Florida School Toolkit for K-12 Educators to Prevent Suicide

recommendations about disclosure of the cause of death. These recommendations are found in the After a Suicide: Toolkit for Schools sample letter addressing the parents wish that the cause of death not be disclosed. 8. Determine how to share information about the death. • Students should be told the truth about the cause of death in classrooms or smaller groups (not over the public address system). The focus should be on how to help the survivors with their emotions. - The reason for the suicide died with the victim. - Avoid details about the suicide method. - No one person and no one thing was the cause of the suicide. - S uicide is very complex, and mental illness is almost always involved when a suicide occurs. - Discussion with students after a suicide should be in a group no larger than a classroom, with a school counselor leading the discussion and the classroom teacher closely monitoring student reactions. - No schoolwide assemblies should be held after a suicide as it will glamorize the death, students will be unlikely to ask questions, and student reactions to the suicide will be difficult to monitor. 9. I dentify students significantly affected by the suicide, provide support, and initiate referral for community services, as needed. A single exposure to suicide is unlikely to cause another student to imitate suicidal behavior, unless they were already vulnerable. Recent research has emphasized it is the less close friends with vulnerable issues that may be most at risk. • Risk factors for imitative behavior include - destructive facilitation or provision of lethal means - failure to recognize suicidal intent - feeling of guilt - feelings of loss - identifying with the suicide victim - history of prior suicidal behavior - history of psychopathology - feelings of helplessness and/or hopelessness - other significant life stressors or losses - lack of internal and external protective resources 10. C onduct a staff member planning session as soon as possible. If school is not in session, use the staff member calling tree to allow staff members to work through their own issues and turn to others for help. 11. I nitiate crisis intervention services. 12. A ddress memorial services. • Strive to treat all student deaths the same way by creating districtwide memorialization procedures. - Encourage and allow students, with parental permission, to attend the funeral. - Encourage staff member attendance at the funeral to support the family and monitor reactions of students. Florida S.T.E.P.S.