Fast Facts about Assembly Bill No. 2246 (AB 2246) – Suicide Prevention Policies in Schools Author: Assembly Member Patrick O’Donnell, 70th District
● According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people aged 10-24.
● Youth bereaved by suicide, youth with disabilities, mental illness, or substance use disorders, youth experiencing homelessness or in out- of-home settings; and LGBTQ youth are at particularly high risk for suicide.
● In a national survey conducted by The Jason Foundation, the number one person that a student would turn to when trying to help a friend who might be suicidal was a teacher.
● California’s Education Code encouraged schools to adopt suicide prevention policies, but did not require that schools have them. Because of the above findings, this bill requires schools to adopt policies to give school staff the tools necessary for suicide awareness, prevention, intervention and postvention. At minimum, the policies must address procedures relating to suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention.