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Suicide Awareness and Prevention Policy

View Board policy 7:290, Suicide and Depression Awareness and Prevention

Beginning with the 2015-2016 school year, each school board must adopt a suicide awareness and prevention policy or review and update its current suicide awareness and prevention policy to be consistent with newly required items. The newly required items include a statement on suicide prevention, protocols for educating staff and students, methods of prevention, protocols for educating staff and students, methods of prevention, methods of intervention, methods of responding, reporting procedures, and recommended resources. All school district employees and the parents of guardians of each student enrolled in the district must be informed of the policy, and the policy must be posted on the district's website.

Prevention

  1. Implementation of District 65's Policy. District 65's mental health staff (school social workers and school psychologists) will plan and coordinate implementation of the policy for the district. School social workers and school psychologists will serve as contacts in each school building for issues related to suicide prevention and policy implementation. All staff members are to report students they believe are at an elevated risk for suicide to the social worker and/or psychologist.
  2. Staff Professional Development. Annual professional development will occur at the school building level. Information will be provided regarding risk factors, warning signs, protective factors, response procedures, referrals, postvention, and resources regarding suicide prevention. Information regarding certain groups of students who are at elevated risk for suicide (see above) will be shared during staff professional development. School employed mental health professionals, school nurses, and school health clerks will be provided with professional development in risk assessment and crisis intervention.
  3. Youth Suicide Prevention Programming. Developmentally-appropriate and student-centered education materials regarding suicide prevention will be integrated into 5-8th health curriculum (the curriculum for 5th grades is currently in development). This content will include the importance of safe and healthy choices and coping strategies, how to recognize risk factors and warning signs of mental disorders and suicide in oneself and in others, and how to seek help for oneself or others, as well as how to utilize school resources and refer friends for help. Schools may also provide additional small-group suicide prevention programming.
  4. Publication and Distribution. District 65's policy will be distributed annually, included in all student and teacher handbooks, and will be shared on the district's website.

Assessment and Intervention

When a student is identified by a school staff person as being at increased risk of suicide (verbalizes about suicide, presents overt risk factors, engaging in acts of self-harm, or by self-referral), including those students who: (A) suffer from a mental health disorder; (B) suffer from a substance abuse disorder; (C) engage in self-harm or have previously attempted suicide; (D) reside in an out-of-home placement; (E) are experiencing homelessness; (F) are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ); (G) are bereaved by suicide; or (H) have a medical condition or certain types of disabilities, the student will be seen by a school-based mental health professional (school social worker or psychologist) within the school day to assess the risk and facilitate any referral needed. If the mental health professional is unavailable, the school administrator will fill this role until a mental health professional is made available.

For students identified due to suicidal ideation/behavior:

  1. School staff will continuously supervise the student to ensure their safety.
  2. The school-based mental health provider will be notified of the situation immediately. The mental health provider will notify the administrator as soon as reasonably possible.
  3. The school-based mental health professional or administrator will notify the student's parents of the situation and that a risk assessment will be completed to determine the appropriate intervention and or referral. When appropriate, this may involve calling emergency services, but will often result in setting up an outpatient mental health or primary care appointment and communicating the reason for referral with the health care provider. Written consent for the release of information will be obtained from the parent/guardian of the student prior to any communication with an outside provider.

In the case of an in-school suicide attempt, the health and safety of the student is primary. In these situations;

  1. Staff will immediately notify the school administrator and school based mental health provider.
  2. Call the police/emergency medical services immediately. First aide will be rendered until professional medical treatment is available.
  3. School staff will supervise the student to ensure their safety and all other students will be removed from the area.
  4. The school administrator or mental health professional will contact the student's parent/guardian.
  5. The school will engage as necessary the crisis team to assess whether additional steps should be taken to ensure student safety and well-being.

In the case of an out-of-school suicide attempt that a staff member becomes aware of, the staff member will:

  1. Immediately notify the school administrator and school based mental health provider.
  2. Call the police/emergency services immediately.
  3. Inform the student's parent/guardian.

If a student contacts a staff member and expresses suicidal ideation/behavior, the staff member should maintain contact with the student. The staff member should enlist the assistance of another person to contact the police while maintaining contact with the student.

Re-entry Procedure

The school designates a case manager (usually a school mental health provider) who will attend all meetings, advocate for the student and carry out the following plan for re-entry, after a suicide attempt, hospitalization, or other serious incident. Be sure that confidentiality releases are signed so that involved parties can share information.

For students returning to school after a mental health crisis (e.g. suicide attempt or psychiatric hospitalization), a school employed mental health professional, the principal, or designee will meet with the student's parent or guardian, and if appropriate, meet with the student to discuss re-entry and appropriate next steps to ensure the student's readiness for returning to school.

  1. A school employed mental health professional or other designee will coordinate with the student, their parent or guardian, and any outside mental health care providers.
  2. The parent or guardian will provide documentation from a mental health care provider that the student has undergone examination and that they are no longer a danger to themselves or others.
  3. The designated staff person will periodically check in with student to help the student readjust to the school community and address any ongoing concerns.