# data[].attributes.body
School Counselors provide specific assessments and individual planning to assist in identifying a students interests and abilities. The topic I chose is suicide and what triggers high school students to have suicidal thoughts. I chose this topic because as a future counselor identifying and understanding protective factors for suicide is critically important for prevention.

# data[].attributes.body
Suicide prevention is important to have in a schools curriculum because prevention can save lives. I believe our school needs to do a better job in providing us with more trainings to learn more about suicide. Although we have participated in some, there is always room to grow and expand our knowledge specifically on student suicide.

We are required to use different assessments.

Screenings to determine suicide risk.

We are required to share this information and referrals with the parents and guardians.

A major emerging issue I see a lot in students is anxiety. Since COVID, anxiety has been an issue among our students. Anxiety leads to depression which then can lead to suicidal thoughts.

Delicia Sanchez/School Career Counselor/ La Feria High School

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/new-from-nea/are-you-thinking-about-suicide

General Education - National Education Association (www.nea.org)

This article is related to my topic over suicide because it talks about how teachers and school administrators should be aware of signs that lead to suicide. Just a simple question like "Are you thinking about suicide?" and student that are not living with suicide thoughts will automatically say no meanwhile others will hesitate or show some sign. Just a simple question may save a students life.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We use cookies to offer you a better browsing experience, provide ads, analyze site traffic, and personalize content. If you continue to use this site, you consent to our use of cookies.

Accept & Close

Advocating for Change New From NEA 'Are You Thinking About Suicide?'

As suicide rates climb among American teens, educators need to ask and listen.

Key Takeaways

1. One in six high school students reported "seriously considering suicide" in 2017, including nearly one in four girls and almost half of gay, lesbian, and bisexual students.

2. The major risk factors for suicide may be hidden to educators. They include firearms at home, a family history of mental-health concerns, and substance abuse disorders.

3. Every high school teacher-and many educators of younger students-knows a student considering suicide. But these young people can be kept safe.

"In the last nine days, in just this area, we've lost another three students to suicide," said Tim Warnock, a physical education teacher in the suburbs of Phoenix, after a series of student deaths in October 2019.

The numbers are scary and sad, but not shocking to Warnock or his wife Lorie, a high school English teacher of 28 years. The couple knows all too well that Arizona's teen suicide rate has increased 25 percent over the past three years. "There is a suicide epidemic," says Lorie Warnock flatly.

An incredible one in six high school students reported "seriously considering suicide" in 2017, including nearly one in four girls and almost half of gay, lesbian, and bisexual students, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data. At this rate, every high school teacher-and many educators of younger students-knows a student considering suicide. But these young people can be kept safe, experts say.

"This topic can be really overwhelming. It can feel like, 'Oh my gosh, is there nothing we can do as a society?'" says psychologist Lindsey Giller of the Child Mind Institute. "There are things we can do. Suicides can be prevented."

Recognizing risk factors is one thing. What's more important is knowing to pull up a chair and ask, "Are you thinking of suicide?"-and when you hear yes, knowing where to take your student for help. Making real connections with students can protect them from dying of suicide or even thinking about it, experts say.

The Warnocks point out that this requires educators to see students as more than numbers or test scores. "We need to remember that we're shaping human beings," says Lorie Warnock.

This past September, after more than two years of meeting with state legislators, coordinating anti-suicide activists, and marshaling media attention, the Warnocks watched Arizona's governor sign a law requiring the state's educators to get suicide-prevention training.

It's called the Mitch Warnock Act -for their brown-eyed son, who ended his life on October 17, 2016, at the age of 18.

"I found him," says Tim Warnock, his voice breaking. "There's no way to understand how painful that is. There's no way to understand this level of grief."

When Lorie and Tim first met Mitch, he was 2 years old, fighting for food and bouncing between foster homes. For the next two years, he slept alongside them. He grew up to be "incredibly compassionate, incredibly caring," says Lorie Warnock-"the kind of kid who picks up his phone and says to a friend, 'Hey, let's go hike the mountain today.'" When his mother would sigh about the kids who put their feet up on her couch, he'd point out that nobody had taught them otherwise.

As a high school junior, he placed third in the state in pole vault-a devastating loss, in his opinion. A third-place finish, he believed, wouldn't get him to college. His parents were frustrated in their attempts to connect him with support at school.

"When he passed away, I fully believe this, he thought we would be better off without him. He saw no way out," says Tim Warnock. "It was an impulsive decision, made out of pain and a belief that he was sparing us heartache by dying."

