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HomeMy WebLinkAbout3530 Suicide Prevention, Intervention, and PostventionSTUDENTS 3530 Page 1 of 10 Bonneville Joint School District No. 93 Suicide Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention Suicide Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention Bonneville Joint School District 93 (“the District”) is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all students through evidence-based practices for the prevention and intervention in suicides, as well as providing postvention support in the event of a sudden death, a suicide-related incident, or other crisis. The District will follow the provisions required in Idaho Code sections 33-136 and 33-6001 and follow practices recommended by the Idaho State Board of Education and Idaho Department of Education to support students, families, and school staff members. 1. Prevention of Suicide and Self Harm A. Employee Training: i. In compliance with Idaho Code 33-136, all District employees will receive annual training on suicide recognition, prevention, and intervention including the Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) method, to increase awareness of mental health and to recognize warning signs of distress and respond to students in need. ii. The Director of Student Well Being will organize a suicide prevention leadership team to provide more in depth training on approved suicide prevention protocols and programs to school mental health professionals, including QPR and Youth Mental Health First Aid,. B. School Climate and Culture: i. All school staff members are expected to promote emotional well-being by striving to build positive relationships with students and co -workers. ii. To help cultivate a healthy school climate and culture, all schools are expected to provide students with regular instruction focused on helping to develop and promote social well being and mental health. a. Teachers will provide Tier 1 core instruction on social well being and mental health with support from the school principal and school counselors. b. The District will provide teachers with instructional materials and lessons that have been approved by the Board of Trustees to use as the primary instructional resource for social well being and mental health. c. Lessons may include such topics as responding to bullying, personal hygiene, healthy responses to anxiety, and other issues related to student well-being. STUDENTS 3530 Page 2 of 10 Bonneville Joint School District No. 93 Suicide Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention iii. Schools will strive to provide opportunities to help students build social connections and peer support through extracurricular activities, clubs, and programs. C. Student and Family Education: i. The District will inform parents/guardians of additional mental health resources and supports that are made available to them. ii. Age-appropriate resources on mental health, including recognizing warning signs of suicide in their children, empathy, and coping skills will be provided to parents on the District website. D. Technology Filters i. The District may employ the use of technology filters and services to monitor student activity and communication on District provided accounts. a. The purpose for these services is to help identify students who may be experiencing suicidal ideations or other risks to their well-being and to notify designated District employees, including school administrators, of identified risks. b. Such notifications shall not constitute direct evidence of suicidal tendencies as required in Idaho Code 33-512b unless the notification includes unequivocal and unambiguous statements by the student which do not leave room for speculation. c. However, if the notifications indicate known changes in a student’s mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being, they will require notification to parents under Board Policy 2428 Parental Rights. E. Self Reporting i. The District will provide methods for students and staff members to report concerns about suicide for themselves or others. ii. The District will provide posters and other educational materials to encourage self-reporting and to educate students and staff members on ways to approach conversations. F. Responding to Notifications and Reports i. District employees who receive notifications from technology filters and services or self reports shall respond immediately to direct evidence of suicidal tendencies and that are received between the hours of 7 am and 9 pm on calendared school days. STUDENTS 3530 Page 3 of 10 Bonneville Joint School District No. 93 Suicide Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention ii. District employees are not expected to respond immediately to notifications that are received outside of this time, but are encouraged to notify parents within 24 hours of the time that they receive such notifications. 2. Intervention for Known Suicidal and Self Harm Tendencies A. Parental Notification: i. Whenever a District employee becomes aware that a student may have suicidal tendencies, they shall work with their school principa l or direct supervisor or school counselor to notify the parent or legal guardian of the student as required in Idaho Code 33-512b and Board Policy Board Policy 2428 Parental Rights. a. If the student is at school, a school employee shall be assigned to remain with the student while a parent is notified. b. If the employee's school principal, school counselor, or direct supervisor is not available, the employee shall notify the parent or guardian directly and report the notification to the Superintendent through email without unnecessary delay. ii. If the employee has knowledge of ‘Direct Evidence’ of suicidal tendencies every effort shall be made to notify the parent or legal guardian immediately. ‘Direct Evidence’ is defined at the end of this policy. iii. If the employee does not have knowledge of ‘Direct Evidence’, every effort shall be made to notify the parent or legal guardian of the concern within twelve (12) hours of the time that the employee obtained knowledge of the student's possible suicidal tendencies. iv. Notifications to parents should include a request for parental consent to formally assess the student’s risk of suicidality and to provide necessary counseling support to the student. a. The notifications should be made on a District provided system to document the notification. b. The parent’s consent or denial of consent shall be documented in the student’s confidential health records file. B. Intervention and Support i. With the consent of a parent, school mental health professionals will use the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) or other screening instrument that has been approved by the Board of Trustees to formally assess the student’s risk of suicidality. STUDENTS 3530 Page 4 of 10 Bonneville Joint School District No. 93 Suicide Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention a. If the screening instrument indicates a high-risk for suicidality, the employee should immediately request that a parent pick the child up from school for immediate referral to an outside mental health agency or treatment by a physician. b. If a parent refuses to pick their child up from the school, the school principal or mental health professional may request support from emergency response personnel by calling the School Resource Officer or 911. 