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Working with Suicidal Students from the Prospective of a School Counselor for School Counselors

I chose this topic because it is current, relevant area of concern for school counselors amid the ever-changing way of life COVID-19 has brought to schools and students.

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I conducted an interview with Mrs. Sarah Gonzalez on July 13, 2021. Mrs. Gonzalez is a school counselor at Ozona Elementary School. Not only is she the school counselor for grades Pre-K through 5th grade, she is also a Diagnostician as well as the District 504 Coordinator. She views the topic of student suicide and mental health in general, to be something that is not discussed enough. With the rise in mental health disorders in students, schools need to be focusing on opening the lines of communication regarding mental health and suicide prevention. On her campus, she has seen students with thoughts of self-harm starting at a younger age largely as a result from the cyber-bullying and isolation due to the pandemic. The implementation of a vertically aligned, district wide prevention program, along with a new social-emotional learning curriculum, will be very beneficial this upcoming school year. She also stressed the importance of making sure all school district personnel are trained in the warning signs of suicide/self-harm and know what to do when an outcry is made. More often than not, the teachers are the first to see the signs, and if there is a trusting student-teacher relationship, most students will make the outcry to that teacher in some form.

The newly passed requirement in Texas Education Code §29.906 requires the instruction of Positive Character Traits with students in grades K-12. Teaching these character traits, along with the socialization from returning to school, will hopefully help with student well-being and mental health. She mentioned that our school district would not be allowing virtual learning to be an option this year, unless specifically COVID-19 related; she hopes this too will help students adjust and we will see a decrease in our numbers of at-risk students. She encouraged me to stay informed of our districts decisisions regarding COVID-19 and work in collaboration with the staff to identify students who need intervention strategies as we return to school (S. Gonzalez, personal communication, July 13, 2021).

Best Practices Recommendations for Working with Suicidal Students from Mrs. Gonzalez:
- Know the law and stay up-to-date on all information and legal requirements to be an effective resource for your school and community.
- Know your school districts policies, procedures, and advocate for changes/updates as needed.
- Refer to the School Counselor’s Code of Ethics and ask for assistance when needed.

Citation: S. Gonzalez, personal communication, July 13, 2021

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The American Counseling Association provides resources for educators, parents, and all stakeholders regarding suicide prevention, detection, and intervention. It provides online training as well as resources to use in practice with working with prevention and intervention of suicidal students. This site also offers current statistics and information to use with students, parents, educators, and for counselors.
Citation: American Counseling Association. (2021). Preventing Suicide is a Public Health Effort. ACA. https://www.counseling.org/knowledge-center/mental-health-resources/suicide-prevention-month.

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Suicide is a major public health problem that is amongst the leading causes of death in the United States. Suicide is complicated and tragic, but it is often preventable. With the COVID-19 pandemic, economic uncertainty and ongoing issues of racial injustice causing major psychological impacts across the country, we may see elevated suicide rates.

To reduce the potential for suicide during these crises, it is crucial to decrease stress, anxiety, fears and loneliness. Suicidal thoughts can affect anyone regardless of age, gender or background, so knowing the warning signs and what resources are available can help save lives.

During the month of September, the American Counseling Association will be dedicated to raising awareness of suicide and advocating the prevention of this public health crisis. We are committed to shedding light on this largely stigmatized and difficult topic by providing resources to inform and educate professionals and the community on how to identify warning signs, take action, and significantly reduce the number of deaths by suicide.

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Suicide is a major public health problem that is amongst the leading causes of death in the United States. Suicide is complicated and tragic, but it is often preventable. With the COVID-19 pandemic, economic uncertainty and ongoing issues of racial injustice causing major psychological impacts across the country, we may see elevated suicide rates.

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Slide #4  Current News Articles (three years or earlier):

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Slide #4  Current News Articles (three years or earlier):

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- Data from Children’s Hospital Association shows that the current state of students in need of support for self-harm is rapidly rising. In 2016, 2,555 children (ages 6 to 12) were seen at emergency rooms and/or in-patient treatment facilities. 2019 data for the same criteria reports 5,485 children were seen. 2020 data, while not complete at this time, project even higher numbers.
- Causes of rise in numbers include COVID-19 related issues including loss of parents, loss of socialization, and increased anxiety and depression, rise in poverty, and younger exposure to social media/online bullying.
- Rise in numbers have brought awareness to youth mental health needs and forced schools to increase student access to school counselors.
-This article also provides information on recognizing signs of distress in young children/students.
Citation: Kingkade, T., & Chuck, E. (2021, April 12). Suicidal thoughts are increasing in young kids, experts say. It began before the pandemic. NBCNews.com. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/suicidal-thoughts-are-increasing-young-kids-experts-say-it-began-n1263347.

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Suicidal thoughts are increasing in young kids, experts say. It began before the pandemic.

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“We need to open our eyes to the fact that this is going on,” said one psychiatry professor, who found many parents do not know when their children are in crisis.

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Slide #5 Current News Articles (three years or earlier):

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Slide #5 Current News Articles (three years or earlier):

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- This article provides real stories of parents who have experienced loss of children due to suicide and the need for increased awareness, support, and resources for youth mental health.
- Pre-pandemic suicide rates were among teens were on the rise, yet these numbers have accelerated due to the pandemic.
- Research and experts show that even the smallest intervention, as simple as asking if someone is okay, can reduce the risk of suicide. Incorporating screener question, have you had suicidal thoughts, along with a follow-up has shown to cut the risk of suicide in half. These screener questions should be incorporated into the school setting. This, as well as increasing the accessibility to mental health providers and services needs to increase.
- This article explains how and what signs of crisis in children and teens are, and how these early signs, if left alone, will build and elevate the risk of suicide.
Citation: Wan, W. (2020, December 3). For months, he helped his son keep suicidal thoughts at bay. Then came the pandemic. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/11/23/covid-pandemic-rise-suicides/.

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The surviving family of Christian Robbins - father Ted, mother Sarah, sister Sophia and brother Ethan - try to celebrate his life daily in Richland, Wash. (Leah Nash for The Washington Post)

He visits the grave every day.

And every day, Ted Robbins asks himself the questions that have plagued him since the night his 16-year-old son killed himself, one month into the pandemic.

