Florida School Toolkit for K-12 Educators to Prevent Suicide

4. What are the most common questions that students ask in the aftermath of a suicide? • Students always want to know why the suicide occurred, and it is important for the school psychologist to emphasize, “The answers have died with him/her and we will never know why, which is why it is so hard to grieve.” • Students often asked directly about the method that was used to die by suicide. We have found it best to simply acknowledge the method if it is factually known but not to dwell on any graphic details. Always focus the conversation back to helping students. • Students also often ask why God did not stop him or her. We do not claim to be religious experts; however, numerous members of the clergy have stated, “Unfortunately, God could not stop him or her but God has embraced them in whatever afterlife you believe in. But God is sad that they did not stay on this earth and do God’s work over their natural lifetime.” We like this approach because it emphasizes that the victim has been embraced but was not chosen at a young age to die. 5. Why don’t you support an assembly after a suicide? W e very much believe that suicide prevention must be discussed with students and a death by suicide acknowledged, but in a classroom or an even smaller group setting. An assembly is dramatic and glamorizes the suicide, students will be reluctant to ask questions, and school staff will not be able to ascertain how individual students are coping with the tragedy. 6. What do you do when the parent just drops the student off at school the day after their hospitalization? Can you tell the first period teacher? T his question comes up frequently and is known in “prevention phase” as reentry planning. In a perfect world, the parent would accompany the student back and meet with the psychologist to share the records from the hospital and develop a safety plan that includes trusted adults at school. Additional components of reentry planning include: • Monitor the student to ensure that no bullying takes place as a result of hospitalization. • Collaborate with members of the team and determine which staff members, including teachers, need to be apprised of the situation to ensure the student’s safety. • Do not deny entry to any student standing at the front door of the school. They are much better served at school than alone at home. • Check in frequently the first few weeks, particularly if monitoring medications. 7. What is the key recommendation in the Toolkit about memorials? T he Toolkit strongly recommends that school districts establish one policy that treats all deaths the same regardless of the cause of death. The school psychologist could advocate for such a policy while in prevention phase before a death by suicide occurs. 8 . What if students arrive at school the day after the suicide with T-shirts with a picture of the deceased and they want to wear them at school? T his is the scenario that we have encountered quite often and the Toolkit stresses the importance of being compassionate and understanding that students are expressing the Florida S.T.E.P.S.