Menu of Suicide Prevention Actions

What Schools can do...

Identify an assortment of effective public awareness and educational materials that can be used to carry the suicide prevention message into the schools.

Educate school administrators about the suicide prevention tools they can implement in their districts.

Apply for funding that supports the provision of mental and behavioral health services to students on high school and college campuses.

Form partnerships with national support and advocacy organizations for youth and young adults who are sexual minorities and obtain multi-language educational materials and speakers.

Ensure schools have “Where to Turn� books listing agencies to help all youth and their families.

Encourage youth survivors to help with peer groups in the schools.

Form student/peer groups to create awareness campaigns in schools.

Implement proven transition to independence programs for youth and young adults with emotional and behavioral difficulties that enable them to become independent and fully functioning adults.

Train students, parents, and school personnel to create educational environments that are free from all types of harassment and bullying.

Train school counselors to address the trauma issues associated with suicide.

Provide gatekeeper training to all school personnel who are in the first line of defense when responding to the needs of someone who is in crisis.

Establish Gay-Straight alliances in schools, run by faculty to provide support and to stop feelings of isolation and depression.

Implement screening methods to identify those who need intervention.

Get buy-in from school administrators, mental health professional, school teachers and personnel to increase receptiveness to suicide prevention programs and to explore the effectiveness of utilizing suicide risk screening throughout school districts.

Display the risk factors and protective factors in suicide prevention, as well as suicide prevention help line numbers throughout the school.

Develop awareness and training programs that recognize school-site faculty and support staff, who are often the first responders to student behavior, not law enforcement or emergency personnel.

Ensure that university training programs prepare all school mental health professionals with the skills to prevent, assess risk, and intervene effectively with suicidal students.