What if Robbins hadn't canceled their family vacation? What if their school hadn't closed down? What if his son Christian could have leaned on his best friends through this rough patch, as he had in the past?

But one question haunts him the most: "What if the pandemic never happened - would my son still be alive?"

As the pandemic continues into the holiday season, rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation are rising. (The Washington Post)

Since the coronavirus arrived, depression and anxiety in America have become rampant. Federal surveys show that 40 percent of Americans are now grappling with at least one mental health or drug-related problem. But young adults have been hit harder than any other age group, with 75 percent struggling.

Even more alarming, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently asked young adults if they had thought about killing themselves in the past 30 days, 1 in 4 said they had.

America's system for monitoring suicides is so broken and slow that experts won't know until roughly two years after the pandemic whether suicides have risen nationally. But coroners and medical examiners are already seeing troubling signs.

In Arizona's Pima County, officials have sent two health bulletins alerting doctors and hospitals to spikes in suicides. In Oregon's Columbia County, the number of suicides by summer had already surpassed last year's total. In the sprawling Chicago suburbs, DuPage County has reported a 23 percent rise compared with last year. And in the city itself, the number of suicides among African Americans has far surpassed the total for 2019, even as officials struggle to understand whether the deaths are being driven by the pandemic, racial unrest or both. What has shocked medical examiners in Chicago is the age range - from a 57-year-old deputy police chief to a 9-year-old child.

Since Christian's death, many parents have called his father Robbins for advice, and several of Christian's classmates have confided about their own struggles with suicidal thoughts.

On a recent visit to the cemetery in Richland, Wash., where Christian is buried, Robbins found two teenage girls he recognized from Christian's funeral sitting at his grave. One was sobbing.

The girl said she, too, suffered from depression and was wrestling with suicidal thoughts. She had called a hotline, but the local crisis center had only 16 psychiatric beds for teens and all were full. She was put on a waiting list.

"You don't know how bad it is right now," she told him. "Almost every one of my friends has thought about it."

A broken system

From the moment the coronavirus arrived, it has exposed and deepened every crack in America's foundation. But when it comes to suicide prevention, the country's system was already falling apart.

Even as suicide rates have fallen globally, they have climbed every year in the United States since 1999, increasing 35 percent in the past two decades. Still, funding and prevention efforts have continued to lag far behind those for all other leading causes of death.

Then came the pandemic.

Experts warned that the toxic mix of isolation and economic devastation could generate a wave of suicides, but those dire predictions have resulted in little action.

"Sometimes, I just want to grab people and shake them awake," said Robbins, as he walked up the well-worn cemetery path on a recent Friday to the shiny bronze marker bearing his son's name.

He said Christian had been struggling for months with depression and early symptoms of bipolar disorder. During a particularly bad period last year, they had rushed to a crisis center - afraid Christian might hurt himself. So Robbins was vigilant about how the pandemic might affect his son. "I could see the storm coming," he said.

Robbins listened from his home office as Christian talked and laughed with his siblings, monitoring changes in his mood. They played games together, watched movies, talked on long drives. Every night, he wrapped his son in a fierce bear hug and told him, "I love you."

"I remember thinking to myself that Friday before he took his life, 'This covid situation is bad, but it's going to be okay. He's going to be okay,' " Robbins said.

He discovered only later from notes on Christian's laptop just how badly the pandemic was fraying his son's mind. Because of the virus, Christian could no longer hang out every weekend with his three best friends, who had helped him through past bouts of depression. His son told him that a voice inside was whispering how worthless he was, how he was hated by everyone.

Throughout the pandemic, Robbins pointed out, President Trump and conservatives have repeatedly cited fears of suicide as they pushed to reopen businesses. But they and Democrats have done little about it, even as prevention groups begged for help. Since the crisis began, $175 billion in emergency funding has been allocated to hospitals and other medical facilities, but less than 1 percent of that has gone specifically to mental health and substance abuse services.

Now winter is approaching, bringing another wave of infections, another surge of fear, uncertainty and devastation.

"Why aren't school districts reaching out to students they know have problems?" Robbins said. "Why aren't we, as a country, doing anything about this part of the pandemic that's killing people we love?"

'Stuck in life'

What makes this moment especially perilous for young people is that their suicide rates were already rising faster than those of any other group. Between 2007 and 2018, suicides increased 56 percent among teens and young adults.

The pandemic could accelerate that trend. A federal study in August on the coronavirus's mental impact found that the youngest people surveyed had the highest rates of increased anxiety, depression, substance use and other mental health problems.

"At that age, you're looking for your place in the world, searching for your identity," said Jonathan Singer, a suicide researcher and president of the American Association of Suicidology. "To be stuck in life right now, not able to get a job, not able to plan and see a way forward - to be home and feeling like you're a burden - it's challenging."

Brad Hunstable was working in his home office April 17 when his younger daughter ran in yelling that her 12-year-old brother had hurt himself.

Hayden had never struggled with depression or mental health problems, Hunstable said. But just before the pandemic, his son - an avid player of the video game Fortnite - had tossed his controller and accidentally broken the family's flat-screen TV.

At the time, Hunstable and his wife told Hayden that he would have to earn a new monitor by doing extra chores and being kind to his 8-year-old sister.

For weeks, their son held up his end. "I was so proud of him. He was learning, evolving. He was becoming a man," Hunstable said.

But on that April afternoon, Hunstable later found out, his son had broken the replacement TV and become furious with himself.

It happened just four days before Hayden's 13th birthday. Hayden had planned to celebrate on Fortnite. After schools shut down, the online game became his main connection with friends

"I think he felt like he ruined his birthday," Hunstable said. "You combine that with not seeing others, not being able to do the sports he loved and the stress of everything going on. It was a perfect storm that led to this one impulsive act, an act he couldn't take back."

Coming to grips with that reality has been hard. "I was so mad one day, I took a baseball bat to a tree and just smashed it for hours," said Hunstable, who lives in Fort Worth.

When people ask about his son, he tells them, "Covid killed my son but not the way you think."

In recent weeks, Hunstable has urged other parents to talk openly to their children about mental health. He created a nonprofit to push schools to do so, too.

Research shows that even modest interventions - such as asking people if they're okay - can reduce suicides.

