INTRODUCTION
Youth Suicide
The likelihood of students, faculty, or staff encountering a suicidal student is real, even at the elementary school level. Few events are more painful or potentially disruptive than the suicide of a student. Suicide is an issue among all educational and socioeconomic backgrounds. Contrary to popular belief, talking about suicide or asking someone if they are feeling suicidal will NOT put the idea in their head or cause them to kill themselves. There is reliable evidence that suicide is preventable in many cases. Appropriate and timely crisis intervention in collaboration with community organizations helps school administrators maintain composure in a crisis and may help prevent copycat behavior.
The Importance of Suicide Prevention Guidelines
Wisconsin Statute 118.01 (2)(d)(7) requires schools to develop a youth suicide prevention program to be presented in the secondary schools of the state. Public Law 20-A Title IV Part A (4) Safe & Drug Free Schools Act requires schools to work with local public safety, mental health and law enforcement officials to develop “crisis response plans to deal with crisis and potential crisis situations involving violent acts by or against students in every school administrative unit.”
Many school administrators are seeking guidance in the development of comprehensive suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention guidelines to assist their personnel in responding to suicidal behavior. The U.S. Surgeon General and clinical experts nationwide promote the adoption of suicide prevention protocols by local school districts to protect school personnel and to increase the safety of at-risk youth and the entire school community.
About these Guidelines
This document recognizes and builds on the skills and resources inherent in school systems. Schools are exceptionally resilient and resourceful organizations whose staff members may be called upon to deal with crises on any given day. Schools can be a source of support and stability for students and community members when a crisis occurs in their community. These suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention guidelines are designed for schools to use within existing protocols to assist at-risk students and intervene appropriately in a suicide related crisis. School boards and school personnel may choose to implement additional supportive measures to fit the specific needs of an individual school community. The purpose of these guidelines is to assist school administrators and crisis teams in their planning. It is important to provide consistency in actions and messages, “one voice, one message.” This is important in dealing with staff, parents, students, media, and community. The guidelines do not constitute legal advice, nor are they intended to do so. It is important that schools work and communicate with community organizations, also see the Community-Based Suicide Postvention Guidelines for Wisconsin.
THE INTENT OF THIS DOCUMENT IS TO HELP SCHOOLS:
Understand the nature of youth suicide: the myths and facts; risk and protective factors; warning signs; and appropriate steps for prevention and intervention.
Establish school-based protocols for suicide prevention, crisis intervention, and postvention.
Build connections within a community and among regional support services.
Educate school personnel, parents, and students about effective suicide prevention and intervention.
Compiled from: Maine Youth Suicide Prevention Guidelines.
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Funding for development and reproduction of this model was made possible, in part, by grant SM57386 from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and from funding from the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services (DHFS)/Bureau of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. The views expressed in the model do not necessarily reflect the official policies of either the federal Department of Health and Human Services or the DHFS; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government or the State of Wisconsin.
Links to websites administered by organizations other than Mental Health America of Wisconsin are provided with the written permission of these organizations. This permission authorizes only that the Mental Health America of Wisconsin may provide these links from our website, , to the website of the other organization for the convenience of our website user. The Mental Health Association wishes to express its appreciation to these organizations for allowing us and our web users to benefit from the work they have done. The permission does not authorize our web users to reproduce materials from these other websites or link these sites to their own website. Please check on these other websites for information on any such restrictions or contact the other organization directly for permission to use their materials.
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The Wisconsin Components of School-Based Suicide Prevention, Intervention, Postvention Model