1. A District employee will be assigned to remain with the student until they are in the care of emergency response personnel. ii. With parental consent, school mental health professionals may provide counseling and support services for students who have an elevated risk for suicidal tendencies or ideations. a. Before counseling and support services can be provided at school, a parent must provide written consent for the treatment as required in Idaho Code 32-1015. It is not necessary to obtain permission from both parents unless required by a court order. b. Assigned school mental health professionals should support identified students in developing an individual safety plan. Exhibit 3530E1 (https://d93.org/3530E1) provides a template for a safety plan for a minor student. c. With parental permission, school mental health professionals may also provide Tier 2 behavior supports to address concerns such as self - harm, suicidal ideation or tendencies, anger management, and other needs, as well as more intensive (Tier 3) interventions that may include short-term one-one-one counseling, small group counseling, and individual behavior intervention plans. d. If the needs of a student are believed to be beyond the scope of what the District can reasonably provide, the parents of the student may be referred to outside mental health resources. 3. Postvention: Responding After a Suicide or Sudden Death A. Initial Response: i. When the principal or assistant principal of a school is notified of the sudden death of a student, they shall immediately notify the Superintendent / designee. ii. The Superintendent / designee shall notify the Board of Trustees, as well as the principal of each school in the District. STUDENTS 3530 Page 5 of 10 Bonneville Joint School District No. 93 Suicide Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention a. The principal of each school shall notify the mental health professionals under their direct supervision. iii. The Superintendent / designee will coordinate with the Director of Student Well Being and the Crisis Response Team Lead to support the school’s response to the crisis. a. The Crisis Response Team Lead will work with the school administration and school counselors to develop an action plan to guide the school response following a sudden death. b. The action plan will follow practices recommended by the Idaho Department of Education for postvention including the following steps: 1. Verification of the sudden death, 2. Assessment of the impact on the student body and staff, 3. Communication of situationally appropriate information, 4. Coordination of support services for students and staff, 5. Minimizing the risk of of suicide contagion, 6. Notification to the State Department of Education and updating the student’s record in the District’s Student Information System. iv. Notification to Staff: a. The school administration will first notify their staff of a sudden death of a student or staff member. b. A meeting to implement the school response plan shall take place before the start of classes, or, if the sudden death occurs during school hours, promptly following word of the sudden death. c. Staff will be provided with mental health resources and information about available counseling services, including the District employee assistance program (EAP). d. During the meeting, the school administration should work to ensure staff members are able to support students and to care for their own well-being. 1. If any staff members are unable to perform the responsibilities of their job because of the sudden death, school principals should arrange to have their responsibilities covered by substitute staff members or other members of the school faculty. v. Notification to Students: STUDENTS 3530 Page 6 of 10 Bonneville Joint School District No. 93 Suicide Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention a. Teachers will announce the sudden death to students in their classrooms using a written statement developed by the Crisis Response Team in collaboration with the school principal and school mental health professionals. 1. Teachers are expected to limit their statements to students to the facts as written in the official statement and to not offer personal speculation or information regarding the incident. b. Students who have been identified as being close friends of the deceased student may be notified in a small group setting. c. No school wide announcements will be made over the intercom system regarding sudden deaths. vi. Communication to Families: a. Audience 1. Notifications of the sudden death will ordinarily only be sent to the parents/guardians of students enrolled in the same school. 2. If the sudden death does affect multiple schools (e.g., a student involved in multiple programs or with siblings in other schools), the Superintendent / designee will coordinate notifications and responses across those schools. 3. In rare cases of widespread community impact, the Superintendent / designee may authorize a message to be sent to all families and employees in the District. b. Timing 1. If the sudden death of a student is verified prior to the start of school, the Superintendent / designee will send a notification to families between the hours of 5:00 pm and 9:30 pm or 7:00 am and the start of school. 