Florida School Toolkit for K-12 Educators to Prevent Suicide

are well trained in suicide risk assessment and management (Tools 19 and 28a–b). • Enforce procedures for responding to students at risk of suicide (Tools 14a–c and 16–19). • Implement reentry procedures for students who have been hospitalized (Tool 20). • Review and apply the postvention procedures checklist (Tool 21). • Develop communication guidelines for leadership, staff members, students, and parents that include handbooks, the media, websites, etc. (Tools 22–26) • Implement documentation procedures for staff training and for actions taken with students referred for being at risk of suicide (Tools 5 and 8). • Develop a concise overview of the plan for a district’s suicide awareness, prevention, and response policy (Tool 6). • When selecting suicide prevention programs, Florida schools are encouraged to form a suicide prevention task force and to a. begin with a needs assessment b. review resources listed in the Florida S.T.E.P.S. and on the FDOE website and collaborate with other Florida districts and local and state agencies to select programs that fit the school c. address both risk and protective factors for school-age youth Considerations for Trained Staff Members and Students Training all school staff members on the warning signs of suicide and referring at-risk students to the administration and counseling staff is the cornerstone of suicide prevention in schools. Students need to learn the warning signs of suicide, as well as the importance of seeking help from adults when they realize that they or a friend are suicidal. These critical steps will result in more suicidal students being identified and referred for a suicide assessment. Considerations for Risk Assessment Training Each Florida school needs key personnel trained in suicide assessment, and school counselors are the logical personnel. Earlier, we mentioned that school mental health professionals should seek out training to increase their expertise. We recommend that schools use the programs identified by the Florida Department of Education. A suicide risk assessment is done to determine if suicidal ideation, intent and plan are present and to identify what steps need to be taken to safeguard the student. No problem facing school mental health professionals is more urgent than the need for training in suicide assessment . School personnel understandably experience anxiety when faced with a student who may be suicidal, and it is vital that they receive training in assessment. This can be provided by bringing experts to the school system to provide training in assessment and intervention or by sending key personnel to conferences and trainings conducted by state and national associations. Key personnel, such as school administrators, counselors, and teachers, must also know the facts about youth suicide and not believe myths about suicide. Recently, a school counselor asked “Is it true that some students will die by suicide no matter what we do? Isn’t it their destiny?” This is faulty thinking, and it's an example of why the recommended training in Florida is so important. Additionally, it is very important to include positive examples of school personnel actions that resulted in a suicide being averted, for an example, identifying students, notifying parents, making community referrals, and providing follow-up services at school. 17