Florida School Toolkit for K-12 Educators to Prevent Suicide

8. Err on the side of caution for parents Always notify parents before the Baker Act process. If this decision is made, this means the student is believed not to be safe even under the care of his or her parents. Parents should constantly be updated on the status of their child when he or she has returned to school after the Baker Act. Collaboration between the parents and school personnel is essential to attend to the mental health and academic needs of the student who was subject to the Baker Act. 9. Always conduct a reentry meeting before the student returns to school A meeting of the school crisis team or the school safety team should be held after a student was dealt with under the Baker Act and before their return to school. The reentry meeting will be used to identify appropriate interventions that will be necessary to support the student’s emotional well- being and academic success upon returning to school. The school reentry meeting should include the student (if possible or available), student’s parent(s) or guardian(s), school counselor, school social worker, school psychologist, administrator, and other school personnel, as deemed necessary. Parents likely will have considerable anxiety about their child returning to school, and the team should stress all of the supports that will be provided at school for their child. Once the student is back at school, the team should designate a mental health professional to meet and check in with the student periodically (at least weekly for the first month). The initial session should consist of reviewing the existing safety plan with the student or creating an initial safety plan. Emphasis should be placed on asking the student what support they need at school. Additionally, the session should discuss with the student what to say to their peers about their absence. Research has found that students are at an increased risk of suicide within the first month of hospital release. See Tool 20. The reentry meeting should address and document • t he nature of the crisis • a signed release for information sharing between the school and the Baker Act facility • current diagnosis • r isk behavior and behaviors of concern • discharge recommendations • community-based services • parent/student/teacher concerns • p hysical safety concerns • d ata review (attendance, academic, behaviors, disciplinary, psychological/medical reports) • m ental health services the school will provide • a cademic concerns or supports 111