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Teachers play an active role in suicide prevention of their students by fostering the emotional well-being of all students, not just those at high risk. Teachers are well positioned to promote a feeling of connectedness and belonging in the school community.
School connectedness is the belief by students that adults and peers in the school care about them as individuals as well as about their learning. Teachers create connectedness by interacting with students in positive ways and helping them engage with peers and other adults in the school community during the school day and
extracurricular activities. Connectedness is an important factor in improving academic
achievement and healthy behaviors, and it is related to reductions in suicidal thoughts
and attempts

Teachers, please do the following:

Build meaningful relationships with your students in order to recognize unusual behavior.

Privately ask students if they're thinking about suicide. (While people may be hesitant to ask, research shows this is helpful.)

Keep them safe. Reduce alone time on campus for those at risk and report any suspicion. Trust your instincts.

Be there with a student and listen to what they need. They may just need someone to talk to.

Help them connect with ongoing support. Resources only help if they are accessed.

Stay connected. Follow up to see how they are doing. Seriously troubled students rarely only make one attempt.

(Kim et al., 2020)

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SAVE

SAVE is a nonprofit organization with the single mission to prevent suicide through public awareness and education, reducing stigma, and serving as a resource to those touched by suicide. Based on the foundation's belief that suicide is preventable and everyone has a role to play in preventing suicide, SAVE offers:

warning signs of suicide

suicide prevention

intervention resources

grief support and

suggests ways for community members to get involved.

SAVE believes by shining a continuous light on this important issue, a broader awareness about the importance of mental wellness will spark honest discussions about the education and prevention of those during their darkest hours.

Reference:
SAVE. (2020). Suicide awareness
voices of education.
Retrieved from https://save.org/

Link:

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SAVE: Suicide Prevention, Information, and Awareness

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Learn about suicide prevention through Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE), a nonprofit resource for those affected by suicide.

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Teachers must completely commit to the teaching profession. The classroom should promote security and acceptance, always avoiding any form of bullying, hostility, dishonesty, neglect, or offensive conduct. This is the inspiration behind the Association of American Educators list of Code of Ethics for Educators. The 4th component under Principle #1 of Ethical Conduct toward Students states: The professional educator makes a constructive effort to protect the student from conditions detrimental to learning, health, or safety. Therefore, teachers possess an inherent duty to report, intervene, and emotionally & physically protect their students, even when the biggest threat to the student is the student her(him)self.

Reference:
Association of American Educators. (2020). Code of
ethics for educators.
Retrieved from https://www.aaeteachers.org/
index.php/about-us/aae-code-of-ethics#:
~:text=The%20professional%20educator
%20assumes%20responsibility,and%20
by%20demonstrating%20personal%
20integrity

Link:

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The professional educator strives to create a learning environment that nurtures to fulfillment the potential of all students.

The professional educator acts with conscientious effort to exemplify the highest ethical standards.

The professional educator responsibly accepts that every child has a right to an uninterrupted education free from strikes or any other work stoppage tactics.

PRINCIPLE I: Ethical Conduct toward Students

The professional educator accepts personal responsibility for teaching students character qualities that will help them evaluate the consequences of and accept the responsibility for their actions and choices. We strongly affirm parents as the primary moral educators of their children. Nevertheless, we believe all educators are obligated to help foster civic virtues such as integrity, diligence, responsibility, cooperation, loyalty, fidelity, and respect-for the law, for human life, for others, and for self.

The professional educator, in accepting his or her position of public trust, measures success not only by the progress of each student toward realization of his or her personal potential, but also as a citizen of the greater community of the republic.

1. The professional educator deals considerately and justly with each student, and seeks to resolve problems, including discipline, according to law and school policy.

2. The professional educator does not intentionally expose the student to disparagement.

3. The professional educator does not reveal confidential information concerning students, unless required by law.

4. The professional educator makes a constructive effort to protect the student from conditions detrimental to learning, health, or safety.

5. The professional educator endeavors to present facts without distortion, bias, or personal prejudice.
PRINCIPLE II: Ethical Conduct toward Practices and Performance
The professional educator assumes responsibility and accountability for his or her performance and continually strives to demonstrate competence.

The professional educator endeavors to maintain the dignity of the profession by respecting and obeying the law, and by demonstrating personal integrity.

1. The professional educator applies for, accepts, or assigns a position or a responsibility on the basis of professional qualifications, and adheres to the terms of a contract or appointment.

2. The professional educator maintains sound mental health, physical stamina, and social prudence necessary to perform the duties of any professional assignment.

3. The professional educator continues professional growth.

4. The professional educator complies with written local school policies and applicable laws and regulations that are not in conflict with this code of ethics.

5. The professional educator does not intentionally misrepresent official policies of the school or educational organizations, and clearly distinguishes those views from his or her own personal opinions.

6. The professional educator honestly accounts for all funds committed to his or her charge.

7. The professional educator does not use institutional or professional privileges for personal or partisan advantage.
PRINCIPLE III: Ethical Conduct toward Professional Colleagues
The professional educator, in exemplifying ethical relations with colleagues, accords just and equitable treatment to all members of the profession.

