SUICIDE PREVENTION, INTERVENTION, AND POSTVENTION

SUICIDE PREVENTION, INTERVENTION, AND POSTVENTION

ag5350Adopted December 5, 2023Revised August 11, 2025

5350 - SUICIDE PREVENTION, INTERVENTION, AND POSTVENTION

Instruction

At appropriate secondary grades, the District's suicide prevention instruction shall be designed to help students:

  1. identify and analyze signs of depression and self-destructive behaviors and understand how feelings of depression, loss, isolation, inadequacy, and anxiety can lead to thoughts of suicide;
  2. identify alternatives to suicide and develop coping and resiliency skills;
  3. learn to listen, be honest, share feelings, and get help when communicating with friends who show signs of suicidal intent;
  4. identify trusted adults, school resources, and/or community crisis intervention resources where youth can get help and recognize that there is no stigma associated with seeking mental health, substance abuse, and/or suicide prevention services.

Prevention

The District recognizes that the prevention of youth suicide, violence, and substance abuse and the early identification and treatment of mental health disorders are most effective when students, staff, parents, and community members have access to prevention information and resources.

Suicide Prevention Training for Staff Shall Include the Following:

  1. Identifying risk factors, such as previous suicide attempt(s), history of depression or mental illness, substance use problems, family history of suicide or violence, feelings of isolation, interpersonal conflicts, a recent severe stress or loss, family instability, and other factors;
  2. Identifying warning signs that may indicate suicidal intentions, including changes in students’ appearance, personality, or behavior particularly among:
     
    1. Youth bereaved by suicide;
    2. Youth with disabilities, mental illness, or substance abuse;
    3. Homeless youth;
    4. LGBTQ youth;
    5. Youth in the juvenile justice or welfare system;
    6. Native American youth;
    7. Youth on the fringes of mainstream social groups;
  3. Research-based instructional strategies for teaching the suicide prevention curriculum and promoting mental and emotional health;
  4. School and community resources and services;
  5. District procedures for intervening when a student attempts, threatens, or discloses the desire to die by suicide;
  6. Training will be provided annually for all teachers and staff.

Suicide Prevention Curriculum for Students Shall Include the Following:

The following process should be followed throughout the year to inform and educate students in the following grade(s) or school grade groups:

Developmentally-appropriate, student-centered education materials will be integrated into the curriculum of all K-12 health classes. The content of these age-appropriate materials will:

  1. encourage positive social and emotional development;
  2. Teach life skills such as problem-solving and sound decision-making;
  3. Provide knowledge of the relationship between youth suicide and the use of alcohol and controlled substances;
  4. Promote awareness of the warning signs of suicide, how to respond to potential suicidal persons and available community counseling and mental health services;
  5. Stress the importance of safe and healthy choices and coping strategies;
  6. Instruct how to recognize risk factors and warning signs of mental disorders and suicide in oneself and others;
  7. Facilitate help-seeking strategies for oneself or others, including how to engage school resources and refer friends for help. In addition, schools may provide supplemental small group suicide prevention programming for students.

Intervention

In compliance with Board of Education Policy 5350, any time a staff member encounters a situation in which a student appears to be contemplating suicide, the following process should be followed carefully.

Step One - Stabilize the Situation

  1. Under no circumstances is a suicidal student to be left alone.

  2. Converse with the student immediately to determine if s/he has any dangerous instrumentalities (weapon, substance, or other material capable of inflicting a mortal wound) on or nearby his/her person.

  3. If the student will allow, immediately remove any dangerous instrumentalities from the student and the student's environment.

  4. If the student will agree, accompany him/her to a prearranged, nonthreatening place away from other students and other people but where there is another adult and a telephone close by. If the principal can be notified without leaving the student, do so as quickly as possible. If the student will not agree, stay calm and remain with him/her until someone comes.

Pupil Services should proceed to Step Two without delay.

