Florida School Toolkit for K-12 Educators to Prevent Suicide

Died by Suicide Many Floridians know someone who died by suicide. The term “died by” is much more acceptable to survivors than the word “committed,” as it takes the emphasis away from the suicide sounding like a criminal act. It is our hope that school personnel in Florida will remember to use the term “died by suicide” and to also encourage others to avoid the term “committed.” Survivor of Suicide A person who lost a loved one to suicide. The term does not refer to an individual who survived their suicide attempt. Suicidal Ideation A person’s active thoughts of wanting to kill themselves, without accompanied behavior. Suicide Plan A person’s plan for how they will kill themselves. Suicide Attempt A nonfatal, self-directed, potentially injurious behavior with an intent to die. This means the suicide attempt may or may not have resulted in injury, but the attempt was intentional. The behavior of any person who no longer had intent to die during or after the behavior would still be considered a suicide attempt. Suicide Postvention The planned actions made in response to a suicide. The purpose is to process feelings, concerns, and anticipated actions of those affected by the suicide. This is in an effort to prevent further suicides and help all concerned with their emotions, such as shock, grief, confusion, and guilt. Nonsuicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) Superficial and harmful behaviors such as cutting, burning, scratching, and not letting wounds heal, performed with no intent to die by suicide. KEY TERMS AND CONSIDERATIONS Florida S.T.E.P.S.