Today's teens are the most anxious and depressed ever, according to health surveys. In 2017, about 10 percent experienced "a major depressive episode with severe impairment," according to the National Institute of Mental Health. This means at least two weeks with little sleep, energy, and low self-esteem, and an inability to participate in life's activities, including school.

Meanwhile, a 2019 CDC report shows the number of young people dying of suicide jumped 56 percent between 2007 and 2017, outpacing any other group. Researchers have struggled to say why, but point to a variety of possible root causes, including social media and smartphones, bullying, and lack of community.

Florida high school teacher Dorothy Schroader tells her students all the time: I am here for you. She recalls a student who left a scribbled note on the bottom of an English assignment, saying simply, "Write back. Help!"

"I got a guidance counselor, and called her in," Schroader recalls. "Do you want to kill yourself?" they asked. "Yes." "When?" "Today." She planned to cut her wrists.

On another day, a different girl came to school with a bag of pills that she stashed in Schroader's classroom closet, saying, "You need to have these."

"The suicide attempts are just unmanageable," says Lisa Parker, a school social worker in Rhode Island who works with kids at risk of suicide, who live with suicidal thoughts, and who return to school after hospitalization for suicidal attempts. "I can't even wrap my head around what's happening ... I'm seeing more kids coming back from the hospital who I've never even met. How is it that I don't even know you, and you just tried to die?"

The major risk factors for suicide may be hidden to educators. They include firearms at home, a family history of mental-health concerns, and substance abuse disorders.

"It may be helpful for teachers and school communities to know that half of all cases of mental-health illnesses begin by age 14, and half of all kids ages 8 to 15 don't get treatment," Giller says. "These kids really need to be linked up to the help they need."

Exposure to bullying-as a victim or perpetrator-is a risk factor for suicide. Also, if a student previously attempted suicide, they are at higher risk to try again and need to be monitored.

Be on alert, and don't be afraid to step in. You may have a perspective that a parent is missing. "If any kid is talking about or writing about suicide, or if you hear a kid has posted something online about wanting to die, these kids need to speak to somebody," Giller says. Also, be alert to students who talk about feeling hopeless or worthless, who suddenly look more depressed and withdrawn, who give away their stuff, or who engage in risky behaviors, such as reckless driving or substance abuse.

You need to talk to these students and be explicit in your questions, says Giller. It's not true that asking, "Are you thinking about suicide?" will plant the seed. Kids who aren't living with suicidal thoughts will just say no. For others, that question can be a lifesaver. "Your question provides them a place and space to talk about it," she says. "It says you don't need to suffer in silence or suffer alone, we'll connect you with support. It gives them hope."

The Mitch Warnock Act isn't the only state law requiring educators to learn more about suicide. Eleven states require annual training for school personnel, and 20 others require it every two to five years, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

"We're not asking anybody to be a counselor," says Tim Warnock, of the Arizona law. "We're asking them to be aware of a student's humanity and their social-emotional well-being. It's exactly like if a teacher saw a bruise, or heard a kid talk about being abused, and they would know how to respond and report it."

Often educators recognize they need more. In 2018, NEA-Rhode Island (NEARI) hosted its first all-day, mental-health summit, where hundreds of educators learned about suicide prevention and more. At the same time, the union issued a "statement of values on mental health" that calls for additional training for educators and hiring of counselors.

"Teachers are being presented with more and more students who have serious diagnoses," says Parker, a leader of NEARI's mental-health committee. "If we can give them some tools to use-think of it as mental-health first aid-they can get started."

Denver music teacher Tim Brown has provided training at the NEA Leadership Summit and NEA Representative Assembly, offering educators the basics in suicide SafeTALK -Suicide Alertness for Everyone: Tell, Ask, Listen, Keep Safe. "What are the ways in which people 'tell us' they are thinking of suicide?" he asks. Ask students questions directly, clearly, and non-judgmentally, and "listen for what they need to say-not what we hope they might say," he advises educators.

Meanwhile, the St. Paul Federation of Educators has made mental health its primary issue at the bargaining table. Their contract proposal calls for every St. Paul public school serving K-12 students to be staffed by a mental-health team with licensed staff in these positions: psychologist, counselor, social worker, and nurse, as well as behavioral-support specialists or equivalent education support professionals.

The idea is that "every student in every school should have a qualified provider to help them navigate mental health," says Tom Stinson, a St. Paul school nurse for 22 years and member of SPFE's contract bargaining team.

