Florida School Toolkit for K-12 Educators to Prevent Suicide

Ten Frequent Questions from the Field, Answered 1. W hat is the one essential resource I need if a student in my school dies by suicide? If you do one thing after reading this series, we hope it is to download After a Suicide: Toolkit for Schools , Second Edition from the Suicide Prevention Resource Center and American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. It is easily accessed, completely electronic, and, at a time when you will find it hardest to think, it will provide you with best practice suggestions on how to proceed. Arrange to review the Toolkit with your principal in “prevention/preparedness” mode, particularly the section on “Crisis Response.” You could also share the “Helping Students Cope” section to highlight mental health services you provide. 2. W hat have you learned from consulting with school districts that have experienced point clusters? Each district • r ealized they were in it for the long haul (minimum of 2 years) • r eceived recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to have an intra- district suicide prevention task force establish best practice policies and procedures (1988) • c ollaborated with, and assisted in, developing county-level task forces to consolidate CDC suicide-prevention resources and data tracking in the community • p rovided specialized training to mental health personnel in suicide risk assessment, parent notification, collaborating with law enforcement and community mental health agencies, and safety and reentry planning for students returning from hospitalization • c reated district-level suicide prevention /wellness coordinator positions to implement primary prevention programs such as Signs of Suicide: Depression Screening Program, Sources of Strength, and Riding the Waves • c oped with contagion due to unsafe messaging in television and other news media 3. What if the parents do to not want the cause of the death of their child to be acknowledged as a suicide? W e have faced this situation many times and sometimes we have been successful in explaining to parents that no one will be theorizing about the reasons that their child died by suicide. In fact, the reasons for their suicide have died with them, but if we can simply acknowledge that the death was a suicide, this gives us an opportunity to talk truthfully with all staff and students about their important role in preventing further suicides. If the parents do not give permission to disclose the cause of the death, then the school crisis team is encouraged to read in the Toolkit the sample templates for student and parent communications that address this situation. It will be up to the crisis team and administration to determine whether or not to adapt the template letter, which essentially states that the parents have asked that the cause of their child’s death not be disclosed but still emphasizes that suicide is a leading cause of death for students and that everyone needs to know what to look for and what to do if someone is suicidal. It is worthwhile to mention there are two other templates for letters, one for when the parent is cooperative with the team in acknowledging the suicide and another for when you do not know if the victim’s death was accidental or intentional. 135