Step Two - Assess the Risk

  1. Stay relaxed and talk calmly to the student to assess the risk of the student harming himself/herself. Listen intently to what the student is saying and avoid giving advice. Keep questions nonjudgmental.

  2. If the student will not relinquish a dangerous instrumentality, use EXTREME RISK PROCEDURE (Step Three A).

  3. If the student is in imminent danger of harming himself/herself, use SEVERE RISK PROCEDURE (Step Three B).

  4. If the student is not in imminent danger of harming himself/herself, use MODERATE RISK PROCEDURE (Step Three C).

Step Three - Take Appropriate Action

  1. EXTREME RISK PROCEDURE

    1. Contact the police.

    2. Keep the student engaged in conversation as well as reassuring him/her until the police arrive.

    3. After the police arrive, and if good rapport has been established with the student, remain present to provide continuity and support as the police attempt to get the student to relinquish the dangerous instrumentality.

    4. Contact the student's parents and inform them of what has transpired and of the actions being taken.

  2. SEVERE RISK PROCEDURE

    1. Determine if the student's distress is the result of parental abuse, neglect, or exploitation. If so, notify Protective Services immediately, give them the facts, request them to intervene, and follow their instructions. If not, call the Mental Health Services immediately, give them the facts, request them to intervene, and follow their instructions.

    2. If neither agency will intervene before the end of the school day, call the emergency squad.

    3. Make sure the student's parents have been contacted.

  3. MODERATE RISK PROCEDURE

    1. Try to determine the reason(s) for the student's distress. Contact the parents, give them the facts, and ask them to come to the school right away.

    2. Assist the parents in making contact with an agency or resource person who can provide appropriate intervention.

Step Four - Communicate

Inform the appropriate members of the District staff such as the Crisis Response Team, the school psychologist, and the student's teachers and counselors of the facts and the actions being taken. Alert them that they need to observe the District's confidentiality requirements (AG 2411), although the occurrence was not something that developed during counseling.

Step Five - Follow-Up

  1. Determine the extent to which emergency or short-term procedures were completed properly.

  2. Find out if arrangements have been made for long-term clinical and/or support services.

  3. If neither short-term procedures nor long-term services were properly conducted or pursued, consult with the District Administrator to determine appropriate action.

  4. Maintain continuing contact with the student to communicate interest in his/her welfare and support of the long-term services being provided.

  5. Remain alert to the possibility of "copy-cat" suicide attempts by other students.

  6. Evaluate Steps A - E.

RE-ENTRY

For students returning to school after a mental health crisis (e.g., suicide attempt or psychiatric hospitalization), a school employed mental health professional and the Principal will request to meet with the student's parent, and if appropriate, meet with the student to discuss re-entry and appropriate next steps to assess the student's readiness for and facilitate his/her return to school.

  1. A school employed mental health professional or other designee will be identified to coordinate with the student, their parent, and any outside mental healthcare providers.

  2. The parent will be asked to provide documentation from a mental healthcare provider that the student has undergone examination and that they are no longer a danger to themselves or others.

SUICIDE POSTVENTION PROCESS

If, despite all prevention and intervention efforts, a suicide should occur, refer to the SDoJ Crisis Response Plan Appendix B-D. 

Memorial activities should be expressed through actions toward suicide prevention activities. Donations can be made to favorite charities or youth support programs. If students are interested encourage them to honor their friend by respecting life through suicide prevention walks or other things that encourage living life. Avoid memorial activities that are permanent markers, lowering the flag to half-mast, or dedications at sports events. In no way should death by suicide be glamorized to others as a way to solve problems. Refer to SDoJ Crisis Response Plan Appendix D: Crisis Team Information.

If additional guidance is needed, contact the American Association of Suicidology, 5221 Wisconsin Avenue N.W. 2nd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20015. (202) 237-2280.

Revised 4/22/24

© Neola 2025
© School District of Jefferson 2024