1. The professional educator does not reveal confidential information concerning colleagues unless required by law.

2. The professional educator does not willfully make false statements about a colleague or the school system.

3. The professional educator does not interfere with a colleague's freedom of choice, and works to eliminate coercion that forces educators to support actions and ideologies that violate individual professional integrity.
PRINCIPLE IV: Ethical Conduct toward Parents and Community
The professional educator pledges to protect public sovereignty over public education and private control of private education.

The professional educator recognizes that quality education is the common goal of the public, boards of education, and educators, and that a cooperative effort is essential among these groups to attain that goal.

1. The professional educator makes concerted efforts to communicate to parents all information that should be revealed in the interest of the student.

2. The professional educator endeavors to understand and respect the values and traditions of the diverse cultures represented in the community and in his or her classroom.

3. The professional educator manifests a positive and active role in school/community relations.

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The Association of American Educators (AAE) is the largest national nonunion professional teachers association, advancing the profession through teacher advocacy and professional development, as well as promoting excellence in education, so that our members receive the respect, recognition and reward they deserve.

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Federal Constitutional Law:
The 14th Amendment of the Constitution of the United States.

The 14th Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America states all persons born or naturalized in the U.S. and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

In student suicide cases:

claims typically center on a school system’s failure to take steps that could have prevented a student suicide.

Students with suicidal ideation are equally protected in the way a disabled student retains his or her rights.

Failure to adopt and implement adequate safety measures on behalf of ALL students can be grounds for tort claim (i.e., negligence claim for failure to intervene) in event of school violence.

Reference:
U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 1.

Link:

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Constitution of the United States
Preamble Article I Article II Article III Article IV Article V Article VI
Article VII AMENDMENTS
Introduction

Written in 1787, ratified in 1788, and in operation since 1789, the United States Constitution is the world's longest surviving written charter of government. Its first three words - "We The People" - affirm that the government of the United States exists to serve its citizens. The supremacy of the people through their elected representatives is recognized in Article I, which creates a Congress consisting of a Senate and a House of Representatives. The positioning of Congress at the beginning of the Constitution affirms its status as the "First Branch" of the federal government.

The Constitution assigned to Congress responsibility for organizing the executive and judicial branches, raising revenue, declaring war, and making all laws necessary for executing these powers. The president is permitted to veto specific legislative acts, but Congress has the authority to override presidential vetoes by two-thirds majorities of both houses. The Constitution also provides that the Senate advise and consent on key executive and judicial appointments and on the approval for ratification of treaties.

For over two centuries the Constitution has remained in force because its framers successfully separated and balanced governmental powers to safeguard the interests of majority rule and minority rights, of liberty and equality, and of the federal and state governments. More a concise statement of national principles than a detailed plan of governmental operation, the Constitution has evolved to meet the changing needs of a modern society profoundly different from the eighteenth-century world in which its creators lived. To date, the Constitution has been amended 27 times, most recently in 1992. The first ten amendments constitute the Bill of Rights.

Annotated Constitutions

The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation (popularly known as the Constitution Annotated) contains legal analysis and interpretation of the United States Constitution, based primarily on Supreme Court case law.

The Constitution of the United States of America, S.PUB.103-21 (1994) (pdf), prepared by the Office of the Secretary of the Senate with the assistance of Johnny H. Killian of the Library of Congress in 1994, provided the original text of each clause of the Constitution with an accompanying explanation of its meaning and how that meaning changed over time.

Italicized text indicates words and passages of the Constitution that were changed or affected by amendments.

Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative; and until such enumeration shall be made, the State of New Hampshire shall be entitled to chuse three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New-York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five, and Georgia three.

To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;

To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;

To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

To provide and maintain a Navy;

To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

The Electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by Ballot for two Persons, of whom one at least shall not be an Inhabitant of the same State with themselves. And they shall make a List of all the Persons voted for, and of the Number of Votes for each; which List they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the Seat of the Government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate. The President of the Senate shall, in the Presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the Certificates, and the Votes shall then be counted. The Person having the greatest Number of Votes shall be the President, if such Number be a Majority of the whole Number of Electors appointed; and if there be more than one who have such Majority, and have an equal Number of Votes, then the House of Representatives shall immediately chuse by Ballot one of them for President; and if no Person have a Majority, then from the five highest on the List the said House shall in like Manner chuse the President. But in chusing the President, the Votes shall be taken by States, the Representatives from each State having one Vote; a quorum for this Purpose shall consist of a Member or Members from two thirds of the States, and a Majority of all the States shall be necessary to a Choice. In every Case, after the Choice of the President, the Person having the greatest Number of Votes of the Electors shall be the Vice President. But if there should remain two or more who have equal Votes, the Senate shall chuse from them by Ballot the Vice-President.

In Case of the Removal of the President from Office, or of his Death, Resignation, or Inability to discharge the Powers and Duties of the said Office, the Same shall devolve on the Vice President, and the Congress may by Law provide for the Case of Removal, Death, Resignation or Inability, both of the President and Vice President, declaring what Officer shall then act as President, and such Officer shall act accordingly, until the Disability be removed, or a President shall be elected.

No Person held to Service or Labour in one State, under the Laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in Consequence of any Law or Regulation therein, be discharged from such Service or Labour, but shall be delivered up on Claim of the Party to whom such Service or Labour may be due.

The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.

All Debts contracted and Engagements entered into, before the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be as valid against the United States under this Constitution, as under the Confederation.

