Florida School Toolkit for K-12 Educators to Prevent Suicide

Section 2 of this Toolkit outlines practical steps for schools to follow for a parent notification and referral for community-based services when a student is suspected of being suicidal. Appendix 3 provides answers to the most frequently asked questions by parents, educators, and students about suicide prevention and mental health. Tool 29 also provides an overview of information about suicide prevention that is recommended to be posted on every school district website in Florida. It outlines warning signs, crisis helpline numbers, and most importantly whom to contact at your child’s school if you believe your child is suicidal. Since suicide is the second-leading cause of death for 10- to 34-year-olds nationally, schools are encouraged to include warning signs of depression and suicide in a variety of presentations to parents. For example, during a program for parents about the high-school graduation plan, a few minutes should be set aside to outline key warning signs for depression and suicide. Epidemiology studies done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the aftermath of youth clusters have found that parents were slow to recognize their child’s mental illness and did not obtain the needed treatment. Parents need to know that suicide is almost always the result of untreated or undertreated mental illness and that evidenced-based treatments exist for all mental illnesses. The parents of adolescents in particular may think that their child’s moodiness and irritability are typical of being a teen, but three questions need to be considered: 1. Has this behavior gone on for several weeks or more (persistent)? 2. Is the behavior affecting all aspects of their life, school, friends, and family (pervasive)? 3. Have they dropped out of previously enjoyed activities? For example, a student did not want to be on the dance team this year, but she had done it for years and really enjoyed it. Warning Signs of Suicide: The warning signs of suicide are further outlined in Tool 31. • talking about wanting to die or kill oneself • l ooking for ways to kill oneself, such as searching online or buying a gun • t alking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live • t alking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain • talking about being a burden to others • increasing the use of alcohol or drugs • a cting anxious or agitated, or behaving recklessly • sleeping too little or too much • withdrawing or feeling isolated • showing rage or talking about seeking revenge • displaying extreme mood swings S ource: Suicide Awareness Voices in Education ( save.org ) Tool 13 Increasing Parental Involvement and Awareness of Youth Suicide Prevention 65