Legal & Ethical Issues Padlet L Conner by Lyndie Conner https://padlet.com/lconner21/1l6lg37y0n42aj6j School Counselor Perspective: Working with Student with Suicidal Ideation en-us 2021-03-06 16:25:35 UTC 2021-07-15 19:23:13 UTC hello@padlet.com Slide 1: Professional Perspective lconner21 https://padlet.com/lconner21/1l6lg37y0n42aj6j/wish/1276861610 In K-12 schools, no one is more important than the school counselor when it comes to counseling students who are suicidal. 
The school counselor is the point of contact for teachers & administrators in dealing with suicidal ideation & they are also responsible for training school staff in suicidal ideation procedures & protocols for their campus & district. 
As a counselor, effectively dealing with suicidal students is important & anxiety laden. Perhaps more than any other part of responsive services, "getting this right" is necessary when dealing with suicidal ideation. This padlet is designed to address emerging school counselors & administrators to give them an overview of how to ethically & appropriately counsel suicidal students. ]]> 2021-03-06 16:27:51 UTC https://padlet.com/lconner21/1l6lg37y0n42aj6j/wish/1276861610 Slide 2: Interview lconner21 https://padlet.com/lconner21/1l6lg37y0n42aj6j/wish/1276862825
How do you stay current on laws, ethics & PD related to suicidal ideation?
Closely follow the legislature when they are in session to make sure we stay current on any laws that may effect school counselors. Then, we turn that around to districts in an annual legislative update where we specifically address legal issues & updates.
What can counselors do to be prepared to deal with suicidal students?
Familiarize yourself with any district protocols for dealing with suicidal students. Attend regular professional development concerning self harm & suicide. Join counseling organizations for a network of support from other counselors.
What resources does Region XI offer to support districts with suicidal ideation?
We offer a legislative update each year to address any changes to law. We also bring in guest speakers to address this & other topics & we have a counselor PLC so that counselors can network & share strategies & best practices.
Interview with Dr. Sandy Benevidez, Region XI Counselor Coach ]]> 2021-03-06 16:28:26 UTC https://padlet.com/lconner21/1l6lg37y0n42aj6j/wish/1276862825 Slide 3: Professional Association lconner21 https://padlet.com/lconner21/1l6lg37y0n42aj6j/wish/1276863391 The American School Counselor Association provides a free guide for schools to implement suicide prevention programs. The guide is full of research-based best practices for school counselors & school districts.

Citation: 
Model school district policy on suicide prevention: Model language, commentary, and resources. (2019). American School Counselor Association. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/9b28c170-607a-428f-9dae-619850fa531b/Model-School-District-Policy-Suicide-Prevention.pdf ]]> 2021-03-06 16:28:50 UTC https://padlet.com/lconner21/1l6lg37y0n42aj6j/wish/1276863391 Slide 4: Current News lconner21 https://padlet.com/lconner21/1l6lg37y0n42aj6j/wish/1276864616
  • Schools are seeing more incidents of suicide since the pandemic started
  • Schools struggle with protecting students' physical health against COVID by keeping schools online & their mental health by keeping students isolated at home 
  • A hospital in Indianapolis saw a 250% increase in student suicide risk over a year; these statistics are a troubling trend across the country
  • Students struggle with mental health without resources because they are isolated at home; school personnel are not able to identify students at risk because of a lack of face to face & synchronous learning
  • Despite the suicide crisis in students, many mental health providers are viewing this as an opportunity to innovate the services they provide to students to meet them where they are

    • Citation:
    Chatterjee, R. (2021, February 2). Child psychiatrists warn that the pandemic may be driving up kids' suicide risk. NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/02/02/962060105/child-psychiatrists-warn-that-the-pandemic-may-be-driving-up-kids-suicide-risk
    ]]>     2021-03-06 16:29:38 UTC https://padlet.com/lconner21/1l6lg37y0n42aj6j/wish/1276864616     Slide 5: Current News lconner21 https://padlet.com/lconner21/1l6lg37y0n42aj6j/wish/1276865317
  • The city of San Francisco is suing the San Francisco school district to get schools to open, citing rising numbers of suicidal students
  • The city argued that San Francisco Unified School District was hurting student mental health by keeping schools closed
  • The city cited the CDC who said that vaccinated teachers are not a condition of opening schools 
  • San Francisco has seen a 66% increase in student ER visits related to suicide 
  • San Francisco unified has been allowed to be open since September, but has been in negotiations with the teacher's union in how best to open schools

    • Citation:
    Guzman, J. (2021, February 12). San Francisco sues schools over record number of suicidal students. The Hill. https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/mental-health/538663-san-francisco-sues-schools-over-record-number-of
    ]]>     2021-03-06 16:29:58 UTC https://padlet.com/lconner21/1l6lg37y0n42aj6j/wish/1276865317     Slide 6: Origin Source of Law-Constitutional lconner21 https://padlet.com/lconner21/1l6lg37y0n42aj6j/wish/1276866625 The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
    U.S. Const. Amend. X

    • Education is controlled by the state because the 10th amendment gives power to the states 