Large-scale studies found that when hospitals asked emergency room patients if they had had suicidal thoughts and then followed up, it cut the risk of suicidal behavior by half. Adding such screening questions during the pandemic - at schools, primary-care offices and hospitals - could save thousands, experts say.

Lowering barriers to mental health care would also reduce deaths, experts say. Much of the problem, however, lies in the unequal way America treats mental health compared with physical illnesses.

"Why isn't there a mental health leader on the coronavirus task force?" said Vaile Wright, clinical research director at the American Psychological Association. "Our physical and mental health are completely intertwined, and we need to treat them that way."

One of the few actions undertaken by U.S. leaders this fall - after a decade of discussion - was to authorize a three-digit number, similar to 911, for people to call during a mental crisis. But the 988 number won't take effect until July 2022. And crisis centers in charge of those calls are facing severe cuts because the pandemic has decimated state and local budgets.

A brewing storm

Suicidal thoughts are not the only sign of a crisis.

Other maladies bubble up first: alcohol consumption, anxiety, depression, unemployment, homelessness, domestic violence, post-traumatic stress disorder, drug use. All of them elevate suicide risk.

Experts compare the effect to a storm that takes time to build and crest but has a tragically long tail once it hits. Because of that, it could take years for the full mental impact of this pandemic to play out.

In the years after the 1918 flu pandemic, suicides appeared to rise, but records from that era are sparse and unreliable. Studies of natural disasters have been similarly inconclusive.

Immediately after a crisis, suicides sometimes decrease briefly because of a "pulling-together effect." In the first six months after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, suicide rates among New Yorkers declined.

A similar phenomenon was evident in some regions this spring. Connecticut - one of the few states that maintain real-time suicide data - registered a 20 percent drop during the first half of this year. Rates in Massachusetts have been relatively flat.

But countries that track suicides more closely than the United States said they are starting to see sharp upticks. Japan said suicides in August increased 15 percent. Nepal has similarly reported increases. Thailand recently said its suicides have risen 22 percent compared with the year before. Thailand's Health Ministry has directed police to monitor social media to find people in distress and is setting up a reporting system to get suicide statistics faster. "We definitely cannot wait," a ministry spokesman said.

For a glimpse at what lies ahead for the United States, most experts say, the most applicable data comes from past economic disasters.

Studies have established strong correlations between suicide and financial pressures such as unemployment, eviction and displacement - all of which have risen sharply during the pandemic.

In the two years after the 2008 Great Recession, America's suicide rate increased four times as fast as in the eight years before.

"But we can't and shouldn't treat a rise in suicide as inevitable," said Colleen L. Carr, director of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, "because there are things we know that can reduce it."

Desperation and a gun

Pamela and Dan Kaiser say the haphazard way America has handled the pandemic contributed to their son's death. But they also question why it was so easy for their son to buy a shotgun on the day he decided to kill himself, even as other businesses were shut down.

"How are gun shops considered essential in the middle of a pandemic?" asked Pam Kaiser, 59, from her home in Traverse City, Mich.

Nearly half of all suicides involve firearms. And as pandemic fears have grown, so have gun sales.

During the first eight months of this year, more firearms were sold than in all of 2019, according to an analysis of FBI data by the research group Small Arms Analytics. The country is on track this year to have the most gun sales ever.

For months, Aaron Kaiser, 24, had been struggling with depression and anxiety. There was a suicide scare last year - a note his mother found in his room.

When the pandemic hit, his parents were initially relieved. "We were all under one roof. We could take care of him, watch over him," Pam Kaiser said.

Then Aaron's therapist closed her practice. He became increasingly irritable and withdrawn. The college where he was taking classes shut down. His father got laid off from the company where he had worked for 27 years, and Aaron told his parents he felt like a burden.

His mother called a long list of mental health programs - as far away as Colorado - trying to get him treatment. But in the early weeks of the pandemic, her calls went straight to voice mail.

One day, she found a sticky note in Aaron's room that said simply: "I'm sorry. I love you all."

Alarmed, she called Aaron on his phone, and he dismissed it as an old note. He asked if they needed anything from the grocery store. He didn't come home the next day.

Pam called the police while Dan checked their family's credit card activity online to see where Aaron could be. His heart dropped when he saw a charge for $560.67, at a gun shop a few miles from home.

Before Dan could even print out the statement, a sheriff's deputy was walking up their driveway to tell them about the body discovered in a nearby park.

"For the rest of our lives, we will blame ourselves for not protecting him," Pam said. "But how was it that easy for my son to buy a gun on the day he decided he wanted to kill himself?"

Roughly 90 percent of suicide attempts by guns are fatal. In contrast, only 4 percent of attempts by all other means result in death. A study of 26 million death records found that gun owners were nearly four times as likely to die by suicide as people who do not have guns.

"If people are buying guns during this pandemic for a sense of safety and security, they need to know what the risks are," said David M. Studdert, a Stanford University professor who led the study.

'It's not too late'

It has been seven months since that night Ted Robbins's son sneaked out and shot himself.

He keeps a jar of pictures by his bed and a cast the funeral home made of Christian's hand. Every night before he sleeps, Robbins places his hand into his son's.

He found an online support group and told its leaders he wanted to help others struggling in the pandemic. Last month, Robbins received an urgent call: a father, whose 16-year-old daughter had just killed herself.

Robbins listened as the man described his daughter's loss of hope - with so many still dying from the virus, protests in the streets, America at war with itself. He listened as the man second-guessed every choice he made in the final days of his daughter's life.

He recognized the rawness in the father's voice. An hour into their conversation, Robbins told the man the kind of thing he has struggled for months to say to himself: "You loved her. You did everything you could. You didn't cause her death."

Before he hung up, Robbins promised to add the man's phone number to a growing list of struggling families Robbins checks on amid the pandemic.

In daily visits to his son's grave, he often tells Christian about these people he is trying to save.

"There's so many kids out there, so many families that still have a chance. For them, it's not too late."

If you or someone you know needs help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255). You can also text a crisis counselor by messaging the Crisis Text Line at 741741.

Updated March 11, 2021

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For months, he helped his son keep suicidal thoughts at bay. Then came the pandemic.

