Working with Suicidal Students by Heather Brown https://padlet.com/hbrown218/1tqgs3a0ccv1utua Made with big dreams en-us 2021-07-16 19:44:23 UTC 2025-10-16 15:21:02 UTC hello@padlet.com hbrown218 https://padlet.com/hbrown218/1tqgs3a0ccv1utua/wish/1652952051 I hope to become a high school counselor. When it comes to suicide, a school counselor is the first person a teacher or administrator goes to when they suspect a student is suicidal. School counselors are also responsible for training and providing the staff with step by step procedures in dealing with suicidal students. My hope is that through this legal guide, I can help support teachers and other counselors in assisting students that may be suffering with suicidal thoughts. It will give them an overview of how to ethically and appropriately handle students with suicidal thoughts or threats. I chose this topic in hopes that teachers and other counselors can better assist and intervene with students dealing with thoughts of suicide. ]]> 2021-07-16 19:44:23 UTC https://padlet.com/hbrown218/1tqgs3a0ccv1utua/wish/1652952051 hbrown218 https://padlet.com/hbrown218/1tqgs3a0ccv1utua/wish/1652952052 1. Mrs. Penry stated that "suicide is the second leading cause of death for adolescents" (personal communication, July 6, 2021) and has become a public health concern in the United States. In addition, certain groups of students are more at risk for suicide than others. School counselors have an ethical obligation to protect their students and are in an ideal position to educate students and staff about the risks and warning signs of suicide.

2.  Mrs. Penry discussed three best practices in her field related to suicidal students. She said she always makes sure that the parents/guardians of the student with suicidal ideation knows what is going on. Mrs. Penry also mentioned the importance of familiarizing yourself with district protocols for dealing with suicidal students as well as attending regular professional development concerning suicide (H. Penry personal communication, July 6, 2021). 

3.  The number of students who have access to phones, internet and computers is rapidly growing. The internet and social media can influence suicide-related behavior. Students with suicidal ideation could use the internet as a tool to gain knowledge about suicide or how to cause self-harm. Counselors may be able to make positive interventions by providing information about websites that support suicide prevention. Students may also need to seek offline counselling if having access to the internet is a problem (H. Penry personal communication, July 6, 2021).

4. On Tuesday, July 6, 2021 I interviewed Heather Penry, a counselor at North Ridge Middle School in Birdville Independent School District.


]]> 2021-07-16 19:44:23 UTC https://padlet.com/hbrown218/1tqgs3a0ccv1utua/wish/1652952052 hbrown218 https://padlet.com/hbrown218/1tqgs3a0ccv1utua/wish/1652952053 The American School Counselor Association, ASCA, provides counselors with resources that help support their comprehensive school counseling programs. This document includes policies and best practices for school districts to follow in order to protect the health and safety of students. It is important that schools have policies and procedures in place in order to prevent, assess, intervene and respond to students who have suicidal thoughts or behaviors (American School Counselor Association, 2019).

Reference:
American School Counselor Association. (2019). Model school district policy on suicide prevention. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/9b28c170-607a-428f-9dae-619850fa531b/Model-School-District-Policy-Suicide-Prevention.pdf 
]]> 2021-07-16 19:44:23 UTC https://padlet.com/hbrown218/1tqgs3a0ccv1utua/wish/1652952053 hbrown218 https://padlet.com/hbrown218/1tqgs3a0ccv1utua/wish/1652952054
  • Since the pandemic, schools are seeing more incidents of suicide. 
  • There was a 250% increase in student suicide risk over a year at an Indianapolis hospital. 
  • Psychiatrists and other doctors who work with children say the pandemic has created a "perfect storm of stressors for kids" (Chatterjee, 2021). This is increasing the risk of suicide. The suicide rates were already high for almost a decade among children and youth. 
  • Now, many mental health providers are viewing this as an opportunity to innovate the services they provide to students to meet them where they are. 

    • Reference:
    Chatterjee, R. (2021, February 2). Child psychiatrists warn that the pandemic may be driving up kids' suicide risk. NPR.
    Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/02/02/962060105/child-psychiatrists-warn-that-the-pandemic-may-be-driving-up-kids-suicide-risk
    ]]>     2021-07-16 19:44:23 UTC https://padlet.com/hbrown218/1tqgs3a0ccv1utua/wish/1652952054     hbrown218 https://padlet.com/hbrown218/1tqgs3a0ccv1utua/wish/1652957837
  • The city of Spanish Fork came together to combat mental health and wellness to provide schools in the Nebo School District with a suicide prevention program. 
  • A teen in the community and a member of the Youth City Council took their lives 
  • The grant provided $225,000 for the community to show how they would promote mental health awareness. 
  • The community formed support groups, implemented gatekeeper trainings, reduced access to lethal means, increased broad postvention efforts and reduced barriers to care.
  • Through the city's implementation of trainings, education, and providing support to their members they began seeing a positive change in their community.