2. If the verification of a sudden death occurs during school hours, then a notification to parents / guardians of students will be sent following the announcement to students in their classrooms. c. Content 1. Messages will be sensitive and follow the “Safe Messaging” guidelines published on the Idaho Department of Education’s website (https://www.sde.idaho.gov/student- engagement/iyspp/). STUDENTS 3530 Page 7 of 10 Bonneville Joint School District No. 93 Suicide Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention 2. Messages may include available mental health resources to support students with the grieving process. B. Grief Counseling and Community Support: i. The District will assign mental health professionals to provide on-site counseling for students to help process their grief and connect after a crisis. a. School counselors will be primarily responsible to provide on-site counseling for students and staff following the incident with additional help and support provided by the Crisis Response Team. b. In the event of a severe crisis that requires additional counseling support for students and staff, as requested by the Crisis Team Lead, the Director of Student Well Being may direct additional school mental health professionals to provide additional support to students in crisis. c. The Superintendent / designee may also request support from certified mental health professionals from neighboring school districts and/or private mental health professionals. ii. Permission must be given by parents prior to students participating in grief counseling as required by Board Policy 2428 Parental Rights. a. If a parent has not given prior blanket consent authorizing counseling support, then a school employee will notify the parent that their child has requested grief counseling and ask for the parent to provide permission . C. Ongoing Support and Follow-Up i. The Director of Student Well-Being or designated member of the Crisis Response Team will follow up with the school principal and counselor(s) at the schools that have been impacted by the sudden death of a student or staff member at the following intervals: a. within the first week of an event, b. again within the first three (3) weeks following the event, c. again within the next three (3) months following the event. ii. In addition, recognizing the fact that anniversaries of sudden deaths may be especially difficult for students and staff, school principals or counselors may request additional support from the Director of Student Well Being if they believe that an anniversary could have a significant impact on their students. STUDENTS 3530 Page 8 of 10 Bonneville Joint School District No. 93 Suicide Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention iii. Teachers, principals, and school mental health professionals will monitor students for any changes in behavior, ensuring early intervention if additional support is required. a. Parents will be notified of any known changes in a student’s physical or mental health as required by Board Policy 2428 Parental Rights b. With parental consent, students who are identified by school mental health professionals at risk or significantly impacted by the crisis will receive ongoing support through check-ins, safety plans, and counseling services as needed. c. School counselors and other mental health professionals will use a form substantially similar to the Documented Actions List document provided by the Idaho Department of Education Exhibit 3530E2 (https://d93.org/3530E2) to document postvention support actions with students. The completed form should be kept in the student’s confidential health records file. d. When they have reason to believe that students need comprehensive mental health care beyond the scope of what the school can reasonably provide, school mental health professionals will refer parents to outside providers. iv. Staff may also be provided with support as needed, including counseling or debriefing sessions. When appropriate, staff members may be given referrals to additional community resources, including the District Employee Assistance Program (EAP). v. The District may organize events to educate parents and other family members on how to help their children through the grieving process. D. Memorialization and Commemoration: i. The District will support healthy grieving by following guidance from the Idaho Department of Education. a. To prioritize protecting students who might be vulnerable to self-harm or suicidal tendencies, any activities that glorify, glamorize, or sensationalize the death are to be avoided including creating temporary memorials to the student. b. Any items collected as a memorial will be removed promptly by the school principal or designee. Alternative ways to honor the student (e.g., service projects or scholarships or notes to the family) will be suggested as appropriate. STUDENTS 3530 Page 9 of 10 Bonneville Joint School District No. 93 Suicide Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention c. Permanent memorials are not typically permitted. Any exceptions must be approved by the Board according to the provisions of Board Policy 9700 Memorials on School Grounds. 4. Policy Review and Compliance A. Policy Review: This policy will be reviewed on an annual basis to ensure it aligns with recommended best practices and any updates to Idaho law. B. Compliance with State Law: The District will adhere to all applicable state laws, including Idaho Code 33-136: Suicide Prevention in Schools and Idaho Code 33- 600: Parental Rights. In the event that there is a contradiction between this policy and Idaho State Law, the State Law shall be followed. 5. Definitions A. Mental Health Professionals: Employees or contractors of the District who hold a current and valid pupil personnel certificate from the state of Idaho with an endorsement as a school counselor or social worker. B. Direct Evidence: As defined in Idaho Code 33-512b, means “evidence which directly proves a fact without inference and which in itself, if true, conclusively establishes that fact.” Direct evidence includes unequivocal and unambiguous oral or written statements by a student which would not cause a reasonable teacher to speculate regarding the existence of the fact in question. C. Minor Student: means a student who is under eighteen (18) yrs of age unless that student has legal status as an emancipated minor. D. Parent: As defined in Idaho Code 32-1015, means “a biological parent of a child, an adoptive parent of a child, or an individual who has been granted exclusive right and authority over the welfare of a child under state law. or an individual who has been granted exclusive right and authority over the welfare of the minor student under state law. E. Postvention: As defined in Idaho Code 33-136, means counseling or other social care given to students after another student’s suicide or attempted suicide. F. Tier 1: means grade-level appropriate instruction and support provided to all students in a course, classroom, or grade level. G. Tier 2: means grade-level support and intervention intended to help students who may need additional help. Tier 2 supports are typically provided in small groups and target needs that are shared by a number of students. H. Tier 3: means intensive support and intervention designed to help individual students with significant deficits in learning or challenges in behavior. Tier 3 supports are typically provided on an individual basis. STUDENTS 3530 Page 10 of 10 Bonneville Joint School District No. 93 Suicide Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention Adopted: 5-17-1988 Revised: Reviewed: 06-08-2005 04-09/2025 Policy References a. Policy 2428 Parental Rights. b. 9700 Memorials on School Grounds. c. d. e. Legal References 33-136: Suicide Prevention in Schools 33-512b: Suicidal tendencies — Duty to warn 33-6001: Parental Rights in Education 16-2403(16)