A. Messaging about Suicide Prevention
Talking about suicide works to prevent the number of attempts. The district will check with experts to make sure they use the best information.
B. Training
Teachers and other adults will learn about suicide awareness and prevention.
Training:
Once a year adults will be taught how to notice if kids are thinking about suicide.
Adults at school will learn about:
- What to look for;
- How to talk with kids about suicide;
- Who to call when someone is thinking about suicide;
- Information about the feelings of kids at school.
- The plan to help kids, staff, and others deal with their feelings when a suicide or suicide attempt occurs;
- How to look for patterns in data from surveys and other places.
The district will do its best to help kids who are at higher risk of suicide. Kids who might be at higher risk are kids who know someone who died by suicide; kids with disabilities; kids with mental illness; kids who use drugs or alcohol; kids who are homelessness or who are in foster care; and kids who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning youth.
C. The people who do the work will be experts
People who work for the district will only do the jobs they are allowed to do. People who work for the district should not try to detect or treat mental illness unless they have learned how. There will be some people specially trained to help kids that are thinking about suicide.
D. Training for experts
Even the experts will have lessons on how to better help kids who are thinking of suicide. The district will do its best to help kids who are at higher risk of suicide. Kids who might be at higher risk are kids who know someone who died of suicide; kids with disabilities; kids with mental illness; kids who use drugs or alcohol; kids who are homelessness or who are in foster care; and kids who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning youth.
E. Parents, Guardians, and Caregivers Participation and Education
The district will give families information on the different reasons why kids might think of suicide. The district will also give families ideas on ways to help kids. The signs of suicide will also be shared with families. The district will make sure families know how concerning the problem of suicide is. The district will also tell families about what the district is doing to help. The district will remind families to talk to people at the school if they think they know a student who might be thinking of suicide. The district will also tell them who else might be able to help.
F. Student Participation and Education
- The schools will use Social Emotional Learning curriculum/lessons to teach kids about their feelings and how to ask for help when they need it.
- The schools will use Positive Behavior Intervention Systems (PBIS) to create positive and welcoming schools and provide supports to all students (including activities and other ways to make kids feel like a part of the school and know that teachers and others at school care for them and want them to do well.
- The school will teach kids how to deal with upsetting situations. This will also include lessons on how to stay calm and manage big or overwhelming feelings even when things go wrong. Finally, kids will be taught the warning signs of what to look for when others are considering suicide.
- The schools will use a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) to find out give more support to those students that need it.
- The schools encourage kids to tell teachers and other adults when they are thinking of suicide or when they think another student might be thinking of suicide.
- The school will help kids when they tell someone they are thinking of suicide or trying to die by suicide.
