Board committee hears data on youth suicide and asks MSDE to develop 'gold standard' resources for LEAs

MSDE presented Maryland and national data on youth mental health and suicide prevention and outlined existing statutory requirements and local practices; committee members asked MSDE to prepare statewide model materials to help LEAs adopt a "gold standard" approach.

Mary Gable said MSDE reviewed the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data (2021–22) and noted the statewide percentage of students reporting they had considered suicide was about 21 percent; multiracial students and students identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning showed higher percentages in the survey. Gable cautioned that more recent YRBS results were still being validated by the Maryland Department of Health.

Gable summarized the Blueprint (effective July 1, 2021) additions to statute that require training and referral skills for certificated staff and pointed to COMAR 13A.07.11, which requires certificated school personnel with regular student contact to complete training by Dec. 1 annually and to document emergency plans and reentry guidance. Gable said MSDE collects emergency plans and the Maryland Center for School Safety hosts those plans; MSDE also fields the Maryland Mental Health Response Team, which can deploy social workers, psychologists and an adolescent psychiatrist to support LEAs.

Gable said MSDE recorded that, for 2023–24, all 24 LEAs reported that certificated staff had been trained and that MSDE counted more than 70,000 certificated staff trained. She said roughly 52 percent of LEAs reported using locally developed materials and 48 percent used online providers; MSDE will provide sample materials and templates for LEAs. Dr. Wilcox and other committee members said they would like MSDE to assemble model letters, slide decks and reentry guidance and suggested presenting the materials to the full State Board at the April meeting so the board can consider next steps toward a statewide 'gold standard.'

Committee members also compared Maryland practice to other states (California, Montana, Washington) and asked whether Maryland could provide more prescriptive statewide guidance; MSDE responded that it would develop readily usable templates while respecting effective LEA practices and local variations.

Committee Chair Rachel McCusker asked MSDE to prepare an April briefing for the full board that includes root-cause context beyond the pandemic and materials MSDE proposes for statewide dissemination.