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He visits the grave every day. And every day, Ted Robbins asks himself the questions that have plagued him since the night his 16-year-old son killed himself, one month into the pandemic. What if Robbins hadn't canceled their family vacation? What if their school hadn't closed down?

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Constitutional Law: U.S. Code 42, Chapter 102 Mental Health Systems
- Congress requires each state to review and revise its mental health laws to ensure people "...receive the protection and services they require" 42 U.S. Code § 9501.
- The laws need to take President's Commission on Mental Health recommendations  into consideration when review and revising laws.
- 42 U.S. Code § 9501 outlines a person's rights to be guaranteed and the rights of refusal that are allowed.
Citation: 42 U.S. Code § 9501

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SUBCHAPTER I-GENERAL PROVISIONS

SUBCHAPTER II-GRANT PROGRAMS

SUBCHAPTER III-GENERAL PROVISIONS RESPECTING GRANT PROGRAMS

Part A-State Mental Health Service Programs

Part B-Applications and Related Provisions

Part C-Performance

Part D-Enforcement

Part E-Miscellaneous

SUBCHAPTER IV-MENTAL HEALTH RIGHTS AND ADVOCACY

SUBCHAPTER V-SEX OFFENSE PREVENTION AND CONTROL

SUBCHAPTER VI-MISCELLANEOUS

§9401. Congressional statement of findings

The Congress finds-

(1) despite the significant progress that has been made in making community mental health services available and in improving residential mental health facilities since the original community mental health centers legislation was enacted in 1963, unserved and underserved populations remain and there are certain groups in the population, such as chronically mentally ill individuals, children and youth, elderly individuals, racial and ethnic minorities, women, poor persons, and persons in rural areas, which often lack access to adequate private and public mental health services and support services;

(2) the process of transferring or diverting chronically mentally ill individuals from unwarranted or inappropriate institutionalized settings to their home communities has frequently not been accompanied by a process of providing those individuals with the mental health and support services they need in community-based settings;

(3) the shift in emphasis from institutional care to community-based care has not always been accompanied by a process of affording training, retraining, and job placement for employees affected by institutional closure and conversion;

(4) the delivery of mental health and support services is typically uncoordinated within and among local, State, and Federal entities;

(5) mentally ill persons are often inadequately served by (A) programs of the Department of Health and Human Services such as medicare, medicaid, supplemental security income, and social services, and (B) programs of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Labor, and other Federal agencies;

(6) health care systems often lack general health care personnel with adequate mental health care training and often lack mental health care personnel and consequently many individuals with some level of mental disorder do not receive appropriate mental health care;

(7) present knowledge of methods to prevent mental illness through discovery and elimination of its causes and through early detection and treatment is too limited;

(8) a comprehensive and coordinated array of appropriate private and public mental health and support services for all people in need within specific geographic areas, based upon a cooperative local-State-Federal partnership, remains the most effective and humane way to provide a majority of mentally ill individuals with mental health care and needed support; and

(9) because of the rising demand for mental health services and the wide disparity in the distribution of psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, social workers, and psychiatric nurses, there is a shortage in the medical specialty of psychiatry and there are also shortages among the other health personnel who provide mental health services.

Short Title

Pub. L. 96-398, §1, Oct. 7, 1980, 94 Stat. 1564, provided that: "This Act [enacting this chapter, amending sections 210, 225a, 229b, 242a, 246, 289k-1, 300l-2, 300m-2, 1396b, 2689a to 2689c, 2689e, 2689g, and 2689h of this title, repealing section 2689q of this title, and enacting provisions set out as notes under section 242a, 246, 289k-1, and 2689b of this title] may be cited as the 'Mental Health Systems Act'."

SUBCHAPTER I-GENERAL PROVISIONS

Codification

Effective Date of Repeal

Repeal effective Oct. 1, 1981, see section 902(h) of Pub. L. 97-35, set out as an Effective Date of 1981 Amendment note under section 238l of this title.

§9412. Definitions

For purposes of this chapter:

(1) The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

(2) The term "State" includes (in addition to the fifty States) the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

(3) The term "nonprofit", as applied to any entity, means an entity which is owned and operated by one or more corporations or associations no part of the net earnings of which inures or may lawfully inure to the benefit of any private shareholder or person.

(Pub. L. 96-398, title I, §102, Oct. 7, 1980, 94 Stat. 1569; Pub. L. 97-35, title IX, §902(f)(1)(B), (C), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 560.)

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in text, was in the original "this Act", meaning Pub. L. 96-398, Oct. 7, 1980, 94 Stat. 1564, as amended, known as the Mental Health Systems Act, which enacted this chapter, amended sections 210, 225a, 229b, 242a, 246, 289k-1, 300l-2, 300m-2, 1396b, 2689a to 2689c, 2689e, 2689g, and 2689h of this title, repealed section 2689q of this title, and enacted provisions set out as notes under sections 242a, 246, 289k-1, and 2689b of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 9401 of this title and Tables.

Amendments

1981- Pub. L. 97-35 redesignated former par. (5) as (3). Former pars. (3), (4), (6), and (7), which defined "State mental health authority", "mental health service area", "priority population group", and "Governor", respectively, were struck out.

Effective Date of 1981 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 97-35 effective Oct. 1, 1981, see section 902(h) of Pub. L. 97-35, set out as a note under section 238l of this title.

Termination of Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands

For termination of Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, see note set out preceding section 1681 of Title 48, Territories and Insular Possessions.

Effective Date of Repeal

Repeal effective Oct. 1, 1981, see section 902(h) of Pub. L. 97-35, set out as an Effective Date of 1981 Amendment note under section 238l of this title.

SUBCHAPTER II-GRANT PROGRAMS

Effective Date of Repeal

Repeal effective Oct. 1, 1981, see section 902(h) of Pub. L. 97-35, set out as an Effective Date of 1981 Amendment note under section 238l of this title.

SUBCHAPTER III-GENERAL PROVISIONS RESPECTING GRANT PROGRAMS

Part A-State Mental Health Service Programs

Effective Date of Repeal

Repeal effective Oct. 1, 1981, see section 902(h) of Pub. L. 97-35, set out as an Effective Date of 1981 Amendment note under section 238l of this title.

Part B-Applications and Related Provisions

Effective Date of Repeal

Repeal effective Oct. 1, 1981, see section 902(h) of Pub. L. 97-35, set out as an Effective Date of 1981 Amendment note under section 238l of this title.