This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any state to the Contrary notwithstanding.

The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.

The Ratification of the Conventions of nine States, shall be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the Same.

Done in Convention by the Unanimous Consent of the States present the Seventeenth Day of September in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Eighty seven and of the Independence of the United States of America the Twelfth In Witness whereof We have hereunto subscribed our Names,

G o. Washington-Presid t.

And deputy from Virginia

New Hampshire John Langdon

Nicholas Gilman

Massachusetts Nathaniel Gorham

Rufus King

Connecticut Wm. Saml. Johnson

Roger Sherman

New York Alexander Hamilton

New Jersey Wil: Livingston

David Brearley

Wm. Paterson

Jona. Dayton

Pennsylvania B Franklin

Thomas Mifflin

Robt Morris

Geo. Clymer

Thos. FitzSimons

Jared Ingersoll

James Wilson

Gouv Morris

Delaware Geo: Read

Gunning Bedford jun

John Dickinson

Richard Bassett

Jaco: Broom

Maryland James McHenry

Dan of St. Thos. Jenifer

Danl Carroll

Virginia John Blair-

James Madison Jr.

North Carolina Wm. Blount

Richd. Dobbs Spaight

Hu Williamson

South Carolina J. Rutledge

Charles Cotesworth Pinckney

Charles Pinckney

Pierce Butler

Georgia William Few

Abr Baldwin

Attest William Jackson Secretary

AMENDMENTS
Amendment I (1791) Amendment II (1791)
Amendment III (1791) Amendment IV (1791)
Amendment V (1791) Amendment VI (1791)
Amendment VII (1791) Amendment VIII (1791)
Amendment IX (1791) Amendment X (1791)
Amendment XI (1795/1798) Amendment XII (1804)
Amendment XIII (1865) Amendment XIV (1868)
Amendment XV (1870) Amendment XVI (1913)
Amendment XVII (1913) Amendment XVIII (1919)
Amendment XIX (1920) Amendment XX (1933)
Amendment XXI (1933) Amendment XXII (1951)
Amendment XXIII (1961) Amendment XXIV (1964)
Amendment XXV (1967) Amendment XXVI (1971)
Amendment XXVII (1992)

The Electors shall meet in their respective states and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves; they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice-President, and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as President, and of all persons voted for as Vice-President, and of the number of votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate;-The President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted;-The person having the greatest Number of votes for President, shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed; and if no person have such majority, then from the persons having the highest numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President. But in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by states, the representation from each state having one vote; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from two-thirds of the states, and a majority of all the states shall be necessary to a choice. And if the House of Representatives shall not choose a President whenever the right of choice shall devolve upon them, before the fourth day of March next following, then the Vice-President shall act as President, as in the case of the death or other constitutional disability of the President -The person having the greatest number of votes as Vice-President, shall be the Vice-President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed, and if no person have a majority, then from the two highest numbers on the list, the Senate shall choose the Vice-President; a quorum for the purpose shall consist of two-thirds of the whole number of Senators, and a majority of the whole number shall be necessary to a choice. But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States.

Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Section 2. Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State.

Section 3. No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.

Section 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.

Section 5. The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State legislatures.

When vacancies happen in the representation of any State in the Senate, the executive authority of such State shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided, That the legislature of any State may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.

This amendment shall not be so construed as to affect the election or term of any Senator chosen before it becomes valid as part of the Constitution.

Section 1. After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.

Section 2. The Congress and the several States shall have concurrent power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Section 3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress.

Section 1. The terms of the President and Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January, and the terms of Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3d day of January, of the years in which such terms would have ended if this article had not been ratified; and the terms of their successors shall then begin.

Section 2. The Congress shall assemble at least once in every year, and such meeting shall begin at noon on the 3d day of January, unless they shall by law appoint a different day.

Section 3. If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of the President, the President elect shall have died, the Vice President elect shall become President. If a President shall not have been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, or if the President elect shall have failed to qualify, then the Vice President elect shall act as President until a President shall have qualified; and the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President elect nor a Vice President elect shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as President, or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected, and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice President shall have qualified.

Section 4. The Congress may by law provide for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the House of Representatives may choose a President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them, and for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the Senate may choose a Vice President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them.

Section 5. Sections 1 and 2 shall take effect on the 15th day of October following the ratification of this article.

Section 6. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years from the date of its submission.

Section 1. The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.

Section 2. The transportation or importation into any State, Territory, or possession of the United States for delivery or use therein of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited.

Section 3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by conventions in the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress.

Section 1. The District constituting the seat of Government of the United States shall appoint in such manner as the Congress may direct:

A number of electors of President and Vice President equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives in Congress to which the District would be entitled if it were a State, but in no event more than the least populous State; they shall be in addition to those appointed by the States, but they shall be considered, for the purposes of the election of President and Vice President, to be electors appointed by a State; and they shall meet in the District and perform such duties as provided by the twelfth article of amendment.

Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Section 1. In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President.

Section 2. Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress.

Section 3. Whenever the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President.

Section 4. Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.

Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office.

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Constitution of the United States Preamble Article I Article II Article III Article IV Article V Article VI Article VII AMENDMENTS Introduction Written in 1787, ratified in 1788, and in operation since 1789, the United States Constitution is the world's longest surviving written charter of government.

