Purpose

• The bill would authorize the commissioner of health to award grants to fund peer-to-peer suicide prevention programs and to train high school students (grades 9–12) to serve as peer mentors. It would also broaden educational efforts about suicide prevention to include at-risk populations, community helpers, and gatekeepers, and provide information about depression, warning signs, help-seeking, and referrals. The changes would modify Minnesota Statutes to create and support these grant programs and educational activities.

Main Provisions

• Grant program creation: Establishes a grant program funded by appropriations (to the extent funds are available) to support community-based suicide prevention education and advocacy, targeting populations at risk and gatekeepers such as family members, spiritual leaders, coaches, employers, and coworkers.
• Education and outreach scope: Requires programs to educate about symptoms of depression and other psychiatric illnesses, warning signs of suicide, prevention skills, and how to make or seek effective referrals to intervention and community resources. It also requires education for school staff, parents, and students in kindergarten through 12th grade, and for students attending Minnesota colleges and universities.
• Peer-to-peer components: Programs funded under the grant may include peer-to-peer suicide prevention programs for students in grades 9–12 and programs to train students in grades 9–12 to be peer mentors.
• Evidence-based requirements: Any peer-to-peer programs and training funded under the grant must be research-based, with students supervised by qualified adults, engaging in supportive conversations, identifying warning signs, and referring peers to trusted adults.
• Training standards: Training must be research-based and cover recognizing suicide risk, active listening, and how to connect peers with trusted adults.
• Collaboration: Grant recipients may collaborate with other school districts, charter schools, contract alternative schools, nonprofit organizations, and community partners to develop and implement the programs.
• Postvention: Includes provisions for postvention training to mental health professionals and practitioners to help communities after a suicide and to prevent suicide contagion and clusters.
• Broad educational reach: In addition to the peer programs, the bill envisions providing education and resources to at-risk populations, school personnel, and broader communities, including higher education contexts.

Peer-to-Peer Programs (Subdivision 2a)

• Authorized recipients: The commissioner may award grants to school districts, charter schools, contract alternative schools, and nonprofit organizations to fund peer-to-peer programs for grades 9–12 and training for those students to serve as peer mentors.
• Program requirements: Peer-to-peer programs must be research-based; trained students in grades 9–12, under qualified adult supervision, provide supportive conversations, identify warning signs, and refer peers to trusted adults.
• Training requirements: Training must be research-based, aligned with commissioner standards, and cover recognizing signs of suicide risk, active listening, and how to connect peers with trusted adults.
• Collaboration and scope: Recipients may collaborate with other districts, schools, nonprofits, and community partners to develop and implement the program.

Significant Changes and Impact

• New grant framework: Establishes a formal grant program within the commissioner of health’s responsibilities to fund suicide prevention education and peer mentoring.
• Expanded scope: Adds and clarifies support for peer mentoring in grades 9–12, plus broader educational outreach to K–12 and college populations.
• Emphasis on evidence-based approaches: Requires programs and training to be research-based and standards-driven.
• Postvention focus: Introduces postvention training to reduce contagion and suicide clusters after a suicide event.
• Broad eligibility: Allows multiple types of recipients (school districts, charter schools, alternative schools, nonprofits) to participate, encouraging collaboration with community partners.

Important Definitions and Terms Used

• Peer-to-peer suicide prevention
• Peer mentors
• Gatekeepers
• Help-seeking behaviors
• Warning signs of suicide
• Symptoms of depression
• Psychiatric illnesses
• Intervention and referrals
• Trusted adults
• Active listening
• Evidence-based / research-based programs
• Postvention
• Suicide contagion / suicide clusters
• Community-based programs
• Commissioner of health
• Grants
• School districts, charter schools, contract alternative schools, nonprofit organizations
• Grades 9–12 (high school)

Relevant Sections Addressed

• Subdivision 2: Community-based programs for education and prevention, including for school and college populations; may include peer programs.
• Subdivision 2a: Specifics on peer-to-peer suicide prevention programs and training for grades 9–12 and the mechanism for grant funding.

Relevant Terms - peer-to-peer suicide prevention - peer mentors - gatekeepers - help-seeking - warning signs - depression - psychiatric illnesses - referrals - trusted adults - active listening - evidence-based - postvention - suicide contagion - suicide clusters - grants - commissioner of health - school districts - charter schools - contract alternative schools - nonprofit organizations - grades 9–12 - Minnesota colleges and universities