Part C-Performance

Effective Date of Repeal

Repeal effective Oct. 1, 1981, see section 902(h) of Pub. L. 97-35, set out as an Effective Date of 1981 Amendment note under section 238l of this title.

Part D-Enforcement

Effective Date of Repeal

Repeal effective Oct. 1, 1981, see section 902(h) of Pub. L. 97-35, set out as an Effective Date of 1981 Amendment note under section 238l of this title.

Part E-Miscellaneous

Effective Date of Repeal

Repeal effective Oct. 1, 1981, see section 902(h) of Pub. L. 97-35, set out as an Effective Date of 1981 Amendment note under section 238l of this title.

SUBCHAPTER IV-MENTAL HEALTH RIGHTS AND ADVOCACY

§9501. Bill of Rights

It is the sense of the Congress that each State should review and revise, if necessary, its laws to ensure that mental health patients receive the protection and services they require; and in making such review and revision should take into account the recommendations of the President's Commission on Mental Health and the following:

(1) A person admitted to a program or facility for the purpose of receiving mental health services should be accorded the following:

(A) The right to appropriate treatment and related services in a setting and under conditions that-

(i) are the most supportive of such person's personal liberty; and

(ii) restrict such liberty only to the extent necessary consistent with such person's treatment needs, applicable requirements of law, and applicable judicial orders.

(B) The right to an individualized, written, treatment or service plan (such plan to be developed promptly after admission of such person), the right to treatment based on such plan, the right to periodic review and reassessment of treatment and related service needs, and the right to appropriate revision of such plan, including any revision necessary to provide a description of mental health services that may be needed after such person is discharged from such program or facility.

(C) The right to ongoing participation, in a manner appropriate to such person's capabilities, in the planning of mental health services to be provided such person (including the right to participate in the development and periodic revision of the plan described in subparagraph (B)), and, in connection with such participation, the right to be provided with a reasonable explanation, in terms and language appropriate to such person's condition and ability to understand, of-

(i) such person's general mental condition and, if such program or facility has provided a physical examination, such person's general physical condition;

(ii) the objectives of treatment;

(iii) the nature and significant possible adverse effects of recommended treatments;

(iv) the reasons why a particular treatment is considered appropriate;

(v) the reasons why access to certain visitors may not be appropriate; and

(vi) any appropriate and available alternative treatments, services, and types of providers of mental health services.

(D) The right not to receive a mode or course of treatment, established pursuant to the treatment plan, in the absence of such person's informed, voluntary, written consent to such mode or course of treatment, except treatment-

(i) during an emergency situation if such treatment is pursuant to or documented contemporaneously by the written order of a responsible mental health professional; or

(ii) as permitted under applicable law in the case of a person committed by a court to a treatment program or facility.

(E) The right not to participate in experimentation in the absence of such person's informed, voluntary, written consent, the right to appropriate protections in connection with such participation, including the right to a reasonable explanation of the procedure to be followed, the benefits to be expected, the relative advantages of alternative treatments, and the potential discomforts and risks, and the right and opportunity to revoke such consent.

(F) The right to freedom from restraint or seclusion, other than as a mode or course of treatment or restraint or seclusion during an emergency situation if such restraint or seclusion is pursuant to or documented contemporaneously by the written order of a responsible mental health professional.

(G) The right to a humane treatment environment that affords reasonable protection from harm and appropriate privacy to such person with regard to personal needs.

(H) The right to confidentiality of such person's records.

(I) The right to access, upon request, to such person's mental health care records, except such person may be refused access to-

(i) information in such records provided by a third party under assurance that such information shall remain confidential; and

(ii) specific material in such records if the health professional responsible for the mental health services concerned has made a determination in writing that such access would be detrimental to such person's health, except that such material may be made available to a similarly licensed health professional selected by such person and such health professional may, in the exercise of professional judgment, provide such person with access to any or all parts of such material or otherwise disclose the information contained in such material to such person.

(J) The right, in the case of a person admitted on a residential or inpatient care basis, to converse with others privately, to have convenient and reasonable access to the telephone and mails, and to see visitors during regularly scheduled hours, except that, if a mental health professional treating such person determines that denial of access to a particular visitor is necessary for treatment purposes, such mental health professional may, for a specific, limited, and reasonable period of time, deny such access if such mental health professional has ordered such denial in writing and such order has been incorporated in the treatment plan for such person. An order denying such access should include the reasons for such denial.

(K) The right to be informed promptly at the time of admission and periodically thereafter, in language and terms appropriate to such person's condition and ability to understand, of the rights described in this section.

(L) The right to assert grievances with respect to infringement of the rights described in this section, including the right to have such grievances considered in a fair, timely, and impartial grievance procedure provided for or by the program or facility.

(M) Notwithstanding subparagraph (J), the right of access to (including the opportunities and facilities for private communication with) any available-

(i) rights protection service within the program or facility;

(ii) rights protection service within the State mental health system designed to be available to such person; and

(iii) qualified advocate;

for the purpose of receiving assistance to understand, exercise, and protect the rights described in this section and in other provisions of law.

(N) The right to exercise the rights described in this section without reprisal, including reprisal in the form of denial of any appropriate, available treatment.

(O) The right to referral as appropriate to other providers of mental health services upon discharge.

(2)(A) The rights described in this section should be in addition to and not in derogation of any other statutory or constitutional rights.

(B) The rights to confidentiality of and access to records as provided in subparagraphs (H) and (I) of paragraph (1) should remain applicable to records pertaining to a person after such person's discharge from a program or facility.

(3)(A) No otherwise eligible person should be denied admission to a program or facility for mental health services as a reprisal for the exercise of the rights described in this section.

(B) Nothing in this section should-

(i) obligate an individual mental health or health professional to administer treatment contrary to such professional's clinical judgment;

(ii) prevent any program or facility from discharging any person for whom the provision of appropriate treatment, consistent with the clinical judgment of the mental health professional primarily responsible for such person's treatment, is or has become impossible as a result of such person's refusal to consent to such treatment;

(iii) require a program or facility to admit any person who, while admitted on prior occasions to such program or facility, has repeatedly frustrated the purposes of such admissions by withholding consent to proposed treatment; or

(iv) obligate a program or facility to provide treatment services to any person who is admitted to such program or facility solely for diagnostic or evaluative purposes.