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State Administrative Law: Texas Administrative Code 19 153.1013 Suicide Prevention Training
All school districts and open-enrollment charter schools shall provide suicide prevention training to all new school district and open-enrollment charter school educators as a part of new employee orientation. Suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention resources and programs help school staff:

recognize students at risk of suicide and intervene effectively by providing referrals or access to effective interventions to a parent or guardian as well as after an event that may increase suicide risk for students.

Resources regarding suicide postvention are critical for school staff to know what to do following a suicide death to help students and staff cope with the loss and prevent additional tragedies that may occur.

Reference:
Texas Administrative Code 19 153.1013 Suicide Prevention Training.

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(a) All school districts and open-enrollment charter schools shall provide suicide prevention training as required by the Texas Education Code (TEC), §21.451(d), to all new school district and open-enrollment charter school educators as a part of new employee orientation during the 2016-2017 school year. (b) Each subsequent school year, school districts and open-enrollment charter schools shall provide suicide prevention training as required by the TEC, §21.451(d), to all new school district and open-enrollment charter school educators as a part of new employee orientation. (c) All school districts and open-enrollment charter schools shall provide suicide prevention training as required by the TEC, §21.451(d), to all currently employed school district and open-enrollment charter school educators on or by September 30, 2016. (d) Suicide prevention training that is required by the TEC, §21.451(d), and was provided to existing educators by a school district or open-enrollment charter school on or after September 1, 2013, may be used to meet the requirements of this section if the training program is on the recommended best practice-based list maintained by the Department of State Health Services (DSHS), in coordination with the Texas Education Agency (TEA), or is an online program that meets the TEA guidelines for independent review. (e) In accordance with the Health and Safety Code, §161.325, school districts shall maintain records that include the name of each educator who participated in the suicide prevention training. (f) Open-enrollment charter schools are encouraged to maintain suicide prevention training records that include the name of each educator who participated in the suicide prevention training.

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(a) All school districts and open-enrollment charter schools shall provide suicide prevention training as required by the Texas Education Code (TEC), §21.451(d), to all new school district and open-enrollment charter school educators as a part of new employee orientation during the 2016-2017 school year.

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Pine Tree ISD Policy: Suicide Awareness and Mental Health Support (All Grade Levels)
Found in the PTISD handbook, the district details its policy on recognizing that physical and mental health are integral components of student outcomes, both educationally and beyond graduation. The mission of PTISD’s suicide policy includes:

Understanding the ethical responsibility to take a proactive approach in preventing deaths by suicide.

Acknowledging the school’s role in providing an environment that is sensitive to an individual and the societal factors that place youth at greater risk for suicide.

Acknowledging that comprehensive suicide prevention policies include prevention, intervention, and postvention components.

The district is committed to partnering with parents to support the healthy mental, emotional, and behavioral development of its students.

Reference:
Pine Tree Independent School District. (2019). PTISD handbook. Retrieved from
http://www.ptisd.org/upload/
page/0470/Student%20Handbook.pdf

Link:

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State Judicial Law

State Judicial Law: Eisel v. Board of Education, 324 Md. 376 (1991).

In Eisel vs. Board of Education of Montgomery County (1991), a 13-year-old female student died in an apparent murder-suicide pact with another student. Her father sued the school district and two of its school counselors, arguing that their special relationship with his daughter imposed a duty on them to report her suicidal ideations to him and his wife. Ultimately, the jury determined that the school counselors were not liable for the student’s death. However, the Eisel case provided some critical principles.
In the Eisel case, the court recognized

that school counselors hear a great deal of suicidal ideation and that not all threats are substantial; yet, “the consequence of the risk is so great that even a relatively remote possibility of suicide may be enough to establish duty” (Eisel vs. Board of Education of Montgomery County, 1991).

School counselors act in loco parentis, which means their obligation is to protect the students’ safety at school and exercise reasonable care to give parents a chance to protect their children.

Reference
Reference: Eisel v. Board of Education, 324 Md. 376 (1991).

Link:

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State Statutory Law: Texas Education Code § 38.351 Mental Health Promotion and Intervention, Substance Abuse Prevention and Intervention, and Suicide Prevention

TEC Sec. 38.351 outlines the necessary training for school counselors, teachers, nurses, administrators, and other staff, as well as law enforcement officers and social workers who regularly interact with students. Expectations include:

recognize students at risk of attempting suicide, including students who are or may be the victims of or who engage in bullying;

recognize students displaying early warning signs and a possible need for early mental health or substance abuse intervention, which warning signs may include declining academic performance, depression, anxiety, isolation, unexplained changes in sleep or eating habits, and destructive behavior toward self and others;

intervene effectively with students by providing notice and referral to a parent or guardian so appropriate action, such as seeking mental health or substance abuse services, may be taken by a parent or guardian; and

assist students in returning to school following the treatment of a mental health concern or suicide attempt.

Reference: Texas Education Code § 38.351 Mental Health, Substance Abuse, and Youth Suicide.

Link:

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Texas Education Code Section 38.351 - Mental Health Promotion and Intervention, Substance Abuse Prevention and Intervention, and Suicide Prevention - 2019 Texas Statutes - Texas Statutes

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Title 2, Public Education; Subtitle G, Safe Schools; Chapter 38, Health and Safety; Section 38.351, Mental Health Promotion and Intervention, Substance Abuse Prevention and Intervention, and Suicide Prevention. Refreshed: 2020-09-20

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Remember, it only takes a few seconds to ask someone, "Are you okay?"

