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Suicide prevention legalities were chosen for this assignment because as a future school counselor, understanding the legal expectations for suicide prevention is paramount in student safety. The information provided in this guide is aimed to inform school counselors, staff, parents, and community members on legal requirements for suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention.

School counselors are required to provide a comprehensive counseling program entailing a guidance curriculum, responsive services, individual planning, and support systems. Within the Texas Model for Comprehensive School Counseling Programs, responsive services require school counselors to use accepted and effective techniques to support students in suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention (5th ed., 2018). Along with students, school counselors work with staff, parents, and the community to foster student safety and well-being. Therefore, it is essential for stakeholders to understand and familiarize themselves with the legal expectations school officials are to uphold concerning suicide prevention.

Texas Education Agency. (2018). The Texas model for comprehensive school counseling programs (5th ed.). Texas Counseling Association.

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Suicide is the third-leading cause of death for youth between the ages of 15 and 35 and the second leading cause of death for youth ages 10 to 14. Between 2000-2001, suicide rates from the age group increased 52.2 % (CDC, 2023).

School counselors work to protect the health and well-being of all students by proactively enhancing awareness of mental health and ensuring policies and procedures are in place to intervene and respond to you suicidal behavior (American School Counselor Association, 2018).

Research indicates that universal school-based suicide prevention efforts can prevent the development of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in adolescents (Ayer & Colpe, 2023). School counselor's implementation of suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention efforts are critical in reducing the threat of youth suicide and fostering well-being.

American School Counselor Association. (2018). The School Counselor and Suicide Prevention/Awareness - American School Counselor Association (ASCA). Www.schoolcounselor.org. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/Standards-Positions/Position-Statements/ASCA-Position-Statements/The-School-Counselor-and-Suicide-Prevention-Awaren

Ayer, L., & Colpe, L. J. (2023). The Key Role of Schools in Youth Suicide Prevention. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 62(1), 19–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2022.06.022

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023).Facts about suicide: Disparities in suicide. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/facts/disparities-in-suicide.html#:~:text=Youth%20and%20young%20adults%20ages,lower%20than%20other%20age%20groups.

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This webinar includes information summarizing recent data, statistics, and research related to suicide rates among youth. It equips school counselors with support for suicide prevention as part of a school counseling program by developing a comprehensive plan for suicide prevention and ideas to connect students with trusted adults. It also includes an outline of events designed for Suicide Awareness Month in September (American School Counselor Association, 2024).

American School Counselor Association. “Suicide Prevention for All Students.” ASCA on Air, 2024, videos.schoolcounselor.org/suicide-prevention-for-all-students/. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

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Suicide remains the second leading cause of death among youth ages 10–24. Students’ mental health is a priority, and school counselors are in a unique position to teach resiliency skills and potentially prevent suicide, supporting all students. Focus on

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In the article from K-12 Dive (2022) educators play a role in understanding risk factors that contribute to youth suicide as well as intervening when noticing warning signs of suicide.

Solid classroom management will reduce sources of anxiety.

Establishing a community in the classroom will help students feel apart of something and less isolated.

Maintaining open communication with parents and caregivers will allow collaboration for student health and well-being.

Universal screening can promote better mental health school wide.

K-12 Dive. “Understanding Educators’ Role in Addressing the Rise in Youth Suicide.” K-12 Dive, 6 Sept. 2022, www.k12dive.com/spons/understanding-educators-role-in-addressing-the-rise-in-youth-suicide/630147/. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

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Understanding educators' role in addressing the rise in youth suicide

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Is your school or district prepared to identify students in need of additional mental health support and connect them with the care they need?

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In the article written from Behavioral Health News, Cauffield (2024) schools have the ability to establish safe, supportive spaces where students feel secure and valued. They are often the first place where students can access mental health support and be linked to community mental health services for both themselves and their families. Ways that schools are beneficial to student mental health are listed below.

They increase students' mental literacy.

Promote social, emotional, and behavioral learning.

Provide psychosocial skills training and cognitive behavioral interventions.

Enhance connectedness among students, staff, and families.

Promote mindfulness.

Behavioral Health News. “CDC Report: Why Schools Are Crucial for Youth Suicide Prevention.” Behavioral Health News, 22 Oct. 2024, behavioralhealthnews.org/cdc-report-why-schools-are-crucial-for-youth-suicide-prevention/. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

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CDC Report: Why Schools Are Crucial for Youth Suicide Prevention

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Strategies for youth suicide prevention in schools, including mental health literacy, mindfulness, and support for students and families.

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#6 Administrative Law - Texas Health and Safety Code, "Mental Health Promotion and Intervention, Substance Abuse Prevention and Intervention, and Suicide Prevention.”

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#6 Administrative Law - Texas Health and Safety Code, "Mental Health Promotion and Intervention, Substance Abuse Prevention and Intervention, and Suicide Prevention.”

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The Department of State Health services in collaboration with Texas Education Agency and regional education service centers provide and annually update a list of recommended best practice programs in the areas specified for implementation in public schools within the general education setting. The programs on the list must include elements that provide training for stakeholders such as counselors, teachers, nurses, administrators, and other staff, as well as law enforcement officers and social workers who regularly interact with students. School districts may select from a list of programs appropriate for application in their district (Tex. Health & Safety Code §161.325). The list consists of programs the following: early mental health intervention, mental health promotion and positive youth development, substance abuse prevention, substance abuse intervention, and suicide prevention (SuicideSAFERSchools, 2017).