Off-campus advocacy also helps. More than 25,000 educators rallied in Portland, Ore., this past spring, wearing #RedForEd shirts and pressuring lawmakers to support students. Among the speakers was Roberto Aguilar, a high school counselor from Milwaukie, Ore., and a former Oregon counselor of the year. "I started out by describing a frequent day-there's a kid crying, his heart is racing, [he's having] difficulty breathing," Aguilar recounts. "Who is going to take care of that student?"

The answer is Aguilar and his colleagues. The problem, Aguilar told the crowd, is that he has a caseload of "480-something" students. "I feel like I'm failing because I can't get to all of my kids," he says. Meanwhile, his county has the highest rate of suicide in Oregon.

State lawmakers listened. Oregon's Student Success Act of 2019, funded through corporate taxes, will deliver $1 billion annually to schools, including $500 million for mental and behavioral health supports and academic programs.

Other union-led #RedForEd efforts also have resulted in mental-health investments. In Los Angeles, for example, a six-day strike last year led to a commitment to hire 17 new counselors.

The American School Counselor Association calls for a 250-to-1 ratio of students-to-counselor, but only three states-New Hampshire, Vermont, and Wyoming-meet it. The national average is 482-to-1, or nearly double the recommendation. The worst offender? It's Arizona, where each counselor has an average of 924 students.

"When my son passed away from suicide, I was obviously in the throes of grief, but I also was furious as an educator," says Lorie Warnock. "What I've seen over my career makes me furious. For me, what happened to my son was, in part, a byproduct of how we have come to treat students."

The relentless focus on measurable achievement-test scores, graduation rates, etc.-and the growing standardization of curriculum has turned students and educators into "widgets," and has pushed aside students' social and emotional needs, she says.

Connect to your students, urge the Warnocks. Help them connect to each other, to clubs and activities, to community organizations. "I tell my [students], the academics are the icing," says Lorie Warnock. "When it comes down to what's important, you are the cake. You are the foundation."

If You Think a Student May be Suicidal?

"We know that talking about suicide, or asking kids if they're thinking about suicide, doesn't increase the odds of that child attempting suicide," says Child Mind Institute's Lindsey Giller. "If anything, it decreases them." You want to talk with these students, connect them to mental-health services, and keep checking in with them, building trust and making sure they know you care. "This feeling of connectedness is one that we want to build and foster," she says.

If a Student Has Died of Suicide?

"Among schools and communities, there's an urge not to talk about it ... but if there's been a suicide by a student, it's important for it to be acknowledged in a matter-of-fact way, without providing a ton of details about the method or how it occurred," says Giller. "You want to prevent sensationalizing. But we know kids will find ways to talk about it through back channels. If there's a guidance counselor or somebody on the mental-health front, they should explain in a developmentally appropriate way that suicide is the result of an untreated mental-health challenge or psychiatric illness." It's also important, in the wake of a suicide, to monitor kids at higher risk, she says.

Resources

Child Mind Institute has educator resources at childmind.org/audience/for-educators. Also check out their suicide-specific resources at childmind.org/topics/concerns/suicide-and-self-harm.

If you're interested in bringing more training to your school, check out safeTALK, a half-day program for educators, offered through the Suicide Prevention Resource Center. Visit sprc.org/resources-programs/suicidealertness-everyone-safetalk.

According to federal data, nearly one in two gay, lesbian, or bisexual students have considered suicide. So that you can help them, check out the online Lifeguard Workshop and curriculum resources from the Trevor Project at thetrevorproject.org/education.

Great public schools for every student

The National Education Association (NEA), the nation's largest professional employee organization, is committed to advancing the cause of public education. NEA's 3 million members work at every level of education-from pre-school to university graduate programs. NEA has affiliate organizations in every state and in more than 14,000 communities across the United States.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We use cookies to offer you a better browsing experience, provide ads, analyze site traffic, and personalize content. If you continue to use this site, you consent to our use of cookies. Accept & Close Advocating for Change New From NEA 'Are You Thinking About Suicide?'

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.edweek.org/leadership/suicide-is-rising-among-younger-students-heres-how-schools-can-prevent-tragedy/2022/03

While rates of suicide among children 5 to 11 have risen on average 15 percent a year from 2013 to 2020, school districts often provide less support at the elementary and middle school levels to help students with serious mental health issues, including severe depression, suicidal thoughts, and self harm. (Sparks, 2022)

This article can relate to my topic because it talks about the statistics of suicide risk and how it varies by age.

