Florida School Toolkit for K-12 Educators to Prevent Suicide

1. A nnual training on suicide prevention awareness for all staff members who interact with students is strongly recommended. This includes staff members who are custodians, bus drivers, and cafeteria workers. 2. P rocedures are developed for schools on prevention, intervention, and postvention. 3 . I nformation is posted on the school district website about warning signs of suicide, crisis helpline phone numbers, and resources and whom to contact at school if students or someone they know is suicidal. 4. L ethality assessment training is provided for school counselors, social workers, and school psychologists, often referred to as school mental health professionals. This includes a role play of initial suicide assessment, with a clear understanding that the treatment of a suicidal student needs to be done by competent community mental health providers. 5. P arent notification procedures are formalized with the goal being to secure cooperation from the parents and to have them follow through with treatment recommendations. The only exception to parent notification is when abuse is suspected; then, the proper authorities would be notified. 6. C ommunity-based mental health professionals who are competent in suicide assessment and management are identified and listed for easy referral. 7. I nformation sharing between community providers, hospital personnel, and key school personnel such as administrators and counselors is facilitated. This is a challenge, as important information about a student’s suicidal behavior is often hidden from schools. 8. B efore a student returns to classes, a reentry meeting is held at school for any student returning from a hospitalization for suicidal behavior. 9 . D ata is kept about the number of student suicide deaths, number of suicide attempts, number of students referred for mental health services outside of school and whether services were actually received, the number of students hospitalized for suicidal behavior, and the number of reentry meetings held. 10. T he curriculum includes best-practice, age-appropriate information about the vital role of peers in suicide prevention. It is critical that all school personnel be trained on suicide prevention awareness before information is presented to students so that school staff members will respond appropriately to suicidal students and support suicide prevention in the curriculum. It is our hope that the next generation of Florida adults will know how to prevent suicide because they will have learned how in school. TOOL 7 Summarized Components for Comprehensive Suicide Prevention in Schools 53