School counselors are required to provide a comprehensive counseling program entailing a guidance curriculum, responsive services, individual planning, and support systems. Within the Texas Model for Comprehensive School Counseling Programs, responsive services require school counselors to use accepted and effective techniques to support students in suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention (5th ed., 2018). Along with students, school counselors work with staff, parents, and the community to foster student safety and well-being. Therefore, it is essential for stakeholders to understand and familiarize themselves with the legal expectations school officials are to uphold concerning suicide prevention.

Texas Education Agency. (2018). The Texas model for comprehensive school counseling programs (5th ed.). Texas Counseling Association.

School counselors work to protect the health and well-being of all students by proactively enhancing awareness of mental health and ensuring policies and procedures are in place to intervene and respond to you suicidal behavior (American School Counselor Association, 2018).

Research indicates that universal school-based suicide prevention efforts can prevent the development of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in adolescents (Ayer & Colpe, 2023). School counselor's implementation of suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention efforts are critical in reducing the threat of youth suicide and fostering well-being.

American School Counselor Association. (2018). The School Counselor and Suicide Prevention/Awareness - American School Counselor Association (ASCA). Www.schoolcounselor.org. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/Standards-Positions/Position-Statements/ASCA-Position-Statements/The-School-Counselor-and-Suicide-Prevention-Awaren

Ayer, L., & Colpe, L. J. (2023). The Key Role of Schools in Youth Suicide Prevention. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 62(1), 19–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2022.06.022

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023).Facts about suicide: Disparities in suicide. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/facts/disparities-in-suicide.html#:~:text=Youth%20and%20young%20adults%20ages,lower%20than%20other%20age%20groups.

American School Counselor Association. “Suicide Prevention for All Students.” ASCA on Air, 2024, videos.schoolcounselor.org/suicide-prevention-for-all-students/. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

• Solid classroom management will reduce sources of anxiety.

• Establishing a community in the classroom will help students feel apart of something and less isolated.

• Maintaining open communication with parents and caregivers will allow collaboration for student health and well-being.

• Universal screening can promote better mental health school wide.

K-12 Dive. “Understanding Educators’ Role in Addressing the Rise in Youth Suicide.” K-12 Dive, 6 Sept. 2022, www.k12dive.com/spons/understanding-educators-role-in-addressing-the-rise-in-youth-suicide/630147/. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

• They increase students' mental literacy.

• Promote social, emotional, and behavioral learning.

• Provide psychosocial skills training and cognitive behavioral interventions.

• Enhance connectedness among students, staff, and families.

• Promote mindfulness.

Behavioral Health News. “CDC Report: Why Schools Are Crucial for Youth Suicide Prevention.” Behavioral Health News, 22 Oct. 2024, behavioralhealthnews.org/cdc-report-why-schools-are-crucial-for-youth-suicide-prevention/. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

SuicideSAFERSchools. (2017). Leadership: Texas Suicide Safer Schools Necessitate a Suicide Prevention Policy. https://texassuicideprevention.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Texas-Suicide-Safer-Schools-Implementation-Guide-Part-2-Policy-and-Leadership.pdf

Tex. Health & Safety Code §161.325

https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/docs/HS/htm/HS.161.htm

Student Code of Conduct, Tex. Educ. Code §11.252 (a)(3)(B)

https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/docs/ed/htm/ed.11.htm

Student Code of Conduct, Tex. Educ. Code §21.451(d)

https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.21.htm

Shawn had attempted suicide twice at school the day before his suicide. Officials did not take preventative measures to protect Shawn and communicate with his parents about his attempt to self-harm.

The Eleventh Circuit Court found that the School Board had a duty under state law to notify the plaintiff about her son's suicide attempts, but it did not find a violation of constitutional rights under Section 1983. The jury's verdict, which found the School Board negligent and partially responsible for Shawn's death, was upheld (Studicata, 2024).

Studicata. (2024). Wyke v. Polk County School Board. Studicata. https://studicata.com/case-briefs/case/wyke-v-polk-county-school-board/

42 U.S.C. § 1983

Wyke v. Polk County School Board, 129 F.3d 560 (11th Cir. 1997)

Irion County ISD. (2023). Improvement Plan. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hoEnIOkBWo8-fbnX7O0W9ZBO2egkr93jz4-kvcKD-u4/edit?tab=t.0

Irion County ISD. (2024). Student Handbook. https://docs.google.com/document/d/18_5ItOZ54leX6tG1e1KRpT3PN1pBcFCQ9re-ZG1mjGU/edit?tab=t.0

Ethical standards to promote student safety and well-being include:

• Inform parents/guardians and school administration when a student poses a serious and foreseeable risk of harm to self or others. This notification is to be done after careful deliberation and consultation with appropriate professionals, such as other school counselors, the school nurse, school psychologist, school social worker, school resource officer or child protective services. Even if the danger appears relatively remote, parents/guardians must be notified. The consequence of the risk of not giving parents/guardians a chance to intervene on behalf of their child is too great. 

• Recognize the level of suicide risk (e.g., low, medium, high) is difficult to accurately quantify. If required to use a risk assessment, it must be completed with the realization that it is an information-gathering tool and only one element in the risk-assessment process. When reporting risk-assessment results to parents/guardians, school counselors do not negate the risk of students’ potential harm to self even if the assessment reveals a low risk, as students may minimize risk to avoid further scrutiny and/or parental/guardian notification. The purpose of reporting any risk-assessment results to parents/guardians is to underscore the need for parents/guardians to act, not to report a judgment of risk.

• Collaborate with school administration to ensure a student has proper supervision and support. If parents/guardians will not provide proper support, the school counselor takes necessary steps to underscore to parents/guardians the necessity to seek help and, at times, may include a report to child protective services.  d. Provide culturally responsive mental health resources to parents/guardians. 

• Report to administration and/or appropriate authorities (e.g., law enforcement) when a student discloses a perpetrated or a perceived threat to another person’s physical or mental wellbeing. This threat may include but is not limited to verbal abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, dating violence, bullying or harassment. The school counselor follows applicable federal and state laws and school and district policy (American School Counselor Association, 2016).

American School Counselor Association. (2016). ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/Ethics/EthicalStandards2016.pdf

• Establish and implement district policies regarding suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention.

• Educate staff to recognize risk factors, warning signs, response procedures, and referral process for suicide prevention.

• Participate in school crisis team planning and procedures.

• Provide instruction for students on the importance of mentally healthy choices and coping strategies.

• Educate students on risk factors, warning signs, and suicide hotlines.

• If a student is at risk of suicide or expresses self-harm, contact their parent or guardian.