It also talks about the red flags to look out for and how schools can prevent suicide.

Children experiencing suicidal ideation may talk about “not wanting to be around anymore” or “going away and not coming back” rather than explicitly mentioning hurting or killing themselves. (Sparks, 2022)

As a future school counselor, I can take the opportunity to make students aware of how they can get help if they have similar feelings of hopelessness to prevent suicide.

Sparks, S. D. (2022, March 8). Suicide is rising among younger students. here's how schools can prevent tragedy. Education Week. Retrieved July 23, 2022, from https://www.edweek.org/leadership/suicide-is-rising-among-younger-students-heres-how-schools-can-prevent-tragedy/2022/03

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
If you are in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.
Teachers use a curriculum built around the dog to lead 5th graders though discussions of mental health, signs that they may have unhealthy feelings of sadness or hopelessness, and ways that they can both self-calm and find help for themselves or friends.

"A lot of adults view elementary school-aged kids as incapable of experiencing the level of emotional distress that could lead someone to consider suicide, but we know very objectively that's not true," said John Ackerman, a clinical pediatric psychologist and the suicide-prevention coordinator with the Center for Suicide Prevention and Research at Nationwide Children's Hospital.

Suicidal behavior among children can look significantly different from that among adolescents.

"Research shows now that young kids, as young as 5 or 6, understand that killing oneself leads to death, but they don't always understand the permanence of that," Ackerman said. "We know that young kids absolutely can be in deep, emotional pain. They can have a desire to die but not always fully understand the implications of that. So their behavior can be a lot more impulsive; moving from thought to action happens more swiftly."

Children with attention deficits or depression had a higher risk of suicide, but the National Institute of Mental Health found less than a third of children who die by suicide had a previously diagnosed mental illness. By contrast, about 40 percent of the children had family instability such as divorce, parent depression, or substance abuse, and a third of the children had experienced school disruptions-both problems that have worsened during the pandemic.

"Along with school shutdowns, ... the pandemic disrupted [parents'] livelihood, employment, and that family stability that younger children really need in their lives," said Ellyson Stout, the director of the Education Development Center's Suicide Prevention Resource Center. "So, you know, I think there's a lot of added stressors for younger populations."

Those stressors have heightened both the need and impetus to boost mental health supports and training for children and preadolescents, who historically have fewer school-based mental health supports than students in high schools. For example, in the first eight months of the pandemic alone, the CDC found the share of mental health emergencies-including suicide attempts, self-harm, and serious panic or depressive episodes-jumped by about a quarter for children 5 to 11 and nearly a third for those 12 to 17.

Communities of color and low-income communities have experienced disproportionate illness and financial instability during the pandemic and historically have had less access to mental health support. Suicides among children of color have risen disproportionately quickly both before and during the pandemic, prompting congressional concern. Compared to teenagers, preteens and younger children who die by suicide are more likely to be Black or male.

Averting early mental health issues

Nine states have enacted new suicide-prevention legislation involving schools since 2019, according to the Education Commission of the States, but only a few apply to younger children. Mississippi now requires all elementary and middle school teachers to receive training in children's mental health every two years, while Illinois, Washington, and Wisconsin require public schools to include contact information for suicide prevention on all student-identification cards. Several states have also moved to allow students to take excused mental health days.

"I do think early-childhood screenings should be asking about self-harm and suicide," said Deanna Barch, a professor and the chair of psychological and brain sciences at Washington University. "Asking can reveal the need for intervention and supports for a child with such thoughts even when they might not appear to be clinically depressed."

"Not surprisingly because of their age, children tend to be less able to verbalize thoughts of not wanting to be alive," Ackerman said. "A lot of times, younger kids think they're going crazy. It's a source of shame for them that they've even had [a suicidal] thought. They don't understand what's going on and so they hide this."

Children experiencing suicidal ideation may talk about "not wanting to be around anymore" or "going away and not coming back" rather than explicitly mentioning hurting or killing themselves, he said. Even more often, they may say nothing at all but instead show themes of violence or death in play or experience somatic behaviors like anxiety and irritability, stomachaches, and headaches.

"In a school setting, and certainly in an elementary school setting, mental health distress or stress can come out in certain behavioral issues in those students," Stout said. "And we know from the evidence that that kind of acting out often receives some more-punitive response if the young person is a person of color."

Moreover, Stout noted that many teachers have experienced trauma, stress, and burnout in the last few years and "teachers who also have experienced trauma, I'm not sure they're as equipped to bring a trauma-informed lens to their work with kids. ... So for kids acting out, the adults in the school may not be prepared to respond as constructively as they need to."