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Remember, it only takes a few seconds to ask someone, "Are you okay?"

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R U OK DAY 2020 | How To Start A Conversation | Suicide Prevention Awareness | BY KALAB TEMPLEMAN

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In September 3, 2019's Education Dive's article by Lucy Hood, she outlines the concerted effort states across the country are taking to push suicide prevention education to students as young as kindergarten age. For example, in Virginia, a proposed law would incorporate prevention efforts into existing standards for social and emotional health. They would include the following:

age-appropriate instructional practices aimed at reducing stigma of suicide

teaching students how to obtain and maintain good mental health

understand mental health disorders

pick up on signs and symptoms of distress and

how to seek help.

The article cites that fundamental coping mechanisms and recognizing the pathways to help must be implemented long before students arrive at high school campuses.

Reference:
Hood, Lucy. (2019). More states requiring
mental health education. Education Dive.
Retrieved from https://www.educationdive.
com/news/more-states-requiring-
mental-health-education/561250/

Link:

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When three students in Virginia's Albemarle County Public Schools (ACPS) noticed how stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health issues were affecting many of their peers - and having an impact on their own lives - they didn't just push through and wait for graduation.

The trio took their concerns to state lawmakers, who were among the first in the country to pass legislation requiring state-mandated mental health education in K-12 schools.

"At each of our high schools, we had individuals who attempted suicide either at school or outside of school," said Lucas Johnson, a graduate of Monticello High School in Charlottesville, Virginia, who worked with colleagues Alexander Moreno, a graduate of Western Albemarle High School, and Choetsow Tenzin, a graduate of Albemarle High School, to push for the bill.

The Virginia law requires mental health education in the 9th and 10th grades. A proposal for implementing the new law extends the mandate to include kindergarten through the 10th grade and will be presented to the Virginia Board of Education next month, followed by a period for public comment and a final vote of approval slated for January 2020.

The proposed standards are designed to be incorporated into existing standards for social and emotional health, said Vanessa Wigand, coordinator for K-12 health education, driver education and physical education for the Virginia Department of Education.

They include age-appropriate instructional practices aimed at reducing stigma and teaching students how to obtain and maintain good mental health, understand mental health disorders, pick up on signs and symptoms of distress, and seek help.

At the 4th-grade level, for example, students will learn about healthy self-concepts, compassion and respecting differences, as well as verbal and nonverbal communication skills and how to understand and manage emotions related to loss, grief and stress.

"These are explicit health skills that the kids will have so they know it's a good thing to seek help. We're destigmatizing. We're educating," Wigand said.

Multiple approaches to mental health awareness

Several states have either approved or have legislation in the works related to mental health education. Some of them are aimed at addressing concerns about additional workloads and teacher training.

A Colorado bill, for example, created a grant program to help with professional development related to crisis and suicide prevention. A new Texas law requires teacher preparation institutions to include mental health instruction in their certification programs, and a Nevada bill created a grant program for districts to contract with social workers or other mental health professionals.

Virginia, however, is one of only three states to mandate mental health education at the K-12 level. The latest to do so is Florida, where the state Board of Education approved a program in July that dovetails with the Hope for Healing Florida campaign, an initiative of First Lady Casey DeSantis that will create and disseminate materials about mental health and substance abuse issues throughout the state.

"We are going to reinvent school-based mental health awareness in Florida," state Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran said in a statement.

Announcing details about the new measures, the Florida Department of Education released survey data showing that in 2017, 28% of the state's high school students reported feeling sad or hopeless for two or more consecutive weeks, 14% said they had purposely hurt themselves without wanting to die, 14% said they seriously considered attempting suicide, 11% said they had made plans to commit suicide, and 8% said they tried to commit suicide.

National statistics show similar trends. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide rates rose nearly 30% between 1999 and 2016, and suicide is now considered the second leading cause of death for Americans ages 10-34.

Johnson, Moreno and Tenzin attribute student distress to a wide range of factors - family and home-life issues, the high-stakes nature of academic life and college admissions standards, and the ripple effects of social media, among others.

Like many students, Moreno once struggled with the gap between his own life and those of his "friends" on social media. But now he said he has a more holistic approach toward social media, what it is and how it works.

"I'm wiser to it," he said, "and I know that it's more of a face you show to the world than what's actually going on in your life."

Based on their own experience, the trio from Virginia feel strongly that age-appropriate mental health education should be incorporated into the school day from the get-go.

"We really need to invest in the period from when an individual is born to when they graduate from high school," said Johnson, who is working in several states to support legislative initiatives for mental health education at the K-12 level. Those states include Alaska, Arizona, Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.

"Those 18 years," Johnson said, "are some of the most fundamental in ensuring that individuals will not develop a lifelong mental health illness and that they are well-suited to ensuring that their mental health and resiliency are at the highest level that they can be when going into their post-graduate life."