SuicideSAFERSchools. (2017). Leadership: Texas Suicide Safer Schools Necessitate a Suicide Prevention Policy. https://texassuicideprevention.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Texas-Suicide-Safer-Schools-Implementation-Guide-Part-2-Policy-and-Leadership.pdf

Tex. Health & Safety Code §161.325

https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/docs/HS/htm/HS.161.htm

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#7 Statutory Law - Texas Education Code - District-Level Planning and Decision Making: District Improvement Plan

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#7 Statutory Law - Texas Education Code - District-Level Planning and Decision Making: District Improvement Plan

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School districts must develop, evaluate, or revise a district improvement plan annually. The improvement plan is to guide district and campus staff in the improvement of student performance. The improvement plan must include methods for the prevention of suicide (Tex. Education Code §11.252 (a)(3)(B).

Student Code of Conduct, Tex. Educ. Code §11.252 (a)(3)(B)

https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/docs/ed/htm/ed.11.htm

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#8 Statutory Law - Texas Education Code: Staff Development

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#8 Statutory Law - Texas Education Code: Staff Development

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School districts are required to train staff on mandatory training topics like suicide prevention, positive student relationship building, bullying prevention, and response strategies (Tex. Education Code §21.451(d)).

Student Code of Conduct, Tex. Educ. Code §21.451(d)

https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.21.htm

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#9 Judicial Law - Wyke v. Polk County School Board

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#9 Judicial Law - Wyke v. Polk County School Board

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In the case of Wyke v. Polk County School Board (1995), Wyke sued the Polk County School Board, claiming that their failure to act amounted to negligence and also violated her constitutional rights under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 by showing deliberate indifference to her rights to the care and companionship of her son.

Shawn had attempted suicide twice at school the day before his suicide. Officials did not take preventative measures to protect Shawn and communicate with his parents about his attempt to self-harm.

The Eleventh Circuit Court found that the School Board had a duty under state law to notify the plaintiff about her son's suicide attempts, but it did not find a violation of constitutional rights under Section 1983. The jury's verdict, which found the School Board negligent and partially responsible for Shawn's death, was upheld (Studicata, 2024).

Studicata. (2024). Wyke v. Polk County School Board. Studicata. https://studicata.com/case-briefs/case/wyke-v-polk-county-school-board/

42 U.S.C. § 1983

Wyke v. Polk County School Board, 129 F.3d 560 (11th Cir. 1997)

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The Irion County ISD Improvement Plan and Student Handbook outline that the district will provide educational programs for students as to the serious physical, mental, and emotional harm caused by using harmful substances including alcohol, drugs (including prescription, over-the-counter, and illegal drugs, and medications) and tobacco, bullying, and suicide prevention (Irion County ISD, 2023).

Irion County ISD. (2023). Improvement Plan. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hoEnIOkBWo8-fbnX7O0W9ZBO2egkr93jz4-kvcKD-u4/edit?tab=t.0

Irion County ISD. (2024). Student Handbook. https://docs.google.com/document/d/18_5ItOZ54leX6tG1e1KRpT3PN1pBcFCQ9re-ZG1mjGU/edit?tab=t.0

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Within the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) ethical standards school counselors are tasked with ensuring students have a safe environment free from harm to themselves or others (2016).

Ethical standards to promote student safety and well-being include:

Inform parents/guardians and school administration when a student poses a serious and foreseeable risk of harm to self or others. This notification is to be done after careful deliberation and consultation with appropriate professionals, such as other school counselors, the school nurse, school psychologist, school social worker, school resource officer or child protective services. Even if the danger appears relatively remote, parents/guardians must be notified. The consequence of the risk of not giving parents/guardians a chance to intervene on behalf of their child is too great.

Recognize the level of suicide risk (e.g., low, medium, high) is difficult to accurately quantify. If required to use a risk assessment, it must be completed with the realization that it is an information-gathering tool and only one element in the risk-assessment process. When reporting risk-assessment results to parents/guardians, school counselors do not negate the risk of students’ potential harm to self even if the assessment reveals a low risk, as students may minimize risk to avoid further scrutiny and/or parental/guardian notification. The purpose of reporting any risk-assessment results to parents/guardians is to underscore the need for parents/guardians to act, not to report a judgment of risk.

Collaborate with school administration to ensure a student has proper supervision and support. If parents/guardians will not provide proper support, the school counselor takes necessary steps to underscore to parents/guardians the necessity to seek help and, at times, may include a report to child protective services.  d. Provide culturally responsive mental health resources to parents/guardians.

Report to administration and/or appropriate authorities (e.g., law enforcement) when a student discloses a perpetrated or a perceived threat to another person’s physical or mental wellbeing. This threat may include but is not limited to verbal abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, dating violence, bullying or harassment. The school counselor follows applicable federal and state laws and school and district policy (American School Counselor Association, 2016).

American School Counselor Association. (2016). ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/Ethics/EthicalStandards2016.pdf

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The Suicide Prevention Resource Center offers a variety of resources to equip districts and stakeholders with suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention tools. Within the site are trainings, recognizing warning signs, online libraries, news about suicide, and best practices registries.

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Schools – Suicide Prevention Resource Center

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School districts and stakeholders must adhere to the legal and ethical guidelines of suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention. Below are my recommendations for complying with these legalities.

Establish and implement district policies regarding suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention.

Educate staff to recognize risk factors, warning signs, response procedures, and referral process for suicide prevention.

Participate in school crisis team planning and procedures.

Provide instruction for students on the importance of mentally healthy choices and coping strategies.

Educate students on risk factors, warning signs, and suicide hotlines.

If a student is at risk of suicide or expresses self-harm, contact their parent or guardian.