAS, The Columbia University TeenScreen program provides, at no
charge, education, staff training, screening tools, technical support, and consultation
in the development and implementation of a screening program; and
WHEREAS, President Bush established the New Freedom Commission on
Mental Health to evaluate and address problems in the mental health service
delivery system in the United States. On July 22, 2003, the Commission found that
public schools are in a key position to identify mental health problems early and to
provide a link to appropriate services. The Commission further determined that early
detection, assessment, and links to treatment are key to preventing many mental
health problems from worsening; and
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- 1871 -
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