(C) In order to assist a person admitted to a program or facility in the exercise or protection of such person's rights, such person's attorney or legal representatives should have reasonable access to-

(i) such person;

(ii) the areas of the program or facility where such person has received treatment, resided, or had access; and

(iii) pursuant to the written authorization of such person, the records and information pertaining to such person's diagnosis, treatment, and related services described in paragraph (1)(I).

(D) Each program and facility should post a notice listing and describing, in language and terms appropriate to the ability of the persons to whom such notice is addressed to understand, the rights described in this section of all persons admitted to such program or facility. Each such notice should conform to the format and content for such notices, and should be posted in all appropriate locations.

(4)(A) In the case of a person adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction as being incompetent to exercise the right to consent to treatment or experimentation described in subparagraph (D) or (E) of paragraph (1), or the right to confidentiality of or access to records described in subparagraph (H) or (I) of such paragraph, or to provide authorization as described in paragraph (3)(C)(iii), such right may be exercised or such authorization may be provided by the individual appointed by such court as such person's guardian or representative for the purpose of exercising such right or such authorization.

(B) In the case of a person who lacks capacity to exercise the right to consent to treatment or experimentation under subparagraph (D) or (E) of paragraph (1), or the right to confidentiality of or access to records described in subparagraph (H) or (I) of such paragraph, or to provide authorization as described in paragraph (3)(C)(iii), because such person has not attained an age considered sufficiently advanced under State law to permit the exercise of such right or such authorization to be legally binding, such right may be exercised or such authorization may be provided on behalf of such person by a parent or legal guardian of such person.

(C) Notwithstanding subparagraphs (A) and (B), in the case of a person admitted to a program or facility for the purpose of receiving mental health services, no individual employed by or receiving any remuneration from such program or facility should act as such person's guardian or representative.

Effective Date of Repeal

Repeal effective Oct. 1, 1981, see section 902(h) of Pub. L. 97-35, set out as an Effective Date of 1981 Amendment note under section 238l of this title.

SUBCHAPTER V-SEX OFFENSE PREVENTION AND CONTROL

§9511. Grants for sex offense prevention and control

(a) Authority of National Center for the Prevention and Control of Sex Offenses; functions

The Secretary, acting through the National Center for the Prevention and Control of Sex Offenses (hereafter in this section referred to as the "Center"), may, directly or by grant, carry out the following:

(1) A continuing study of sex offenses, including a study and investigation of-

(A) the effectiveness of existing Federal, State, and local laws dealing with sex offenses;

(B) the relationship, if any, between traditional legal and social attitudes toward sexual roles, sex offenses, and the formulation of laws dealing with rape;

(C) the treatment of the victims of sex offenses by law enforcement agencies, hospitals or other medical institutions, prosecutors, and the courts;

(D) the causes of sex offenses, identifying to the degree possible-

(i) social conditions which encourage sexual attacks, and

(ii) the motives of offenders, and

(E) the impact of a sex offense on the victim and family of the victim;

(F) sexual assaults in correctional institutions;

(G) the estimated actual incidence of forcible sex offenses as compared to the reported incidence of forcible sex offenses and the reasons for any difference between the two; and

(H) the effectiveness of existing private and local and State government educational, counseling, and other programs designed to prevent and control sex offenses.

(2) The compilation, analysis, and publication of summaries of the continuing study conducted under paragraph (1) and the research and demonstration projects conducted under paragraph (5). The Secretary shall submit not later than March 30, 1983, to the Congress a summary of such study and projects together with a review of their effectiveness and recommendations where appropriate.

(3) The development and maintenance of an information clearinghouse with regard to-

(A) the prevention and control of sex offenses;

(B) the treatment and counseling of the victims of sex offenses and their families; and

(C) the rehabilitation of offenders.

(4) The compilation and publication of training materials for personnel who are engaged or intend to engage in programs designed to prevent and control sex offense.

(5) Assistance to qualified public and nonprofit private entities in conducting research and demonstration projects concerning the prevention and control of sex offense, including projects (A) for the planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of alternative methods used in the prevention and control of sex offense, the treatment and counseling of the victims of sex offense and their families, and the rehabilitation of offenders; (B) for the application of such alternative methods; and (C) for the promotion of community awareness of the specific locations in which, and the specific social and other conditions under which sexual attacks are most likely to occur.

(b) Advisory committee; functions, membership, etc.

The Secretary shall appoint an advisory committee to advise, consult with, and make recommendations to the Secretary on the implementation of subsection (a). The recommendations of the committee shall be submitted directly to the Secretary without review or revision by any person without the consent of the committee. The Secretary shall appoint to such committee persons who are particularly qualified to assist in carrying out the functions of the committee. A majority of the members of the committee shall be women. Members of the advisory committee shall receive compensation at rates, not to exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate in effect for grade GS-18 of the General Schedule, for each day (including traveltime) they are engaged in the performance of their duties as members of the advisory committee and, while so serving away from their homes or regular places of business, each member shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in the same manner as authorized by section 5703 of title 5 for persons in Government service employed intermittently.

(c) Submission and approval of application; form, manner and contents

No grant may be made under subsection (a) unless an application therefor is submitted to and approved by the Secretary. The application shall be submitted in such form and manner and contain such information as the Secretary may prescribe.

(d) Authorization of appropriations

For the purpose of carrying out subsection (a), there are authorized to be appropriated $6,000,000 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1981, $1,500,000 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1982, $1,500,000 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1983.

(e) "Sex offense" defined

For purposes of subsection (a), the term "sex offense" includes statutory and attempted rape and any other criminal sexual assault (whether homosexual or heterosexual) which involves force or the threat of force.

(Pub. L. 96-398, title VI, §601(a)-(e), Oct. 7, 1980, 94 Stat. 1602, 1603; Pub. L. 97-35, title IX, §902(f)(20), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 560; Pub. L. 99-646, §87(d)(3)-(7), Nov. 10, 1986, 100 Stat. 3624; Pub. L. 99-654, §3(b)(3)-(7), Nov. 14, 1986, 100 Stat. 3663, 3664.)