Experts say adults need to talk about mental health risks

If conversations are held in a developmentally appropriate and sensitive way, "it's not distressing for children to have an adult ask about [suicide], but typically adults avoid this topic. So if an adult is willing to be a trusted support, then it allows children to not hide these thoughts," Ackerman said.

That's why, in addition to providing suicide-prevention curriculum to elementary and middle school students, the Wolcott district trained all staff, from teachers and paraprofessionals to bus drivers and custodians, on how to recognize signs of depression and suicidal ideation among children and ensure every student has a "trusted adult" at school listed in case of emotional distress.

"It's a gatekeeper program. If a student comes up and has suicidal ideation or is talking about self-harm, [staff] are not really doing the counseling, but it's for the staff to recognize some of the language and the concerns and then refer to a counselor or a school psychologist," said Kevin Hollis of the Wolcott public schools.

"You should train anybody that kids have access to, because kids don't necessarily go to a teacher," Hollis said. "They may feel more comfortable and have a relationship with a custodian or somebody in the cafeteria or the bus driver."

In a nationally representative survey of school and district leaders conducted in January and February, 1 in 4 told the EdWeek Research Center that their districts have begun or expanded suicide-prevention training for staff and teachers since the start of the pandemic.

Studies do show that one suicide can raise the risk of other suicides among children and teenagers who knew or identified with the person in the community. Experts say it is important for educators and school leaders to actively respond to the death and give students the chance to grieve and discuss it.

"The fear of [suicide] contagion often causes schools to sort of go silent after there's a suicide death in the community," Stout said. While experts say memorials should be brief and not sensationalize the way a student died, "the best response is to act as you would if a young person had died of a car crash or cancer; allow the collective grieving."

Educators also can take the opportunity to make students aware of how they can get help if they have similar feelings of hopelessness.

"Young people who are in that level of distress usually feel a lot of relief at being able to talk about suicide. So asking, 'Are you thinking about ending your life?' it opens a door to a young person being able to express what they're going through," Stout said. "I think we all intuitively don't want to go there and are worried that we might be introducing the concept, but talking about suicide does not cause suicide."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Suicide is Rising Among Younger Students. Here's How Schools Can Prevent Tragedy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If you are in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. Teachers use a curriculum built around the dog to lead 5th graders though discussions of mental health, signs that they may have unhealthy feelings of sadness or hopelessness, and ways that they can both self-calm and find help for themselves or friends.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.edweek.org/leadership/preventing-suicide-among-young-children-5-takeaways-for-educators/2022/04

The national mental health crisis has impacted students of all ages, yet efforts to address at least one specific mental health issue affecting those of school age—suicide—have largely focused on high schoolers. (Gans, 2022)

This article can relate to my topic because it talks about suicide and gives examples of the signs of mental health that students may display in a school setting.

Signs such as not being able to express feelings or communicate effectively.

Students with suicidal thoughts  can communicate and manage stress and trauma in ways that look different than for students with more-developed skills.

Gans, A. (2022, April 6). Preventing suicide among young children: 5 takeaways for educators. Education Week. Retrieved July 23, 2022, from https://www.edweek.org/leadership/preventing-suicide-among-young-children-5-takeaways-for-educators/2022/04

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The national mental health crisis has impacted students of all ages, yet efforts to address at least one specific mental health issue affecting those of school age-suicide-have largely focused on high schoolers. The mental health issues of a schools' most vulnerable population, its youngest students, are often overlooked in this area.

Reporters and experts shined a much-needed spotlight on that group during an Education Week online summit last week broadly focused on the growing mental health needs of students and staff in the nation's schools.

Schools in 22 states are mandated to have suicide-prevention policies, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. These often entail annual staff trainings on suicide prevention and how to have suicide-related conversations with high school students. While suicide risk and ideation is higher in teenagers, data from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study, the largest long-term study of brain development and child health in the country, show that over 8 percent of 9- and 10-year-olds had previously had suicidal thoughts, and more than 1 percent had attempted suicide, indicating that millions of younger students need these resources, too.

Here are five takeaways for educators from last week's online discussion:

Young kids can experience suicidal thoughts

Contrary to popular belief, kids under 10 are capable of wanting to die and can conceive of death or suicide.

