Robert E. Lee High School
Teacher & Staff
Suicide Prevention Guide

Introduction

• As educators, it is our ethical responsibility to protect the health and well-being of our students at Robert E. Lee High School
• Because a crisis can occur at any time, it is necessary to have a plan in place to prevent, assess the risk of, intervene in, and respond to suicide ("Model School", n.d.)

Purpose

• To recognize that suicide is a leading cause of death among young people
• To recognize the warning signs and risk factors for suicide
• To identify how to respond when a student is at-risk for suicide

Purpose

• To identify the ethical guidelines and district policy surrounding suicide
• To provide resources for referrals to community healthcare providers

National Statistics

• It is estimated that 3 high school students will attempt suicide each year.
• "On average, a young person dies by suicide every 2 hours in the U.S. " ("Model School", n.d., p. 1).

National Statistics

• It is estimated that for every youth that dies by suicide, 100-200 make suicide attempts ("Model School", n.d.).
• In 2015, suicide was the 3rd leading cause of death in the U.S. for ages 10-14, and the 2nd leading cause of death for ages 15-24 ("10 Leading Causes", 2015).

State Statistics

• There were more than 3,000 suicide deaths in Texas in 2015.
• On average, one person dies by suicide every 3 hours in Texas.
• In Texas, suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for ages 15-34 ("State Fact", 2017).

Local Statistics

• Between 1999 and 2013, the suicide rate for Smith County was 14.29 per 100,000 people. This is higher than Texas' rate of 11.69 and the rate of the U.S. of 12.61 (Dillard, 2015).

Suicide Risk Factors

• Mental illness
• Substance abuse
• Family stress/dysfunction
• Environmental risks, including the presence of firearms in the home
• Situational crises, e. g. death of a loved one, physical or sexual abuse, family violence ("Preventing Youth", 2015).

Suicide Warning Signs

• Suicidal threats with direct/ indirect statements
• Suicide notes/plans (including online postings)
• Prior suicidal behavior
• Giving away possessions
• Preoccupation with death
• Changes in behavior, thoughts, or feelings ("Preventing Youth", 2015).

How to Respond

• If a student or a staff member shares concerns with you that another student might be suicidal, this should be reported to the school counselor as soon as possible
• School counselor will complete a risk assessment with the student to determine the level of risk (S. Steele, personal communication, April 26, 2017).

How to Respond

• School counselor will notify the parent of the potential self-harm (S. Steele, personal communication, April 26, 2017).

How to Respond

• If a student reports to you that they are contemplating suicide, they should remain under adult supervision and the school counselor should be notified immediately (S. Steele, personal communication, April 26, 2017).

How to Respond

• School counselor will perform a risk assessment with the student
• School counselor will notify the parent of the potential self-harm (S. Steele, personal communication, April 26, 2017).

How to Respond

• School counselor will complete a "No-Harm Contract" with the student which identifies people that the student can turn to for help and coping skills they can use when they feel unsafe (S. Steele, personal communication, April 26, 2017).

How to Respond

• School counselor will ask parent to sign "Notification of Potential Self-Harm" form that they have been notified of student at-risk
• School counselor will provide the following community resources where the parent can take the student for an emergency screening (S. Steele, personal communication, April 26, 2017).

Community Resources

• Andrew's Center MHMR (903)597-1351
• ETMC Behavioral Health Center (903)266-2200
• Christus Mother Frances Hospital (903)593-8441
• East Texas Medical Center Hospital (903)597-0351 (S. Steele, personal communication, April 26, 2017).

Additional Resources

• Emergency call 911
• Suicide Hotline 1-800-784-SUICIDE (S. Steele, personal communication, April 26, 2017).
• Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK ("National Suicide", n.d.)

Ethical Guidelines

• ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors says that, "counselors should inform parents/guardians, and/or appropriate authorities when a student poses a serious and forseeable risk of harm to self or others" ("ASCA Ethical Standards", 2016, p. 4).

Ethical Guidelines

• ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors says that the counselor has an obligation to, “report to parents/guardians and/or appropriate authorities when students disclose a perpetrated or perceived threat to their physical or mental well-being” (“ASCA Ethical Standards”, 2016, p. 4).

District Policy

• Tyler ISD policy is that there should be procedures put in place on each campus to inform parents/guardians of their child's possible need for mental health intervention. This should be done as soon as staff has identified early warning signs, which includes harm towards oneself (“School Board Policy,” 2013).

Very Important

• It is VITAL that teachers and staff notify the school counselor the same day they identify a student with ANY of the warning signs of suicide (S. Steele, personal communication, April 26, 2017).

Very Important

• If the school counselor is not available, the school nurse or administrator should be notified
• The school nurse or administrator will intervene until the school counselor is available (S. Steele, personal communication, April 26, 2017).

Youth suicide is preventable, and WE are key to prevention ("Model School", n.d.).

Distribution of Guide

• This guide will be distributed annually and included in all Robert E. Lee High School teacher handbooks.
• It can also be found on rel.tylerisd.org

References

• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Model school district policy on suicide prevention. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://afsp.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Model-Policy_FINAL.pdf

References

• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. (2017). State fact sheets [data file]. Retrieved from https://afsp.org/about-suicide/state-fact-sheets/#Texas

References

• American School Counselor Association. (2016). ASCA Ethical standards for school counselors. Retrieved from https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/Ethics/EthicalStandards2016...

References

• Dillard, C. (2015, July 5). East Texas counties have higher suicide rates than other areas of the state. Tyler Morning Telegraph. Retrieved from http://www.tylerpaper.com/TP-News+Health/221529/east-texas-counties-have-hi...

References

• National Association of School Psychologists. Preventing youth suicide: Tips for parents and educators. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources/school-safet...

References

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://suicideprevention
• lifeline.org/

References

• 10 leading causes of death by age group, United States-2015. (2015). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/LeadingCauses.html

References

• Tyler Independent School District. (2013, October 7). School board policy: Student welfare crisis intervention. Retrieved from http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1081?filename=FFB(LEGAL).pdf