Florida School Toolkit for K-12 Educators to Prevent Suicide

TOOL 21 Postvention Checklist  Contact the police and/or the parents of the student to confirm the death and the facts.  Notify district superintendent and the suicide prevention expert.  Review Section 3 in Florida S.T.E.P.S ., especially with regard to social media (Tool 12).  Review Tools 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26.  Call neighboring schools for extra counseling support for students and staff; for example, contact the elementary school or middle school the deceased previously attended.  Activate the phone calling tree that includes crisis response team, school staff members, transportation administrator (if student rode the bus), coach (if student was an athlete), and notify principals of schools where siblings or friends of the deceased student attend.  C ontact family of deceased student in person to offer condolences and assistance. Obtain permission from parent to release information about the cause of death. If they refuse to provide information or request the cause of death not be disclosed, this creates a dilemma for schools, especially if the cause of death was a suicide. Schools are encouraged to review the sample letters in the After a Suicide: Toolkit for Schools found at afsp.org and sprc.org .  S chedule a faculty meeting as soon as possible. Host the meeting before school if the suicide happened the day before, or at the end of the school day if notification of a suicide occurs during the school day. Discuss and complete the following:  Dispel rumors by providing only the facts.  Allow staff members to ask questions and express feelings.  Review the process for students who want to leave the campus due to the suicide.  Remind the staff members to not speak to media and provide them with a prepared statement that can be used for any unexpected calls from the community or concerned parents. Staff members should refer any media requests to the principal or the principal’s designee.  Provide teachers with permission to allow students to express their feelings in class should the need arise. Focus on assisting students with their emotions and refrain from speculating about why the suicide occurred. Avoid sharing details about the suicide method.  Compile a list of students close to the deceased student and provide support.  Compile a list of staff members who had contact with the deceased student and provide support.  Compile a list of students who may be at risk for suicide and provide support.  Remind staff members about risk factors and warning signs of youth suicide and clarify school referral procedures. Source: After a Suicide: A Toolkit for Schools (2018), by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention ( afsp.org ) and the Suicide Prevention Resource Center ( sprc.org ) 87