"[Kids as young as 5] understand killing themselves better than the word suicide," said John Ackerman, a child clinical psychologist and the suicide prevention coordinator at the Center for Suicide Prevention and Research at Nationwide Children's Hospital. But they may not grasp the finality of death. "Often they know that they would be dead, but they don't understand the permanence of that in the same way. They don't understand that doesn't mean they're coming back or they're not having conversations with loved ones," he added.

That is why Ackerman said it is important that educators and those in the mental health field have developmentally appropriate conversations with young children when they feel deep emotional stress.

"Those conversations should be direct, concrete, and done in a way that's really compassionate and curious, rather than sort of born out of fear or anger or pushing them away and picking up a punishing approach," Ackerman said.

Signs of mental health struggles may be harder to recognize in young children

Part of the problem, said Ackerman, is that warning signs of serious mental health issues, suicide risk, and self-harm risk can look different in younger children than in older children.

Ackerman said younger kids often possess less-developed language skills and less experience in regulating more-intense emotions. They can communicate and manage stress and trauma in ways that look different than for students with more-developed skills.

"A lot of times they're left with intense feelings that they're not able to communicate, or potentially the parts of the brain that do a good job of helping manage and find out solutions on how to deal with those don't have as much practice," he said.

Younger children may have different stressors than adolescents

Younger children may also be triggered by different stressors than older kids, because they tend to spend more time with adults than older children do.

"Young kids are stuck in this very difficult spot of having the people that they turn to for safety also be a major source of stress," Ackerman said.

"A lot of things you see in terms of risk for self-harm is around family conflict and exposure to things like community violence, domestic violence, things that are more interpersonally related," he added. "And that can be very stressful for a young child who's reliant on caregivers and parents."

Supportive adults can help

Ackerman said having supportive adults in their lives significantly reduces a child's suicide risk by making them feel more valued and connected to their school, home environment, or extracurricular activity. "That may not feel like a suicide-prevention program, but [these outside activities] really do act in that way," Ackerman said.

Younger children may prefer to speak with adults in their lives who are not their teachers or counselors, he added. Other school staff including bus drivers, sports coaches, and cafeteria staffers can also benefit from mental health awareness and assisted suicide prevention training.

School psychologists and counselors are in short supply

The pandemic has stoked demand for school counselors and psychologists by students. Nine in 10 teachers and school and district leaders surveyed by the EdWeek Research Center said that the percentage of students seeking school-based mental health services in their communities has increased since the fall of 2019.

Millions of students across the K-12 spectrum are feeling the effects of these shortages. Nearly 2 in 5 districts, which represent 5.4 million students, didn't have any counselors during the first year of the pandemic, according to an Education Week analysis.

During the same period, only 8 percent of districts in the United States met the recommended ratio of 1 school psychologist to 500 students, and 14 percent of districts met the recommended ratio of 1 school counselor to 250 students, a federal study showed.

Despite the influx of federal money going to mental health resources through programs like the American Rescue Plan Act last year, Ackerman said that, as a country, the United States is "definitely far behind the curve" in its resources for young children.

"We shouldn't be this far behind, but we are," Ackerman said. "And so the only thing we can do now is invest in learning what we can do to address that gap."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Preventing Suicide Among Young Children: 5 Takeaways for Educators

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It's a myth that young children are incapable of having suicidal thoughts, said experts at an online forum on mental health in schools.

# data[].attributes.body
Statutory Law

https://eds-s-ebscohost-com.easydb.angelo.edu/eds/ebookviewer/ebook?sid=167d86db-9966-49be-b084-4e5219e91ef4%40redis&ppid=pp_1&vid=0&format=EB

A statute is a law enacted by a legislative body.

Statutory law is passed by the Texas Legislature that directly affect education are grouped together in the Texas Education Code (TEC).

This code is important in education because it involves the daily operation of schools, detailing the responsibilities and duties of the State Board of Educa- tion (SBOE), the Texas Education Agency (TEA), school boards, charter schools, and school personnel.

Federal statutes also has a great amount of influence over the operation of public schools in the state.

MLA 9th Edition (Modern Language Assoc.)
Walsh, Jim, et al. The Educator’s Guide to Texas School Law. University of Texas Press, 2014.

APA 7th Edition (American Psychological Assoc.)
Walsh, J., Maniotis, L., & Kemerer, F. R. (2014). The Educator’s Guide to Texas School Law: Vol. Eighth Edition. University of Texas Press.
MLA 9th Edition (Modern Language Assoc.)
Walsh, Jim, et al. The Educator’s Guide to Texas School Law. University of Texas Press, 2014.

