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Future School Counselor
Elementary through high school
Audience: Staff and Faculty
Topic: Student Suicide Prevention and Awareness

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Elizabeth Ibarra-
School Counselor
Redland Oaks Elementary, North East ISD
San Antonio, TX
https://www.neisd.net/Page/22467

According to Mrs. Ibarra, student suicide prevention is important in the field of education because it affects all stakeholders involved and potentially saves lives. Compliance issues she remains attentive to are student outcries. Mrs. Ibarra contacts the parents of their child’s risks, has the parents sign a form documenting they are aware of the risks, and shares resources with the parents to help their child. The student is on her radar the following days and the remainder of the school year. The days following the outcry, Mrs. Ibarra checks in with the student by asking if they feel the same way; she checks in with parents by inquiring if they are utilizing the resources given by her or if they are going through personal insurance to receive help. If the parents are not seeking assistance, then that presents a concern for her. In addition, at the end of the school year, the school district asks how many outcries were made at each campus to keep track of where help is needed in the district.

Every year the district’s guidance department updates counselors with forms to place in a binder. Also, each middle school and high school has a designated counselor titled, “Student Teacher Association Network” or STAN counselor. These counselors only duty is specific to student outcries.

The most recent legislation related to student suicide is David’s Law. It was enacted in 2017 to report cyberbullying on and off campus. Even though David’s Law is specific to bullying, bullying can lead to student suicide if not caught and prevented. David’s Law did influence Mrs. Ibarra’s work. Big cases such as this affect the school counselor’s policies and procedures.

Mrs. Ibarra shared she always thinks about confidentiality when it comes to student and employee rights regarding student suicide. She said in these cases you can’t promise confidentiality; it is on a need to know basis. Exceptions to keeping information confidential are if a student says they want to hurt someone else, them self or they know someone who wants to hurt them or someone else. There are rights but there are limits to those rights.

Mrs. Ibarra stays current on the topic of student suicide by attending a yearly crisis training the district provides. Region 20 also provides training beyond what the district offers. In addition, she attends district monthly meetings for counselors that cover topics like suicide and self-injury.

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- American School Counselor Association
- ASCA (2018)
- https://schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/PositionStatements/PS_Suicide.pdf

- School counselors work to identify behavior and emotional signs of students that are at risk for suicide. When a student is determined at risk, the counselor implements steps to protect the student. This includes immediately contacting the parents/guardians and providing referral resources for the students. School counselors work to raise awareness of suicide by annually training the school staff on suicide an suicide ideation.

American School Counselor Association. (2018). The school counselor and suicide prevention/awareness. Retrieved from https://schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/PositionStatements/PS_Suicide.pdf

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- Prothero (2020)

https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2020/06/19/a-punch-to-the-gut-dealing-with.html

- The Covid-19 pandemic has presented unique challenges to schools in preventing and responding to student suicides.
- the pandemic is putting more pressure on students due to social isolation.
- The likelihood of continued distance learning will continue in the fall; therefore, schools need to adapt their suicide prevention methods to other means of implementation. Examples of this are through telehealth and other virtual services.
- Schools will also need teachers, classmates, and parents help to watch for warning signs.

Prothero, A. (2020). A punch to the gut: Dealing with suicide in a pandemic. Education Week. Retrieved from  https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2020/06/19/a-punch-to-the-gut-dealing-with.html

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Sparks (2020)

https://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/inside-school-research/2020/02/9-_and _10-year-olds_suicidal _thoughts.html

- A new study found children as young as 9 and 10 report having suicidal thoughts and self harm.
- Adults do not think of children this young having suicidal thoughts because they believe young students don't understand what suicide is. Young students actually have a more accurate understanding of what suicide is than what adults think.
- Students may have suicidal thoughts due to bullying or a difficult family situation.
- Educators and parents should take more time to listen to young children and ask follow up questions, open up , and listen more. Use three words: "Tell me more"

Sparks, S. D. (2020). Children as young as 9 and 10 think about killing themselves. Adults around them have no clue. Education Week. Retrieved from https://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/inside-school-research/2020/02/9-_and _10-year-olds_suicidal _thoughts.html

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Source of Law: Constitutional

Citation: U.S. Const. amend. X

https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/

Power over education is a state function in the tenth amendment which gives governments power over the schools. The issue of students and suicide is decided on at the state level.

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Source of Law: Statutory

Citation: Public Education, TEC § 11.252(3)(B)(i)

https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/SOTWDocs/ED/htm/ED.11.htm

A school district must identify methods to address the needs of suicidal students, which includes a parental/guardian notification procedure. The next steps are to document the parents awareness of the their child's risk. Then the counselor must offer resources to help the child.

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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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North East ISD Suicide Prevention Training

North East ISD (2019)

https://www.neisd.net/Page/22467

All certified staff are required to complete a district suicide prevention training.

North East ISD. (2019). Suicide prevention training. Guidance Servies. Retrieved from https://www.neisd.net/Page/22467

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Source of Law: Administrative

Suicide Prevention Training, Tex. Admin. Code § 153.1013

ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter153/ch153bb.html

Identifies a schedule for providing suicide prevention training to teachers and requirements for documented records of each teacher that was trained.

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A. RESPONSIBILITY TO STUDENTS
A.1. Supporting Student Development
School counselors:
b. Aim to provide counseling to students in a brief context and support students and families/guardians in obtaining outside services if the student needs long-term clinical counseling.

ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors (2016)

https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/Ethics/EthicalStandards2016.pdf

When a students presents a risk for suicide, counselors ask the student questions about how they are feeling. Then they immediately contact the student's parents to inform them of their child's risk and offer outside resources to help their child.

American School Counseling Association. (2016). ASCA ethical standards for school counselors. Retrieved from https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/Ethics/EthicalStandards2016.pdf

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Source of Law: Judicial

Eisel vs. Board of Education on Montgomery County 324 Md. 376 (1991)

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED431215.pdf

School counselors must always lean on the side of caution no matter how remote the possibility of student suicide may seem. Counselors must contact parents and refer them to appropriate resources that will allow them to help their child.

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Slide 13- Best Practices for Compliance 

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Slide 13- Best Practices for Compliance 

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- School counselors work to identify behavior and emotional signs of students that are at risk for suicide.

- School counselors must follow a series of steps and procedures to help at risk suicidal students. They include contacting the student's parents. Then offering the family outside resources to help their child. The counselor must continue to follow up with the student and family to inquire if resources are being utilized.

-  The Covid-19 pandemic has presented unique challenges to schools in preventing and responding to student suicides. Educators, classmates/peers, and parents need to come together more then ever right now to watch for suicidal signs.

- Once David's Law passed in 2017, all school staff are required to receive annual training on suicide awareness and prevention by the school counselor.

- According to a study, more young children have suicidal and self harm thoughts; it is not just teenagers. The reasons can be due to bullying and difficult family issues.

- Laws are in place at all levels to help protect children from harming themselves through annual staff trainings, growing awareness of the issue, and school counselors following a set of procedures to help at risk children.

- It is imperative to stay up to date with laws, local policies, and rules to protect our children.

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One in Five Minds website

One in Five Minds (2020)

https://www.1in5minds.org/

One in Five Minds offers information, provides support, and helps to answer questions for children during the Covid-19 pandemic.  One in Five Minds was created to raise awareness about children's mental health. A variety of resources are available to military families, educators, and parents. Warning signs, assessments, and suicide prevention are available through the websites resources.

One in Five Minds. (2020). Questioning in quarantine: How can LGBTQ+ kids stay safe during the Covid-19 pandemic? Retrieved from https://www.1in5minds.org/