'More of a carrot than a stick'

Their sentiments echo those of others who say mental health education has a pivotal role to play. By incorporating it into the school day and building successively on what children learn from kindergarten through the 12th grade, educators can destigmatize the issue and provide young people with the tools they need to pick up on early warning signs and get help for themselves or a friend, said John Richter, public policy director for the Mental Health Association in New York State (MANHYS).

New York was the first state to enact a law requiring mental health education in public schools. The state legislature subsequently allocated $1 million in 2018, and the state budget included $500,000 in 2019 to create the School Mental Health Resource and Training Center to support school efforts to comply with the new law, including curriculum-building resources provided by MANHYS.

"We thought that that was important," Richter said, "to really make sure [the law] had life, because oftentimes when laws change, especially when you just insert the word mental health in the law, it can get forgotten about pretty quick. Our approach has been much more of a carrot than a stick."

Embedded in that approach is the concept of sharing the burden, Richter said, making sure there are multiple options for imparting information about mental health education, whether it's organizing mental health awareness days, using "The Scarlet Letter" to teach lessons about stigma, or including mental health awareness tips in the morning announcements.

"We've really tried to encourage schools to go even beyond teaching about mental health," he said, "and try to create a climate and a culture in their schools of wellness."

Amanda Fitzgerald, director of public policy for the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), said her organization is encouraged by the growing interest in mental health education, and she hopes the conversation will lead to more programs and policies that will improve upon the nation's current student-to-counselor ratio of 455 to 1.

"We want to ensure there are no unintended consequences," she said.

ASCA recommends a student-to-counselor ratio of 250 to 1, and only three states (New Hampshire, North Dakota and Vermont) are below that threshold. All other states surpass it, some exceedingly so, and the disparities tend to be greatest at the elementary and middle school levels.

While emphasizing the need for improvement, Fitzgerald also touted efforts underway in several states to bolster the ranks of school counselors and other support personnel.

The Arizona State Board of Education, for example, recently approved an additional $20 million for schools to hire counselors, social workers and police officers; the Virginia General Assembly approved an additional $12 million earlier this year to hire more counselors; and the Colorado School Counselor Corps has put $60 million into new hires and professional development since 2008.

"We want to ensure that the schools are well situated to handle any of the referrals that might come in," she said, "and that schools have resources in place to get folks the help they need."

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More states requiring mental health education

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When three students in Virginia's Albemarle County Public Schools (ACPS) noticed how stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health issues were affecting many of their peers - and having an impact on their own lives - they didn't just push through and wait for graduation.

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In Education Week's eye-opening November 2018 article, authors Nieskens and Robbins' highlight the extensive measures the state of Montana employed to combat its dangerously high number of suicide attempts and deaths to suicide. In Montana, suicide is the leading cause of death among 10 to 14 year-olds and nearly 10% of high school students have made one attempt at death by suicide. Four years ago, Montana implemented a state-wide multi-tiered system of support including:

assigning each student a staff member to serve as his or her personal academic trainer, who advocates for student success and well-being.

screen all students twice annually using the Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders. Based on the results, some students are connected with regular, school-based mental health services.

established partnerships with multiple therapists, psychologists, and other private mental health service providers to offset the lopsided school counselor to student ratios.

(Nieskens & Robbins, 2018)

Reference:
Nieskens, H., & M. Robbins. (2018). What it
takes to make suicide prevention
a priority in school. Education Week,
38(14), 22-23. Retrieved from https://
www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2018/11/
28/what-it-takes-to-make-suicide-
prevention.html

Link:

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Commentary

Mental health is an educator's responsibility

Montana has some of the most beautiful vistas in America within Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks. However, the state is also associated with an ugly statistic: Montana has the highest suicide rate in the nation. The rate, 29.2 suicides for every 100,000 residents, is nearly twice the national average. In Montana, suicide is the leading cause of death for children ages 10-14 and the second leading cause of death for children 15 to 24.

Montana's 2017 High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey data emphasizes the concern. Thirty one percent of the state's high school students felt sad or hopeless almost every day for two weeks or more in a row. Over 20 percent seriously considered attempting suicide. More than 16 percent made a plan about how they would attempt suicide. Nearly 10 percent attempted suicide. These awful statistics have educators around our state hastening to implement suicide prevention programs with staff and students.

Although there are many contributing factors to youth suicide, our school realized that to implement meaningful suicide prevention strategies, we had to acknowledge larger concerns regarding student mental health. Regrettably, approximately 1 in 5 American adolescents is contending with a serious mental-health condition. The prevalence of these conditions in our youths and the effect they can have on learning caused us to take a hard look at how to provide social, emotional, and behavioral supports for all learners.

And, so, four years ago, we implemented the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, a continuous improvement framework intended to identify and support students who were struggling academically, socially, emotionally, or behaviorally. We built staff consensus around the precept that we have a professional responsibility to ensure all students have the necessary supports to be successful. We cultivated the belief with staff that social-emotional needs were just as essential for student success as academic needs. We built upon the existing schoolwide positive behavior intervention program and added pathways of increasingly intensive, data-driven interventions for individual students.

We focused on implementing schoolwide prevention and intervention programs which positively and personally impacted every student. We began assigning each student a staff member to serve as their personal academic trainer, who advocates for student success and well-being. They meet with students daily in middle school and at least weekly in high school to set goals, develop plans for how to achieve these goals, motivate students, and celebrate student successes.

