# data[].attributes.body
Professional Perspective: As a future school counselor, I must be uniquely aware of the mental health of students on campus as compared to other professionals on campus. School counselors are available to help students that are dealing with thoughts of suicide. While not certified therapists, school counselors are able to listen to the needs of students and can refer students to outside help as well.

Audience: This padlet is designed to help school counselors properly counsel and work with suicidal students in a school setting. The information is meant to provide information and guidance regarding the legal implications surrounding working with these types of students.

Topic: Working with Suicidal Students - I chose this topic because I know that, because of the growing loneliness and isolation experienced by teens during the pandemic, suicides and suicidal thoughts are at an all-time high. I want to be as informed as possible about this issue as I can be so that I can help as a school counselor one day.

# data[].attributes.body
Importance of the Legal Guide: In our interview, Mrs. Hargrove commented that she has certainly seen an uptick in mental health issues in her students over the last year and a half or so. There is a real, growing concern among school counselors that suicide prevention is becoming increasingly important, so this legal guide is particularly relevant because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hargrove feels that, because of the increased loneliness and isolation of her students, there is a much higher risk of abuse and also of depression and suicidal thoughts. She is encouraged by the prospect of students returning to in-person learning at Arlington High School in the fall and is hopeful to help students dealing with these issues.

Best Practices:

Have a good working knowledge of the risk factors associated with suicide that you will be able to identify those warning signs quickly.

Understand the procedures for notifying the parent or guardian of a potential concern with a child as it relates to suicidal thoughts.

Do not try to tackle this issue alone because it is challenging and it is also not safe from a legal liability standpoint. Be sure to bring other counselors into the discussion and the decision-making process.

Emerging Issues: Mrs. Hargrove feels that a new issue is how to deal with specifically the peaked loneliness of these teenagers. At the high school setting and really every setting for children right now, students are feeling less and less comfortable stepping outside of their homes and spending time with their friends. Hargrove sees a real issue being re-teaching these students social skills so that the suicidal tendencies do not occur. She feels that, in the fall, it will be critical as educators and as counselors, to encourage real social interaction as opposed to too much technology.

Who I Interviewed:
Susie Hargrove, Counselor, Arlington High School - https://www.aisd.net/arlington-high-school/campus-staff/susie-hargrove/

# data[].attributes.body
Association: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)

Citation: Schlozman, S. C. (2001, October 1). The shrink in the classroom/The suicidal student. ASCD.

Link: https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/the-suicidal-student

Summary: While written 20 years ago, this article is extremely relevant to school counselors today. Concise and informative, Scholzman (2001) details how to recognize different risk factors associated with suicidal students, addresses how to work through actual suicidal comments, and even gives instructions on how to respond to a student suicide. This article provides a great overview for the significance of this issue and how all educators can help suicidal students.

# data[].attributes.body
Citation: McNicholas, T. (2021, July 6). Naperville students push for law to put suicide hotlines on school IDs. CBS Chicago.

Link: https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2021/07/06/student-id-bill-suicide-prevention/

Summary:

Students from Naperville, Illinois, specifically three girls who have struggled with mental health issues, desire that suicide hotlines be placed on the IDs of students at school.

The students are part of a general trend that feel it is important to make the issues known so that students do not feel alone.

By requiring that the suicide hotlines be on the IDs, the government may be able to help prevent suicides.

# data[].attributes.body
Citation: Fernandes, M. (2021, June 23). 'Take it seriously': After 3 suicides in 3 years, Dover parents, schools, speak out. Foster's Daily Democrat.

Link: https://www.fosters.com/story/news/local/2021/06/23/3-teen-deaths-by-suicide-in-3-years-dover-nh-parents-schools-speak-out/5302763001/

Summary:

This article draws attention to the importance of identifying mental health issues as early as possible so that the issues can potentially be treated professionally.

In response to these suicides, the school district has two specific initiatives to try to prevent more suicides.

During this coming fall semester, all sophomores will be required to learn teen mental health first aid in their health classes.

The Dover Mental Health Alliance already has 6 "safe spaces" throughout the community where students can come if they need mental health assistance, and the alliance hopes to eventually have 21 of these locations.

# data[].attributes.body
Source of Law: Constitutional Law

Citation: U.S. Const. amend. XIII.

Link to Full Text of Law: https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/bill-of-rights-transcript

Brief Bulleted List:

While working with suicidal students is a sensitive subject, it is important to recognize the rights of educators to a speedy trial.

According to the 8th Amendment, school counselors, other educators, or anyone else accused of negligence with regards to a student suicide, has the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury. These individuals also have the right to counsel for his or her defense.

This right is critical, in that it allows for justice to be carried out. Educators should have the right to have their voices heard in a trial and be protected from any injustice.

# data[].attributes.body
Source of Law: Statutory Law

Citation: Tex. Edu. Code § 33.006.

Link to Full Text of Law: https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.33.htm

Brief Bulleted List:

The school counselor, according to the Texas Education Code, has a primary responsibility to counsel students to fully develop all of their abilities.

This counseling involves working with students at risk of dropping out of school, becoming substance abusers, participating in gang activity, or committing suicide.

