Florida School Toolkit for K-12 Educators to Prevent Suicide

4. A cknowledge the emotional state of the parents. Provide empathy for this situation and comment on its scary nature for parents. 5. Emphasize that it is essential that schools, parents, community mental health and medical service personnel collaborate to help a suicidal child. 6. If the parents appear to be uncooperative, find out if beliefs or myths are hindering them from taking certain actions. 7. Acknowledge and explore cultural, religious, or other concerns that might reduce the parents’ acceptance of mental health treatment for their child. 8. When possible, align yourself with the parents. It is important for them to understand the stress and likely depression their child is experiencing and to discuss with them ways to obtain mental health assistance. 9. R efer parents to local community mental health treatment that the school has previously identified and explain what parents can expect in seeking treatment. 10. K ey questions to ask community service providers to determine their competence in suicide assessment and management are outlined in Tool 28a. 11. C larify the role of the schools and the follow- up that will be done at school. 12. P ersuasively request that parents sign a release of information form so that designated school personnel can speak directly with community mental health professionals. State clearly that you will be checking with the student and their parents to verify that community-based mental health services were obtained. 13 . D ocument all actions on Tool 19 that include having parents sign parent notification of suicidal concern form (Tool 18). If parents refuse to sign the notification form, ask another staff member to witness their refusal. Getting It Wrong Many students suspected of being suicidal deny having thoughts and plans when directly asked. It is critical to understand that the notification process must advance, even when a child denies being suicidal. Parent notification is not a discretionary duty. It is a ministerial required duty! In 2013, the White Pass School District in Washington settled a case with student denial of suicide to the counselor (Boehme vs. White Pass). The key issue was the counselor did not notify the student’s guardian after a peer reported that the student was part of a suicide pact and had written a suicide note. The counselor chose not to develop a safety plan nor notify his guardian, based on the student’s response. The student died by suicide later that day. Scott Poland was an expert witness on the side of the plaintiff. Getting It Right Suicidal thoughts for students often wax and wane. It is important for school personnel and community providers to monitor suicide risk with students who are known be previously or currently suicidal. Most suicidal students will not be hospitalized, which is why it is very important for school personnel, such as school counselors, to monitor the student closely. If a student has been hospitalized, utilize Tool 20, which outlines steps for reentry and follow-up. This involves close communication with the student, parents, and the community mental health provider as well as the student’s teachers. Teachers need to know the warning signs of suicide and alert the counselor of any behavioral changes for the student. The counselor should check in with the student at least once a week after hospitalization. At this time, ensure that a safety plan (Tool 17) is still in place and the student has a copy. It is expected that students may continue to have thoughts of suicide. Because of this, the student should be asked if there is anything else he or she wants to add to the plan to keep him or her safe. The counselor should ask direct questions. If a student has suicidal thoughts, all procedures outlined in Tool 16, the Suicide Risk Report, should be followed, and the school administrator should be notified. 31