5350 - SUICIDE PREVENTION, INTERVENTION, AND POSTVENTION

The Board recognizes that suicide is a leading cause of death among youth and must be taken seriously. In order to attempt to reduce suicidal behavior and its impact on students and families, the District Administrator shall develop prevention, intervention, and postvention strategies and procedures.

The District Administrator may involve school health professionals, school counselors, administrators, other staff, parents/guardians, students, local health agencies and professionals, and community organizations in planning, implementing, and evaluating the district's strategies for suicide prevention,  intervention, and postvention.

The District Administrator may offer parents education or information which describes the severity of the youth suicide problem, the district's suicide prevention curriculum, risk factors and warning signs of suicide, basic steps for helping suicidal youth, and/or school and community resources that can help youth in crisis.

Prevention and Instruction

Using the Department of Public Instruction notice, the District Administrator shall annually inform the professional staff of the resources available from the Department and other resources regarding suicide prevention. The District Administrator shall also implement procedures to obtain payment or reimbursement for professional mental health services provided by any licensed treatment professional.

Suicide prevention strategies may include, but not be limited to, efforts to promote a positive school climate that enhances students' feelings of connectedness with the school and is characterized by caring staff and harmonious interrelationships among students.

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

Staff Development

Suicide prevention training for staff shall be designed to help staff identify and respond to students at risk of suicide. The training shall be offered under the direction of a school counselor/school psychologist and/or in cooperation with one or more community mental health agencies.

Training will be provided for all teachers and staff.

Suicide Intervention; Civil Liability Exemption

Any School District officer, employee, or volunteer who in good faith attempts to prevent suicide by a student is immune from civil liability for their acts or omissions in respect to the suicide or attempted suicide.

Postvention

The Board recognizes that the death of a staff member or student, whether by suicide or other means, that affects the entire school and community. In the event of a staff member or student’s death, it is critical that the school’s response be swift, consistent, and intended to protect the student body and community. 

Confirming the News and Convening the Education Support Team

Upon receiving news of a student’s or employee's death, including an unconfirmed rumor, a staff member must immediately contact the Principal, and/or designee. Contact must be made whether this is during or outside school hours.

The District Administrator will:

1. contact the Board President.
2. contact key staff who will comprise the support team; i.e., teaching and classified staff, parents, students, and/or community members.
3. compose a potential “shared statement” for students and staff so the same message is disseminated to everyone. This statement should not be read over the intercom but delivered in person by a teacher who has a relationship with the students. This is very important in grades where the deceased student had close connections to his/her classmates.
4. compose a potential public statement to notify the community at large what the school is experiencing and that the school is focused on providing support to the students. This may be beneficial in the event that the matter becomes publicly discussed, including on social media.
5. will convene the educational support team which may include:
    
   1. administrators
   2. school counselor(s)
   3. school psychologist(s)
   4. social worker(s)

In the case of a death by suicide, other concerns such as the prevention of suicide contagion will be taken into account.  Suicide contagion is the process by which suicidal behavior or a suicide completion influences an increase in the suicide risk of others. Identification, modeling, and guilt are each thought to play a role in contagion. Although rare, suicide contagion can result in a cluster of suicides within a community.

Publication and Distribution

This policy will be included in age-appropriate student handbooks and on the school website.

© Neola 2023