Florida School Toolkit for K-12 Educators to Prevent Suicide

noted that the sibling, best friend, or partner of the deceased often gains “celebrity status” in their school and must navigate changes in the way peers and adults interact with them, all the while dealing with the very real aspects of grief and trauma over time, requiring longer-term intervention. Need to intervene more broadly. In our experience in the schools, too often postvention efforts focus on an insufficient number of students. As supported by experience and confirmed by research, the impact of a youth suicide on the student population is much wider than the victim’s closest friends (Gould et al., 2018). Though there are varying degrees of impact among those exposed, research has shown that among those exposed, a significant portion report persistent distress (Cerel et al., 2018) and will require substantial support at school. Clearly, schools cannot do it alone. It takes a village—a collaborative effort among schools, community agencies, mental health practitioners, medical personnel, law enforcement, clergy, parents, survivor groups, and even youth. Community members, medical personnel, clergy, and mental health professionals can assist school personnel in screening exposed teen populations for individuals who are at greatest risk of contagion and imitation. Community personnel with training can make themselves available to school staff to provide resources and support in advance of a student death. School psychologists need to stay informed of the emerging and relevant factors related to the potential of suicide contagion in the schools to avoid suicide clusters, while simultaneously keeping in mind that it is quite rare. A foundational base to prevent suicide and contagion in the schools can be built on a school climate of positive connections between students and adults, within the community and the school building, while ensuring students consistently and genuinely receive the clear message from all adults that “We are here to help.” Part 2 in this series, titled “Suicide Contagion and Clusters—Part 2: What Can a School Psychologist Do?” will appear in the next issue of Communiqué . Source: Poland, S., Lieberman, R., & Nizrik, M. (2019). “Suicide Contagion and Clusters—Part 1: What School Psychologists Should Know.” Communiqué , 47(5), 21–23. nasponline.org/publications /periodicals/communique/issues/volume-47-issue-5 /suicide-contagion-and-clusters—part-1-what -school-psychologists-should-know References Anderson, M., & Jingjing J., (2018). Teens, social media & technology (2018). Pew Research Center. Retrieved from pewinternet.org/2018/05/31/teens -social-media-technology-2018 Annor, F., Wilkinson, A., & Zwald, M., (2017). Epi Aid #2012-019: Undetermined risk factors for suicide among youth aged 10–17 years – Utah 2017 . Retrieved from health.utah.gov/wp-content /uploads/Final-Report-UtahEpiAid.pdf Ayers, J. W., Althouse, B. M., Leas, E. C., Dredze, M., & Allem, J., (2017). “Internet searches for suicide following 13 Reasons Why.” JAMA Internal Medicine, 177 (10). 1527–1529, doi:10.1001 /jamainternmed.2017.3333 Bahrampour, T. (2018, January 22). “Teens who spend less time in front of screens are happier—Up to a point, new research shows.” The Washington Post. Retrieved from washingtonpost.com/news/ inspired-life/wp/2018/01/22/teens-who-spend- less-time-in-front-of-screens-are-happier-up-to-a- point-new-research-shows Centers for Disease Control, (1988). “CDC recommendations for a community plan for the prevention and containment of suicide clusters.” MMVR , 37 (s-6), 1–12 127