Counselors, therefore, have the responsibility to address the special needs of a student who is suicidal, according to Texas statutory law.

# data[].attributes.body
Source of Law: Judicial Law

Citation: Baab v. Medina City School Board of Education, 2019-Ohio-510.

Link to Full Text of Law: https://law.justia.com/cases/ohio/ninth-district-court-of-appeals/2019/28969.html

Brief Bulleted List:

In this case, a student committed suicide after a guidance counselor was given more information but did not take any additional action.

The court ruled that the school district itself was protected by qualified immunity by the state of Ohio.

The Ohio Court of Appeals did feel, on the other hand, that there was a genuine question as to whether the counselor acted recklessly, thus eliminating her immunity.

Educators, therefore, have a certain degree of immunity in these situations with suicidal students, but they have the potential to lose this protection if their actions are reckless or deliberately indifferent.

# data[].attributes.body
Source of Law: Administrative Law

Citation: American School Counselor Association. (2016). ASCA ethical standards for school counselors. American School Counselor Association.

Link to Full Text of Law: https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/764178fc-c4b7-45d2-a4bc-bd4e101ab15e/EthicalStandards.pdf

Brief Bulleted List:

These ethical standards relate to suicidal students in various ways

School counselors must not destroy any evidence that may be needed in a court setting regarding a student committing suicide or having suicidal thoughts.

School counselors must report any suspicion of or known child abuse, which often leads students to commit suicide.

School counselors have an obligation to protect students from harm.

# data[].attributes.headline
Slide 10: Local Administrative Law/Policy/Rule

# data[].attributes.subject
Slide 10: Local Administrative Law/Policy/Rule

# data[].attributes.body
Local Policy/Rule: Arlington ISD Board or Trustees Board Policy

Citation: Arlington ISD Board of Trustees. (n.d.). Counseling and mental health. Arlington ISD Board of Trustees.

Link: https://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1098?filename=FFEB(LEGAL).pdf

Explanation: As a governing body for Arlington ISD, the Board of Trustees has some regulations for how counseling should play out in the school district at a campus level. Specifically, counselors must include a procedure for notifying a student identified as at risk of attempting suicide to a parent or guardian of the student within a reasonable amount of time.

# data[].attributes.body
Ethical Code Item: Arlington ISD Employee Handbook

Citation: Arlington ISD. (2020). Arlington ISD employee handbook. Arlington ISD.

Link: https://www.aisd.net/intranet/wp-content/files/sites/99/2020-21-Employee-Handbook.pdf

Connection: According to Standard 3.2 under Ethical Conduct toward students, educators shall not intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly treat a student or minor in a manner that adversely affects or endangers the learning, physical health, mental health, or safety of the student or minor. Educators should, therefore, be mindful of how their actions may lead to suicidal thoughts.

# data[].attributes.headline
Slide 12: Personal Connection to the Legal and Ethical Standards

# data[].attributes.subject
Slide 12: Personal Connection to the Legal and Ethical Standards

# data[].attributes.body
Personal Educational Journey: As I will hopefully become a school counselor one day in the future, I thought that this brief introduction into the legal principles of this issue was extremely helpful for me. Even today as an educator, I do not feel that I daily think about the boundaries and rules that I have with regards to suicide prevention, and it is a sobering reminder to realize how often suicides occur and the seriousness of the matter. Knowing what I am obligated to do as an educator or as a future counselor and also how I am protected by the law is very important and eye-opening for me.

Connections to the Law: While I personally have not been in a trial myself, I certainly can connect with the 8th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and its significance to this topic, as it allows individuals to have a speedy, fair trial with a lawyer present. Throughout my childhood, by watching and movies or reading books such as To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, I have recognized the importance of giving a voice to the voiceless in a legal setting. As an educator today and hopefully as a school counselor in the future, I hope to be able to give a voice to students dealing with suicidal tendencies and ensure that these students, if faced with legal troubles, are given a fair trial.

# data[].attributes.headline
Slide 13: Bulleted List of Recommendations/Best Practices for Compliance

# data[].attributes.subject
Slide 13: Bulleted List of Recommendations/Best Practices for Compliance

# data[].attributes.body
As leaders in a counseling department on campus, school counselors should recognize and advocate for the importance of placing suicide hotlines throughout the school, whether it be on posters, school IDs, or other items.

In order to reduce legal liability, it is critical that school counselors are very familiar with the warning signs and risk factors of students with suicidal thoughts.

As a counseling department, school counselors need to make sure that there is an explicit, agreed upon plan for how to be proactive when a student shares any suicide-related thoughts.

The counseling department also needs a specific plan on how to meet the needs of a campus after a student actually does commit suicide.

In order to reduce legal liability as well as to adhere to the Arlington ISD Board of Trustees policy, the counseling department must have a written procedure on how to notify a parent or guardian that a counselor is concerned about the wellbeing of a child as it relates to suicide.

If not already in place, there should be consistent training for educators with regards to suicide prevention, specifically regarding the legal factors involved and how educators can be held responsible for reckless behavior.

In order to be in accordance with the ASCA's ethical standards, it is critical that counselors are reminded to not destroy or tamper with any evidence that may be used in a court of law with regards to a suicide or suicide attempt.