APA 7th Edition (American Psychological Assoc.)
Walsh, J., Maniotis, L., & Kemerer, F. R. (2014). The Educator’s Guide to Texas School Law: Vol. Eighth Edition. University of Texas Press.

MLA 9th Edition (Modern Language Assoc.)
Walsh, Jim, et al. The Educator’s Guide to Texas School Law. University of Texas Press, 2014.

APA 7th Edition (American Psychological Assoc.)
Walsh, J., Maniotis, L., & Kemerer, F. R. (2014). The Educator’s Guide to Texas School Law: Vol. Eighth Edition. University of Texas Press.

# data[].attributes.body
Constitutional Law

https://eds-s-ebscohost-com.easydb.angelo.edu/eds/ebookviewer/ebook?sid=167d86db-9966-49be-b084-4e5219e91ef4%40redis&ppid=pp_1&vid=0&format=EB

The Tenth Amendment to the Constitution declares that all powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved to the states. (Walsh, 2014)

This amendment gives the gives the state governments their traditional power over schools.

The Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amend- ment to the U.S. Constitution also have furnished a basis for litigation against public schools. Claims to freedom of speech, press, religion, and association; due process; and other rights have a constitutional basis, just as the state’s power to establish and operate schools stems from the Constitution.

MLA 9th Edition (Modern Language Assoc.)
Walsh, Jim, et al. The Educator’s Guide to Texas School Law. University of Texas Press, 2014.

APA 7th Edition (American Psychological Assoc.)
Walsh, J., Maniotis, L., & Kemerer, F. R. (2014). The Educator’s Guide to Texas School Law: Vol. Eighth Edition. University of Texas Press.

MLA 9th Edition (Modern Language Assoc.)
Walsh, Jim, et al. The Educator’s Guide to Texas School Law. University of Texas Press, 2014.

APA 7th Edition (American Psychological Assoc.)
Walsh, J., Maniotis, L., & Kemerer, F. R. (2014). The Educator’s Guide to Texas School Law: Vol. Eighth Edition. University of Texas Press.

# data[].attributes.body
Judicial Law

https://eds-s-ebscohost-com.easydb.angelo.edu/eds/ebookviewer/ebook?sid=167d86db-9966-49be-b084-4e5219e91ef4%40redis&ppid=pp_1&vid=0&format=EB

Judicial Law A fourth source of law is composed of state and federal court decisions.

When disputes arise under constitutions, statutes, and administrative law, some authority must have final say.

District courts are the major trial courts in the state judicial system, having jurisdiction over major criminal and civil matters.

MLA 9th Edition (Modern Language Assoc.)
Walsh, Jim, et al. The Educator’s Guide to Texas School Law. University of Texas Press, 2014.

APA 7th Edition (American Psychological Assoc.)
Walsh, J., Maniotis, L., & Kemerer, F. R. (2014). The Educator’s Guide to Texas School Law: Vol. Eighth Edition. University of Texas Press.
MLA 9th Edition (Modern Language Assoc.)
Walsh, Jim, et al. The Educator’s Guide to Texas School Law. University of Texas Press, 2014.

APA 7th Edition (American Psychological Assoc.)
Walsh, J., Maniotis, L., & Kemerer, F. R. (2014). The Educator’s Guide to Texas School Law: Vol. Eighth Edition. University of Texas Press.District courts are the major trial courts in the state judicial system, having jurisdiction over major criminal and civil mat- ters.

MLA 9th Edition (Modern Language Assoc.)
Walsh, Jim, et al. The Educator’s Guide to Texas School Law. University of Texas Press, 2014.

APA 7th Edition (American Psychological Assoc.)
Walsh, J., Maniotis, L., & Kemerer, F. R. (2014). The Educator’s Guide to Texas School Law: Vol. Eighth Edition. University of Texas Press.
MLA 9th Edition (Modern Language Assoc.)
Walsh, Jim, et al. The Educator’s Guide to Texas School Law. University of Texas Press, 2014.

APA 7th Edition (American Psychological Assoc.)
Walsh, J., Maniotis, L., & Kemerer, F. R. (2014). The Educator’s Guide to Texas School Law: Vol. Eighth Edition. University of Texas Press.

# data[].attributes.body
Administrative Law

https://eds-s-ebscohost-com.easydb.angelo.edu/eds/ebookviewer/ebook?sid=167d86db-9966-49be-b084-4e5219e91ef4%40redis&ppid=pp_1&vid=0&format=EB

A third, often overlooked, source of law is administrative law, which consists of the rules, regulations, and decisions that are issued by ad- ministrative bodies to implement state and federal statutory laws.

