Counseling and Mental Health

Suicide Prevention Classroom Visits

Beginning in September/October, Counselors and Mental Health will be visiting students through homeroom classes to talk about Suicide Awareness and Prevention.  We teach students to "ACT": Acknowledge, Care, and Tell if a student shares that they are having suicidal thoughts.

Preventing Youth Suicide-Tips for Parents and Educators

​Suicide is the third leading cause of death among youth between 10 and 19 years of age. However, suicide is preventable. Youth who are contemplating suicide frequently give warning signs of their distress. Parents, teachers, and friends are in a key position to pick up on these signs and get help. Most important is to never take these warning signs lightly or promise to keep them secret. When all adults and students in the school community are committed to making suicide prevention a priority—and are empowered to take the correct actions—we can help youth before they engage in behavior with irreversible consequences.

Suicide Risk Factors

Certain characteristics are associated with increased suicide risk.  These include:

Mental illness including depression, conduct disorders, and substance abuse.
Family stress/dysfunction.
Environmental risks, including presence of a firearm in the home.
Situational crises (i.e., traumatic death of a loved one, physical or sexual abuse, family violence, etc.).
Suicide Warning Signs

Many suicidal youth demonstrate observable behaviors that signal their suicidal thinking.  These include:

Suicidal threats in the form of direct and indirect statements.
Suicide notes and plans.
Prior suicidal behavior.
Making final arrangements (e.g., making funeral arrangements, writing a will, giving away prized possessions).
Preoccupation with death.
Changes in behavior, appearance, thoughts and/or feelings.
Resiliency Factors

The presence of resiliency factors can lessen the potential of risk factors to lead to suicidal ideation and behaviors.  Once a child or adolescent is considered at risk, schools, families, and friends should work to build these factors in and around the youth. These include:

Family support and cohesion, including good communication.
Peer support and close social networks.
School, family and community connectedness.
Cultural or faith beliefs that strengthen parent/child relations.
Adaptive coping and problem-solving skills, including conflict-resolution.
General life satisfaction, good self-esteem, sense of purpose.
Refusal skills to avoid risky behavior.
Parent monitoring of social media, computer and cell phone use.
 
What to Do:

Youth who feel suicidal are not likely to seek help directly; however, parents, school personnel, and peers can recognize the warning signs and take immediate action to keep the youth safe. When a youth gives signs that they may be considering suicide, the following actions should be taken:

Remain calm.
Ask the youth directly if he or she is thinking about suicide.
Focus on your concern for their wellbeing and avoid being accusatory.
Listen.
Reassure them that there is help and they will not feel like this forever.
Do not judge.
Provide constant supervision. Do not leave the youth alone.
Remove means for self-harm.
Get help: Peers should not agree to keep the suicidal thoughts a secret and instead should tell an adult, such as a parent, teacher, counselor or school mental health worker. Parents should seek help from school or community mental health resources as soon as possible. School staff should take the student to the designated school mental health professional or administrator.
Source: National Association of School Psychologists

If you feel that someone is in imminent danger, please call 911 immediately.

Please contact your child's school for mental health resources available on​​​-site.