In this special Commentary package, current and former school leaders share insights from how they managed and recovered from some of the most difficult-and often unexpected-circumstances of their careers.
Read more from the package.
These trainers also identify academic or social-emotional challenges that a student may be experiencing. They are asked to develop a positive, personal relationship with students so they may serve as a supportive resource if a student encounters challenges-be they academic, social, emotional, or behavioral. Since implementing this personal academic trainer program three years ago, we have reduced by more than two-thirds the number of students in our school who need a more intensive student assistance intervention plan, including in-school mental-health services.

We also realized we needed to draw upon the expertise of teachers to further identify which students required strategic or intensive mental-health services. Now, teachers screen all students twice annually using the Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders, a universal behavioral screening system. Based on the results, some students are connected with regular, school-based mental-health services, both counselors and private providers operating in school facilities.

The high student-to-staff ratios and inadequate state and federal funding to support school mental-health services often leave counselors with limited resources. In our school, for example, our two guidance counselors each handle an average of more than 220 students; our sole school psychologist covers all 442 students.

To provide additional mental-health resources, we have established partnerships with multiple therapists, psychologists, and other private mental-health service providers. These providers deliver a Comprehensive School and Community Treatment program which includes access to school-based therapy, behavioral, and life-skills training.

Providers bill Medicaid and private insurance for the students' sessions, and the school provides the offices necessary to allow the therapists or case managers to meet with students during the school day. Now, roughly 10 percent of our school's population receives in-school mental-health-therapy services through CSCT, up from 4 percent four years ago when we greatly expanded the program.

Creating a school environment that continually and comprehensively supports the mental well-being of every student must be a focus for all educators. All schools should be looking for creative ways to address how to improve student mental health and prevent student suicide. Unfortunately, we both have had years in our careers where we lost one or more students to suicide.

It is a sad state of affairs when, at the conclusion of each academic year, we look forward to breathing a sigh of relief that we did not lose a student to suicide.

Published in Print: November 28, 2018, as Suicide Prevention Is Our Responsibility

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how principals navigate challenge series

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What It Takes to Make Suicide Prevention a Priority in School

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Commentary Montana has some of the most beautiful vistas in America within Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks. However, the state is also associated with an ugly statistic: Montana has the highest suicide rate in the nation. The rate, 29.2 suicides for every 100,000 residents, is nearly twice the national average.

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The Association of American Educators (AAE) is a professional educators organization, established in 1994 by nationally recognized educators who saw the need for a professional educators organization that focuses on student achievement without an emphasis on partisan politics.  In response to the 1 in 12 teenagers who attempted suicide in 2012, the AAE released a position statement addressing the urgency at which all stakeholders of the adolescent community should invest in the spread of suicide prevention education. The summary of the statement includes: Teens are a vulnerable population of individuals and to maintain proper health, both physically and mentally, they must be given the proper resources. By adding suicide prevention to a school’s curriculum, students are better able to handle and address suicidal thoughts or intentions. Prevention can save lives, especially those of younger populations who are at higher risk (AAE, 2020).

Reference:
AAE. (2020). The benefits of teaching suicide prevention in school. The
Association of American Educators. Retrieved from
https://www.aaeteachers.org/index.php/blog/1633-the-benefits-of-
teaching-suicide-prevention-in-schools

Link:

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Guest Post By Steve Johnson

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 12 teenagers attempted suicide in 2012. By the next year, 8% of all high school students had actually acted on their suicidal thoughts. When students learn suicide prevention in school, they're given the resources they need to address their own suicidal feelings, or those of a friend. As such, proper education could lead to a dramatic decrease in suicidal thoughts and attempts amongst teenagers.
Unfortunately, however, most students are not adequately taught about suicide prevention in school or at home. This means that the majority of teenagers are unable to properly handle suicidal feelings. Why Suicide Risk is High Among Teens
As many of us know, one's teenage years can be tumultuous. What many don't fully understand is what could lead teenagers to consider or attempt suicide. The answer to this, however, can be complex, and often involves both environmental and emotional factors.

● Depression: Up to 20% of teenagers report incidences of depression. This can include feelings up worthlessness, hopelessness, loneliness, or helplessness. Often, teens feel that the only way to end these feelings is through death.

● Stress and Anxiety: Much like depression, teens experience stress and anxiety at high rates, and cannot find healthy coping mechanisms.

● Mental Illness or Family History: Teens who experience mental illness or have a family history of mental illness are more likely to attempt suicide.

● Physical Illness: Teens with physical illnesses often see themselves as different from their peers, which can be devastating during youth, leading to suicidal thoughts and actions.

● Brain Development: The human brain is still developing during teenage years. As such, many students do not have the capacity to handle feelings of sadness, depression, anxiety, rejection, or hurt.

● Bullying: With the rise of social media and technology, bullying has become more prevalent than ever. Teens who experience bullying often see no way out of the situation other than suicide.

● Abuse, Neglect, or Trauma: Teens who experience parental abuse or neglect, or those who have experienced trauma at home (such as the death of a loved one) are more likely to commit suicide.

● Substance Abuse: Often, substance abuse, other mental illness, and suicide go hand in hand in the teenage community.