Administrative law encompasses laws and legal principles governing the administration and regulation of government agencies (both federal and state).

Administrative law also includes the rules and regulations that state agencies establish to carry out their responsibilities.

When pro- mulgating rules, administrative agencies are said to be acting in a quasi- legislative capacity.

Administrative law also has a quasi-judicial character.

MLA 9th Edition (Modern Language Assoc.)
Walsh, Jim, et al. The Educator’s Guide to Texas School Law. University of Texas Press, 2014.

APA 7th Edition (American Psychological Assoc.)
Walsh, J., Maniotis, L., & Kemerer, F. R. (2014). The Educator’s Guide to Texas School Law: Vol. Eighth Edition. University of Texas Press.
MLA 9th Edition (Modern Language Assoc.)
Walsh, Jim, et al. The Educator’s Guide to Texas School Law. University of Texas Press, 2014.

APA 7th Edition (American Psychological Assoc.)
Walsh, J., Maniotis, L., & Kemerer, F. R. (2014). The Educator’s Guide to Texas School Law: Vol. Eighth Edition. University of Texas Press.

MLA 9th Edition (Modern Language Assoc.)
Walsh, Jim, et al. The Educator’s Guide to Texas School Law. University of Texas Press, 2014.

APA 7th Edition (American Psychological Assoc.)
Walsh, J., Maniotis, L., & Kemerer, F. R. (2014). The Educator’s Guide to Texas School Law: Vol. Eighth Edition. University of Texas Press.

MLA 9th Edition (Modern Language Assoc.)
Walsh, Jim, et al. The Educator’s Guide to Texas School Law. University of Texas Press, 2014.

APA 7th Edition (American Psychological Assoc.)
Walsh, J., Maniotis, L., & Kemerer, F. R. (2014). The Educator’s Guide to Texas School Law: Vol. Eighth Edition. University of Texas Press.

# 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
Best practices related to student suicide

Being informed about signs of suicidal thoughts

Being knowledgeable about the resources available

Preparing students, staff, colleagues and parents to recognize warning symptoms for suicidal behavior

Referring students who demonstrate signs of suicidal thoughts to local community agencies

Create supportive relationships with the students

School counseling standards. Home - American School Counselor Association (ASCA). (n.d.). Retrieved July 23, 2022, from https://www.schoolcounselor.org/

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/44f30280-ffe8-4b41-9ad8-f15909c3d164/EthicalStandards.pdf

A. RESPONSIBILITY TO STUDENTS

A.1 Supporting Student Development

School counselors:
e. Provide culturally responsive counseling to students in a brief context and support students and families/guardians in obtaining outside services if students need long-term clinical/ mental health counseling.

This can relate to my topic about suicide because as a future school counselor it is my job to advocate for the student that clearly needs services outside of the school setting.

School counseling standards. Home - American School Counselor Association (ASCA). (n.d.). Retrieved July 23, 2022, from https://www.schoolcounselor.org/

# 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
https://www.schoolcounselor.org/About-School-Counseling/Ethical-Legal-Responsibilities

School counselors face legal and ethical challenges everyday. ASCA has impacted my educational journey by providing support and direction for self-assessment, peer consultation and performance appraisal regarding school counselors’ responsibilities to students, parents/guardians, colleagues and professional associates, school district and employees, communities and the school counseling profession.

School counseling standards. Home - American School Counselor Association (ASCA). (n.d.). Retrieved July 23, 2022, from https://www.schoolcounselor.org/

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

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

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.sfdr-cisd.org/media/sztluxla/2021-22-student-handbook_final-9-2-2021.pdf

SUICIDE AWARENESS AND PREVENTION

The District is committed to partnering with parents to support the healthy metal, emotional, and behavioral development of its students. In accordance with Section 153.1013 of Title 19 of the Texas Administrative Code, SFDRCISD provides suicide prevention training to educators as required by Section 21.451(d) of the Texas Education Code.

While SFDRCISD is not legally required to develop practices and procedures concerning student suicide prevention, the Board of Trustees has determined that the development of a Student Suicide Prevention policy is in the best interest of students and is in furtherance of SFDRCISD’s goal to provide an environment that fosters positive student development. [See Appendix C for SFDRCISD’s Student Suicide Prevention Policy.]

SFDR CISD Home. SFDR CISD HOME. (n.d.). Retrieved July 23, 2022, from https://www.sfdr-cisd.org/