Amendments

1986- Pub. L. 99-646, §87(d)(3), and Pub. L. 99-654, §3(b)(3), amended section catchline identically, substituting "sex offense" for "rape".

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 99-646, §87(d)(4)-(6), and Pub. L. 99-654, §3(b)(4)-(6), in amending subsec. (a) identically, in introductory provision substituted "Sex Offenses" for "Rape", in par. (1) and in subpars. (A), (C), (D), (G), and (H) of par. (1) substituted "sex offenses" for "rape" wherever appearing, in par. (1)(B) substituted "sex offenses" for "the act of rape", in par. (1)(E) substituted "a sex offense" for "rape", and in par. (3)(A) and (B) substituted "sex offenses" for "rape".

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 99-646, §87(d)(7), and Pub. L. 99-654, §3(b)(7), amended subsec. (e) identically, substituting "the term 'sex offense' " for "the term 'rape' ".

1981-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 97-35 in par. (5) struck out "community mental health centers and other" after "Assistance to", and struck out par. (6) which related to provision of consultation and education services.

Effective Date of 1986 Amendments

Amendments by Pub. L. 99-646 and Pub. L. 99-654 effective respectively 30 days after Nov. 10, 1986, and 30 days after Nov. 14, 1986, see section 87(e) of Pub. L. 99-646 and section 4 of Pub. L. 99-654, set out as an Effective Date note under section 2241 of Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure.

Effective Date of 1981 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 97-35 effective Oct. 1, 1981, see section 902(h) of Pub. L. 97-35, set out as a note under section 238l of this title.

Termination of Advisory Committees

References in Other Laws to GS-16, 17, or 18 Pay Rates

References in laws to the rates of pay for GS-16, 17, or 18, or to maximum rates of pay under the General Schedule, to be considered references to rates payable under specified sections of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, see section 529 [title I, §101(c)(1)] of Pub. L. 101-509, set out in a note under section 5376 of Title 5.

Effective Date of Repeal

Repeal effective Oct. 1, 1981, see section 902(h) of Pub. L. 97-35, set out as an Effective Date of 1981 Amendment note under section 238l of this title.

SUBCHAPTER VI-MISCELLANEOUS

Effective Date of Repeal

Repeal effective Oct. 1, 1981, see section 902(h) of Pub. L. 97-35, set out as an Effective Date of 1981 Amendment note under section 238l of this title.

§9522. Report on shelter and basic living needs of chronically mentally ill individuals

(a) Submission to Congressional committees by Secretaries of Health and Human Services and Housing and Urban Development

The Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall jointly submit a report to the Committees on Labor and Human Resources and Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate, and the Committees on Energy and Commerce and Banking, Finance, and Urban Affairs of the House of Representatives, relating to Federal efforts to respond to the shelter and basic living needs of chronically mentally ill individuals.

(b) Contents

The report required by subsection (a) shall include-

(1) an analysis of the extent to which chronically mentally ill individuals remain inappropriately housed in institutional facilities or have otherwise inadequate or inappropriate housing arrangements;

(2) an analysis of available permanent noninstitutional housing arrangements for the chronically mentally ill;

(3) an evaluation of ongoing permanent and demonstration programs, funded in whole or in part by Federal funds, which are designed to provide noninstitutional shelter and basic living services for the chronically mentally ill, including-

(A) a description of each program;

(B) the total number of individuals estimated to be eligible to participate in each program, the number of individuals served by each program, and an estimate of the total population each program expects to serve; and

(C) an assessment of the effectiveness of each program in the provision of shelter and basic living services;

(4) recommendations of measures to encourage States to coordinate and link the provisions in State health plans which relate to mental health and, in particular, the shelter and basic living needs of chronically mentally ill individuals, with local and State housing plans;

(5) recommendations for Federal legislation relating to the provision of permanent residential noninstitutional housing arrangements and basic living services for chronically mentally ill individuals, including an estimate of the cost of such recommendations; and

(6) any other recommendations for Federal initiatives which, in the judgment of the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, will lead to improved shelter and basic living services for chronically mentally ill individuals.

(c) Submission date

The report required by subsection (a) shall be submitted to the committees referred to in subsection (a) no later than January 1, 1981.

Change of Name

Committee on Labor and Human Resources of Senate changed to Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of Senate by Senate Resolution No. 20, One Hundred Sixth Congress, Jan. 19, 1999.

Committee on Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs of House of Representatives treated as referring to Committee on Banking and Financial Services of House of Representatives by section 1(a) of Pub. L. 104-14, set out as a note preceding section 21 of Title 2. Committee on Banking and Financial Services of House of Representatives abolished and replaced by Committee on Financial Services of House of Representatives, and jurisdiction over matters relating to securities and exchanges and insurance generally transferred from Committee on Energy and Commerce of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 5, One Hundred Seventh Congress, Jan. 3, 2001.

Effective Date of Repeal

Repeal effective Oct. 1, 1981, see section 902(h) of Pub. L. 97-35, set out as an Effective Date of 1981 Amendment note under section 238l of this title.

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[USC02] 42 USC Ch. 102: MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEMS

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SUBCHAPTER I-GENERAL PROVISIONS SUBCHAPTER II-GRANT PROGRAMS SUBCHAPTER III-GENERAL PROVISIONS RESPECTING GRANT PROGRAMS Part A-State Mental Health Service Programs Part B-Applications and Related Provisions Part C-Performance Part D-Enforcement Part E-Miscellaneous SUBCHAPTER IV-MENTAL HEALTH RIGHTS AND ADVOCACY SUBCHAPTER V-SEX OFFENSE PREVENTION AND CONTROL SUBCHAPTER VI-MISCELLANEOUS The Congress finds- (1) despite the significant

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Statutory Law: Texas Education Code, Chapter 38, Subchapter G. Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Youth Suicide
According to TEC Sec. 38.351,
schools are required to provide"...a list of recommended best practice-based programs and research-based practices" for "...suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention". The following are requirements of school districts per TEC Sec. 38.351:
- training for all school personnel
- recognize early warning signs and at-risk students
- intervene with parental notice and referral for services
- assist with student’s return to school
-provide activities to promote healing to reduce risk of suicide by one who was affected by suicide of another
Citation: Tex. Edu. Code §38.351

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EDUCATION CODE CHAPTER 38. HEALTH AND SAFETY

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Sec. 38.002. IMMUNIZATION RECORDS; REPORTING. (a) Each public school shall keep an individual immunization record during the period of attendance for each student admitted. The records shall be open for inspection at all reasonable times by the Texas Education Agency or by representatives of local health departments or the Texas Department of Health.