    • Reference:
    Brown, A. (2020). Spanish fork implements suicide prevention efforts as part of a citywide wellness initiative. Daily Herald. Retrieved from https://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/south/spanish-fork/spanish-fork-implements-suicide-prevention-efforts-as-part-of-citywide-wellness-initiative/article_8c8cba4a-7ac9-5de6-bd7c-57a0ed0ef034.html
    ]]>     2021-07-16 19:56:20 UTC https://padlet.com/hbrown218/1tqgs3a0ccv1utua/wish/1652957837     11 Tex. Educ. Code § 252.3 (2011) hbrown218 https://padlet.com/hbrown218/1tqgs3a0ccv1utua/wish/1652985467 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)).

    • School districts must have an improvement plan. 
    • Improvement plans must include a suicide prevention program.
    • Parents/guardians must be notified about the suicide prevention program.


    ]]>     2021-07-16 20:53:23 UTC https://padlet.com/hbrown218/1tqgs3a0ccv1utua/wish/1652985467     19 Tex. Admin. Code § 115.31 (2017) hbrown218 https://padlet.com/hbrown218/1tqgs3a0ccv1utua/wish/1652985729 Texas Administrative Code requires that the high school health curriculum addresses suicide prevetion strategies (19 Tex. Admin. Code § 115.31 (2017).

    • High school students that take a health course must be taught suicide prevention strategies.


    ]]>     2021-07-16 20:54:04 UTC https://padlet.com/hbrown218/1tqgs3a0ccv1utua/wish/1652985729     U.S. Const. Amend. X hbrown218 https://padlet.com/hbrown218/1tqgs3a0ccv1utua/wish/1652985775 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. 
    ]]>     2021-07-16 20:54:12 UTC https://padlet.com/hbrown218/1tqgs3a0ccv1utua/wish/1652985775     Klocke v. The University of Texas at Arlington hbrown218 https://padlet.com/hbrown218/1tqgs3a0ccv1utua/wish/1652985854 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 and was not allowed to attend class. 
    • Shortly after, Klocke committed suicide. Klocke's parents sued the University of Texas at Arlington for suffering and mental anguish that led to his suicide. 
    • The Texas 5th circuit court ruled that UTA was justified in their punishment and was not responsible for Klocke's suicide. 

    Klocke v. The University of Texas at Arlington. 18-10857, (5th Cir, 2019). 
    ]]>     2021-07-16 20:54:23 UTC https://padlet.com/hbrown218/1tqgs3a0ccv1utua/wish/1652985854     hbrown218 https://padlet.com/hbrown218/1tqgs3a0ccv1utua/wish/1652998919 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.

    Reference:
    American School Counselor Association. (2016). ASCA ethical standards for school counselors. ]]>     2021-07-16 21:25:03 UTC https://padlet.com/hbrown218/1tqgs3a0ccv1utua/wish/1652998919     hbrown218 https://padlet.com/hbrown218/1tqgs3a0ccv1utua/wish/1653000462 During my first year of teaching, I had my first suicidal student and at first I was not sure how to handle it. When I contacted the counselor, I told her that I had not been trained on what to do when a student comes to you with suicidal thoughts. She explained to me that I did the right thing by coming to her first but also informed me that at the time our district did not have a defined protocol for effectively counseling suicidal students and that it was being worked on.

    I have worked with several teachers and students in building a suicide prevention program called Hope Squad at our school over the last 3 years.

    According to ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors (2016), counselors have a responsibility to provide effective and responsive interventions to students in need and I believe that the protocol we have now does that. (ASCA, 2016).

    Reference:
    American School Counselor Association. (2016). ASCA ethical standards for school counselors. ]]>     2021-07-16 21:27:40 UTC https://padlet.com/hbrown218/1tqgs3a0ccv1utua/wish/1653000462     hbrown218 https://padlet.com/hbrown218/1tqgs3a0ccv1utua/wish/1653004140
  • Counselors have an ethical obligation to provide effective intervention to suicidal students.
  • Ensure that every student knows your name and face and has a way of getting in contact with you or reporting an incident with you whenever the need arises.
  • Counselors should seek on-going professional development opportunities in suicide prevention and intervention.
  • School districts have an obligation to provide their students with suicide prevention curriculum.
  • School counselors should work to develop guidance lessons that help to build community within the classrooms and school to ensure that students feel accepted and safe.
  • Professional organizations such as the American School Counselor Association provide counselors with free, comprehensive resources in implementing and maintaining suicide prevention plans

    • ]]>     2021-07-16 21:36:11 UTC https://padlet.com/hbrown218/1tqgs3a0ccv1utua/wish/1653004140     Birdville ISD Student Code of Conduct hbrown218 https://padlet.com/hbrown218/1tqgs3a0ccv1utua/wish/1653783762 According to Birdville ISD Code of Conduct (2020), the campus behavior coordinator or other administrator work closely with the campus threat assessment safe and supportive school teams to implement the district’s threat assessment policy and procedures (Birdville ISD Code of Conduct, 2020).

    Reference:
    Birdville ISD. (2020). 2020-21 Student Code of Conduct. https://www.birdvilleschools.net/cms/lib/TX01000797/Centricity/Domain/4337/CodeofConduct_2020-21_ADA.pdf]]>     2021-07-18 16:37:00 UTC https://padlet.com/hbrown218/1tqgs3a0ccv1utua/wish/1653783762