This bill mandates the Division of Child Protection and Permanency to create a training course focused on suicide screening and crisis response for its caseworkers. The curriculum will cover recognizing warning signs, risk factors, and protective factors for suicide in children and adolescents, utilizing validated tools like the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale. Additionally, it will establish protocols for responding to at-risk children, including de-escalation techniques, and emphasize the importance of coordinating care with mental health professionals, schools, resource parents, and community supports.

The bill stipulates that the training course must be included in the initial training for all caseworkers and provided biennially as part of their in-service training. Furthermore, it requires that all caseworkers hired before the bill's effective date complete the training within 24 months. The Division is also tasked with periodically reviewing and updating the training course and curriculum to maintain their effectiveness and relevance. The Commissioner of the Department of Children and Families is authorized to adopt necessary rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this act.