● Access to Means: Teenagers with the means to commit suicide (including access to weapons) are more likely to actually make an attempt.
How Suicide Prevention Programs in Schools Can Help
Proper access to resources is key to preventing and treating any disease, whether physical or mental. As previously stated, teenagers' brains and bodies are still in development, and as such, they need guidance and counseling to properly cope with negative feelings, emotions, and situations.

Whether students are experiencing a poor home life or an undiagnosed mental illness, a suicide prevention program could help guide them in the right direction. Important aspects of any suicide prevention program should include:

● Risk factors associated with suicide;

● Resources for help;

● Facts and statistics about suicide; and

● How help yourself or a loved one.

With this knowledge, students and teachers alike can learn how to identify warning signs, whether within themselves or those around them. Once these signs are recognized, students and staff will have the skills and knowledge they need to reach out for help. When suicide prevention resources are enabled, the risk of suicide amongst teens will decrease.

Teens are a vulnerable population of individuals and to maintain proper health, both physically and mentally, they must be given the proper resources. By adding suicide prevention to a school's curriculum, students are better able to handle and address suicidal thoughts or intentions. Prevention can save lives, especially those of younger populations who are at higher risk.

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The Association of American Educators (AAE) is the largest national nonunion professional teachers association, advancing the profession through teacher advocacy and professional development, as well as promoting excellence in education, so that our members receive the respect, recognition and reward they deserve.

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                                                          References

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                                                          References

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AAE. (2020). The benefits of teaching suicide prevention in school. The Association of
American Educators. Retrieved from https://www.aaeteachers.org/index.php/
blog/1633-the-benefits-of-teaching-suicide-prevention-in-schools
AAE. (2020). Code of ethics for educators. The Association of
American Educators. Retrieved from https://www.aaeteachers.org/
index.php/about-us/aae-code-of-ethics#:~:text=The%20professional%
20educator%20assumes%20responsibility,and%20by%20demonstrating%20
personal%20integrity
Breux, P. & Boccio, D. (2019). Improving schools’ readiness for involvement
in suicide prevention: An evaluation of the creating suicide safety in schools (CSSS)
workshop. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health,
16(12), 2165. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/
PMC6617090/
CDC (2017). Leading causes of death among adolescents aged 15–19 years. Retrieved
from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/adolescent-health.htm
Eisel v. Board of Education of Montgomery County 597 A.2d 447 (Md. 1991).
Hood, Lucy. (2019). More states requiring mental health education. Education Dive.
Retrieved from https://www.educationdive.com/news/more-states-requiring-
mental-health-education/561250/
Kim, J., Walsh, E., Pike, K., & Thompson, E. A. (2020). Cyberbullying and victimization
and youth suicide risk: The buffering effects of school connectedness. Journal of
School Nursing, 36(4), 251–257. https://doiorg.easydb.angelo.edu/10.1177
/1059840518824395
Nieskens, H., & M. Robbins. (2018). What it takes to make suicide prevention a priority
in school. Education Week, 38(14), 22-23. Retrieved from https://www.edweek.org
/ew/articles/2018/11/28/what-it-takes-to-make-suicide-prevention.html
PTISD. (2019). Pine Tree High School Student Handbook. Retrieved from
http://www.ptisd.org/upload/page/0470/Student%20Handbook.pdf
Rosenberg, J. (2019).  Mental health issues on the rise among adolescents, young adults.
American Journal of Managed Care. Retrieved from
https://www.ajmc.com/view/mental-health-issues-on-the-rise-among-
adolescents-young-adults
SAVE. (2020). Suicide awareness voices of education. Retrieved from https://save.org/
Texas Education Code § 38.351 Mental Health, Substance Abuse, and Youth Suicide.
Tex. Health & Safety Code § 533.040 (a) and (c).
U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 1.

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The topic of suicide prevention is important in secondary education for many reasons. First, maintaining a safe school environment is part of Pine Tree's overall mission (PTISD, 2019). Due to the availability of teens, schools represent a primary setting for suicide prevention education. Next, students' mental health can affect how well they perform in school. Historically, students who struggle with mental illness face tougher challenges in achieving academic success. Finally, suicide can affect the entire school community. An event like the suicide of a classmate takes time for kids to process and the fallout — academic, social, and emotional — may unfold over several months (Breux & Boccio, 2019).
Alongside suicide, an emerging concern is a rise in student mental illness in general associated with excessive use of social media. In addition to being less likely to interact face-to-face, those who use social media frequently are more likely to be involved with cyber-bullying, which has been linked to depression, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts. A survey from Pew Research Center revealed that teens in the United States are aware of these issues, with most in the age group reporting anxiety and depression as a major problem (Rosenberg, 2019).

Reference:
Rosenberg, J. (2019).  Mental health issues on the rise among
adolescents, young adults. American Journal of Managed
Care. Retrieved from https://www.ajmc.com/view/
mental-health-issues-on-the-rise-among-adolescents-
young-adults

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My professional perspective is a secondary health sciences teacher at Pine Tree High School in Longview, Texas. Due to the widespread impact teen suicide places on a community, this legal padlet may be used as a resource for high school students, parents, teachers, & staff.
I chose Student Suicide Prevention as my topic because suicide is the second leading cause of death among teens (2017) and devastated our family in May 2020.

Reference:
CDC (2017). Leading
causes of death among
adolescents aged 15–19
years. Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/
nchs/fastats/adoles
cent-health.htm