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LB 217

Require suicide awareness and prevention training for employees of child-placing agencies and child welfare workers

109th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by John Fredrickson

Requires annual suicide awareness and prevention training for DHHS child welfare staff, foster parents, and child-placing agency employees.

Approved by Governor on June 4, 2025
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Bill Summary · LB 217

Summary — LB 217 (2025)

Require suicide awareness and prevention training for employees of child-placing agencies and child welfare workers

Status: Approved by Governor June 4, 2025 — becomes operative October 1, 2025
Introduced: January 14, 2025 (Sen. John Fredrickson). Passed Final Reading 47–1–1.

Purpose

To reduce suicide risk among system-involved youth by ensuring that child welfare workers, foster caregivers, and employees of child-placing agencies receive standardized, evidence‑based suicide awareness and prevention training.

Key provisions

  • DHHS duties

    • The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) must develop a baseline curriculum and training materials on suicide awareness and prevention for individuals involved in the child welfare system.
    • Development must be done in consultation with statewide and national behavioral/mental health and suicide-prevention organizations (explicitly referencing the Nebraska State Suicide Prevention Coalition and the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska).
    • All training must incorporate evidence‑based practices and may include identification of early warning signs, trauma‑informed responses, and appropriate responses to youth behavioral/mental health needs.

  • Training requirements for DHHS child welfare staff

    • All DHHS child welfare staff who provide direct services to or otherwise interact directly with children or families — and other personnel as designated by the Division of Children and Family Services — must complete annual suicide awareness and prevention training.
    • Training must include current best practices in behavioral/mental health with a focus on suicide awareness and prevention and must be completed prior to any independent contact with youth and families.
    • Training is to be delivered within the framework of existing DHHS training programs.

  • Foster care licensure

    • DHHS must include the suicide awareness and prevention training (meeting the baseline requirements) as part of initial foster home licensure and license renewal.

  • Child‑placing agencies

    • DHHS must establish standardized suicide-awareness training requirements for all employees of child‑placing agencies, to be completed prior to any independent contact with youth/families.
    • Agencies may incorporate additional agency‑specific elements; DHHS may approve an agency’s existing curriculum if it meets the baseline.

Who is affected

  • DHHS child welfare staff (front-line workers, caseworkers, others interacting directly with children/families)
  • Foster parents (initial licensure and renewals)
  • Employees of child‑placing agencies
  • DHHS (responsible for developing, approving, and integrating training)

Implementation and fiscal notes

  • Operative date: October 1, 2025.
  • Legislative amendments (AM1031) changed the training language to require annual training and replaced an earlier explicit “90 minutes” minimum with a requirement to include “current best practices.”
  • Fiscal notes were filed (Feb. 11 and May 9, 2025). The enacted text integrates training into existing DHHS programs; any additional costs depend on DHHS implementation choices and are addressed in the department’s fiscal analyses.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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