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Judicial Law
Nguyen v. MIT, 96 N.E.3d 128 (Mass. 2018)
- Court ruling found that University was not responsible for the graduate student’s death.
- Negligence was not found as there was not knowledge of student’s prior suicide attempts.
- While university was not found responsible, this court case has encourage universities to establish suicide protocols.
Citation: Nguyen v. MIT, 96 N.E.3d 128 (Mass. 2018)

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Administrative Law: Texas Administrative Code, Title 26, Part 1, Chapter 302 Subchapter A
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Local Mental Health Authority and Local Behavioral Health Authority Responsibilities
- Local mental health authorities are required under the Texas Administrative Code to provide training to educators.
- Training must provide educators with skills to assist in mental health crisis until professional help can be given.
Citation: TAC §302.9

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(a) The local mental health authorities (LMHAs) and local behavioral health authorities (LBHAs) are responsible for ensuring their contractors provide mental health first aid (MHFA) training to educators and non-educators consistent with the MHFA protocol, as required by Texas Health and Safety Code, §1001.203(d). (b) An MHFA training must: (1) be conducted by a person trained as an MHFA trainer; (2) provide participants with the skills necessary to help an individual experiencing a mental health crisis until the individual is able to obtain appropriate professional care; and (3) include: (A) instruction in a five-step strategy for helping an individual experiencing a mental health crisis, including assessing risk, listening respectfully to and supporting the individual, and identifying professional help and other supports for the individual; (B) an introduction to the risk factors and warning signs for mental illness and substance abuse problems; (C) experiential activities to increase participants' understanding of the impact of mental illness on individuals and families; and (D) a presentation of evidence-supported treatment and self-help strategies. (c) An LMHA and LBHA may contract with a regional education service center to provide an MHFA training program to university employees, school district employees, and school resource officers under this section. (d) Two or more LMHAs or LBHAs may collaborate and share resources to develop and operate an MHFA training program under this section. (e) The LMHA and LBHA shall ensure that training is taught without modification, substitution or subtraction of the MHFA-USA or MHFA-Australia, as applicable, content or format unless authorized by HHSC-approved training entities set forth in §302.7 of this subchapter (relating to Mental Health First Aid Training Protocols). (f) LMHAs and LBHAs are responsible for ensuring their contractors comply with the provisions of this subchapter and applicable provisions of the contract between HHSC and the LMHA and LBHA. (g) The LMHA and LBHA must submit the annual Plan for Mental Health First Aid Training Programs by July 1 of each state fiscal year, as required by Texas Health and Safety Code, §1001.204. The LMHA and LBHA must submit the information for the annual report by September 30 of each year, as required by Texas Health and Safety Code, §1001.205.

Source Note: The provisions of this §302.9 adopted to be effective June 3, 2014, 39 TexReg 4258; transferred effective February 15, 2020, as published in the Texas Register January 17, 2020, 45 TexReg 468; amended to be effective January 10, 2021, 46 TexReg 305

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(a) The local mental health authorities (LMHAs) and local behavioral health authorities (LBHAs) are responsible for ensuring their contractors provide mental health first aid (MHFA) training to educators and non-educators consistent with the MHFA protocol, as required by Texas Health and Safety Code, §1001.203(d).

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Slide #10 Local Administrative Law/Policy/Rule:

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Slide #10 Local Administrative Law/Policy/Rule:

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According to CCCCSD Student handbook, the school board has adopted policies that include implementing "...programs to address the following mental health, behavioral health, and substance abuse concerns..." that include “…Suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention (interventions after a suicide in a community)” (CCCCSD, 2020). These district wide implemented programs provide the school counselors with the resources and procedures to work with students who are suicidal or at-risk.
Citation: Crockett County Consolidated Common School District (CCCCSD). (2020). Student Handbook.Retrieved from https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/1133092/2020-2021_Student_Handbook_and_Drug_Testing_Policy.pdf

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A.9. Serious and Foreseeable Harm to Self and Others (a):  School counselor's must "inform parents/guardians and/or appropriate authorities when a student poses a serious and foreseeable risk of harm to self or others" (ASCA, 2019). Working with suicidal students is beyond a school counselor's scope and the student must be referred to an outside agency; therefore parents or guardians must be informed of the risk and provided with the appropriate referral information.
Citation: American School Counselor Association. (2016). ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/f041cbd0-7004-47a5-ba01-3a5d657c6743/Ethical-Standards.pdf.

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Slide #12 Personal Connection to the Legal and Ethical Standards:

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Slide #12 Personal Connection to the Legal and Ethical Standards:

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Personally, I was able to connect to legal and ethical standards from a school counselor’s view point. Knowledge and understanding of the legal and ethical requirements for a school counselor regarding working with students who are at-risk or are suicidal gives me the guidance and knowledge of how to proceed. I wish to continue my career as a school counselor and as self-harm and mental health in youth is a growing area of concern, it is imperative that I am fully prepared to know how to handle these situations as they arise. It is also imperative that all educators and school staff members be aware of the risks, warning signs, and protocols that their school district has in place.

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Slide #13 Bulleted list of Recommendations / Best Practices for Compliance

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Slide #13 Bulleted list of Recommendations / Best Practices for Compliance

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1) School counselors are required by law to provide suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention services.
2) Training for all educators is vital to suicide prevention and recognition.
3) Suicide numbers have rapidly increased over the past years, and the trend is continuing in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
4) American School Counselor Association’s Ethical Standards for School Counselors defines the requirements for school counselors regarding self-harm.
5) It is vital to have clear policies and procedures set in place from school administrators and in school policy. It is the duty of the school counselor to advocate for appropriate policies.
6) Stay informed of current legislature regarding Youth Mental Health and suicide.
7) Use of suicide prevention resources provided by Texas Education Agency and The American Counseling Association is crucial for successful prevention, intervention, trainings, and information sharing with educators, students, and parents.