    ]]>     2021-03-06 16:30:54 UTC https://padlet.com/lconner21/1l6lg37y0n42aj6j/wish/1276866625     Slide 7: Origin Source of Law- Statutory lconner21 https://padlet.com/lconner21/1l6lg37y0n42aj6j/wish/1276867323 Each school district shall have a district improvement plan that is developed, evaluated, and revised annually, in accordance with district policy, by the superintendent with the assistance of the district-level committee. Strategies for improvement of student performance, including suicide prevention programs, must be included in the plan. 
    11 Tex. Educ. Code § 252.3 (2011)

    • Each school district must have a district improvement plan
    • That plan must include a suicide prevention program
    • Parents & guardians must be notified about the suicide prevention program
    ]]>     2021-03-06 16:31:22 UTC https://padlet.com/lconner21/1l6lg37y0n42aj6j/wish/1276867323     Slide 8: Origin Source of Law- Administrative lconner21 https://padlet.com/lconner21/1l6lg37y0n42aj6j/wish/1276870180 Texas Administrative Code requires the high school health curriculum to address strategies to prevent suicide. 
    19 Tex. Admin. Code § 115.31 (2017)

    • High school student taking a health course must learn about suicide prevention strategies


    ]]>     2021-03-06 16:33:11 UTC https://padlet.com/lconner21/1l6lg37y0n42aj6j/wish/1276870180     Slide 9: Origin Source of Law- Judicial lconner21 https://padlet.com/lconner21/1l6lg37y0n42aj6j/wish/1276870358 The University of Texas at Arlington was involved in a case in 2019 where student Thomas Klocke committed suicide following disciplinary action resulting from a Title IX complaint. Klocke was accused of harassing a student in his class for being gay. Klocke was placed on probation & was not allowed to attend class. 

    Shortly after, Klocke committed suicide. Klocke's parents sued the University of Texas at Arlington for suffering & mental anguish that led to his suicide. 

    The Texas 5th circuit court ruled that UTA was justified in their punishment & was not responsible for Klocke's suicide. 

    Klocke v. The University of Texas at Arlington. 18-10857, (5th Cir, 2019). ]]>     2021-03-06 16:33:20 UTC https://padlet.com/lconner21/1l6lg37y0n42aj6j/wish/1276870358     Slide 10: Local Law lconner21 https://padlet.com/lconner21/1l6lg37y0n42aj6j/wish/1276872815 In my district, we have a Counseling & Guidance webpage that specifically acknowledges the Texas Education Code that requires us to provide suicide prevention curriculum to our students.

    In collaboration with other district school counselors, we have also created a district-specific suicide prevention, intervention & postvention protocol that is housed on our internal drive.

    Citation:
    Counseling Resources (2020). Cleburne Independent School District. https://www.c-isd.com/Page/1027 ]]>     2021-03-06 16:34:45 UTC https://padlet.com/lconner21/1l6lg37y0n42aj6j/wish/1276872815     Slide 11: Ethical Principle lconner21 https://padlet.com/lconner21/1l6lg37y0n42aj6j/wish/1276873365 School counselors may keep records of students who present suicidal ideation, but they should not keep those records beyond a reasonable scope of the student's enrollment in the district/campus.

    The ASCA ethical standards make recommendations that counselors, in conjunction with their districts, establish a timeline for purging those records.

    Citation: 
    Ethical standards for school counselors. (2016) American School Counseling Association.https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/f041cbd0-7004-47a5-ba01-3a5d657c6743/Ethical-Standards.pdf ]]>     2021-03-06 16:35:10 UTC https://padlet.com/lconner21/1l6lg37y0n42aj6j/wish/1276873365     Slide 12: Personal Connection lconner21 https://padlet.com/lconner21/1l6lg37y0n42aj6j/wish/1276873706 When I first became a school counselor & had my first suicidal student I was so anxious about "getting it right", but I quickly learned that our district did not have a defined protocol for effectively counseling suicidal students. 

    I worked with several of our district school counselors to build a suicide prevention, intervention & postvention protocol because I did not want another new counselors to have to go it on their own with a suicidal student. 

    The ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors says that counselors have a responsibility to provide effective, responsive interventions to students in need & I feel that the protocol we created does that. ]]>     2021-03-06 16:35:26 UTC https://padlet.com/lconner21/1l6lg37y0n42aj6j/wish/1276873706     Slide 13: Best Practices lconner21 https://padlet.com/lconner21/1l6lg37y0n42aj6j/wish/1276874046
  • Counselors have an ethical obligation to provide effective intervention to suicidal students
  • Counselors should seek on-going professional development opportunities in suicide prevention & intervention
  • As the legislature meets, counselors should pay attention to updates that effect their practices in counseling suicidal students
  • School districts have an obligation to provide their students with suicide prevention curriculum & parents with notification about that curriculum
  • Professional organizations such as the American School Counselor Association provide counselors with free, comprehensive resources in implementing & maintaining suicide prevention plans
  • School districts are struggling to balance the mental health needs of their students with the physical safety needs of the pandemic. As a result, we are seeing more incidents of suicidal ideation in school aged children. 
    • ]]>     2021-03-06 16:35:40 UTC https://padlet.com/lconner21/1l6lg37y0n42aj6j/wish/1276874046