Date: 07/14/2015

Final
BILL SUMMARY for Informational Presentation: CSSRC

SCHOOL SAFETY AND YOUTH IN CRISIS

Votes: View--> Action Taken:
<none><none>





09:31 AM -- Informational Presentation: CSSRC

Christine Harms, representing the Colorado School Safety Resource Center (CSSRC), gave an overview of the work of the center. She distributed three handouts to the committee (Attachments B, C, and D). She introduced the staff, and spoke about school safety plans and the requirements placed on districts. She discussed the Colorado Safe Schools Act (Section 22-32-109.1, C.R.S.). She described suggestions the CSSRC gives for schools; the accomplishments of the CSSRC; and the number of training classes, consultations, online courses, and other services the center provides. She discussed grants provided to districts by the CSSRC as well as the center's work with rural school districts. She spoke about the center's current initiatives to enhance school climate; train district emergency management teams; manage businesses assisting schools with safety expertise; and a program called Youth Engaged in School Safety, involving youth from rural parts of the state.

150714 AttachB.pdf150714 AttachB.pdf150714 AttachC.pdf150714 AttachC.pdf150714 AttachD.pdf150714 AttachD.pdf

Ms. Harms discussed a variety of work groups facilitated by the CSSRC throughout its history. She described the center's work with institutions of higher education, the Threat Assessment Work Group, and training provided on that topic. Ms. Harms responded to questions from the committee. Ms. Harms and committee members discussed issues surrounding liability, immunity, and efforts made by school districts to maintain safe environments. They discussed the definition of reasonable care, as used in Senate Bill 15-213, as well as rising insurance premiums for school districts. They talked about threat assessments, training, processes, consistency across schools and districts, and the challenges of providing mental health services in rural areas. Ms. Harms described the advice her office gives to schools and districts conducting threat assessments and described threat assessments as a snapshot in time, emphasizing that they are not predictive of future behavior.

09:52 AM

Ms. Harms responded to questions about suicide prevention and discussed statistics surrounding school shooters and suicide. The committee discussed funding challenges associated with providing mental health services in schools, the dangers posed to students when untrained staff try to provide support services, and the importance of providing more mental health professionals in schools and communities. Ms. Harms spoke about the annual school safety summit and how more resources would benefit districts and schools who need to provide more training. In response to questions from the committee, she discussed how to identify homicidal students, listing changes in behavior, and a fascination with weapons and other school shootings as identifiers. The committee asked about school districts that require teachers to attend threat assessment training. Ms. Harms responded that no districts require it, but teachers receive credit hours for attending these training classes, which apply to professional development requirements. She discussed the role parents play as partners with school officials and asserted that parents should question schools about safety efforts. The committee discussed open lines of communication between parents and school personnel. Ms. Harms said the center is often invited to schools to do workshops for parents, but described parents as often too busy to attend. The committee questioned Ms. Harms about the HealthyKids survey. Ms. Harms described the value of the information provided by the survey and how the information is used. The committee discussed Title 9 work being done to prevent sexual assault in the schools. Ms. Harms described her work with a higher education networking group and spoke about a child sex abuse prevention expert starting work at the CSSRC soon.