Intervention protocols to assist students in a crisis involving suicidal thoughts or behaviors are a critical component of both district and school responses. These protocols aid school personnel in intervening effectively with suicidal students. School administrators play a crucial role in establishing a school climate that requires key school personnel to be familiar with and responsive to a suicidal crisis in order to help prevent a youth suicide. Students of concern may be referred to counselors by staff, parents, peers, or self-referral. Intervention protocols vary based on the determined degree of suicide risk.
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Actions to be taken and tools to use when faced with a student’s mental health crisis.
Intervention protocols to identify and assist students in a crisis who may exhibit suicidal thoughts or behaviors. Included are tools for both districts and schools to respond and effectively minimize risk.
The red folder can quickly guide school staff in responding appropriately to a student experiencing distress, based on student behavior and suggested school protocols.
Adolescents and those in their early 20’s are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of exposure to the suicide of a peer. This can lead to phenomena called suicide contagion and suicide clusters among this age group.
How a person attempts suicide, the means they use, plays a key role in whether they live or die. Reducing access to lethal means is lifesaving.
Social media is a space in which young people express their feelings, communicate and collaborate with others. It has many benefits. But the role it can play in both minimizing and increasing risk for suicide is complicated and worth giving a closer look.
Self care is required for personal wellness. It is not self indulgence to care for one’s self but rather self preservation – the means to achieving an effective and fulfilling life.