Working with Suicidal Students by Jennifer Simpson

Working with Suicidal Students by Jennifer Simpson https://padlet.com/jennifersimpson3/nqc5w0nwtngn7wyq Legal and Ethical Principles en-us 2022-07-23 18:28:44 UTC 2025-05-04 08:25:00 UTC hello@padlet.com My Professional Perspective jennifersimpson3 https://padlet.com/jennifersimpson3/nqc5w0nwtngn7wyq/wish/2249482464
As a future school counselor, I will come across students who have suicidal thoughts and ideation. I view a big part of my job as forming relationships with students. As I form these relationships, I will begin to notice changes in students and will begin to notice if they could be at risk of suicide. It is also important for other teachers and staff on campus to know how to notice these changes in students, as well as peers. Therefore, the audience this is intended for is all campus members.

I chose this topic because suicide hits close to home. I have had a family commit suicide in the past. One never really knows how hard it is until it happens in your own family. Since I have became a teacher, it has also happened to a couple of students that I have known and I have personally talked with students who attempted suicide and felt worthless. This is a hard topic to talk about, but it is important.

]]> 2022-07-25 21:26:42 UTC https://padlet.com/jennifersimpson3/nqc5w0nwtngn7wyq/wish/2249482464 Interview jennifersimpson3 https://padlet.com/jennifersimpson3/nqc5w0nwtngn7wyq/wish/2249482598
I interviewed the CIS coordinator, Mrs. Gonzales, on my campus. She sees students on a daily basis about suicide and other issues. There are professionals and counselors on campus who have more insight, but last year alone, we had a lot of students see Mrs. Gonzales, so I decided to interview her.

Her company sends her to trainings every year to learn about suicide prevention as well as other trainings that provide her with information about mental health issues. At the suicide prevention trainings, she has stated that she learns what to do and who to call in a situation when a student is expressing these thoughts.

When asked about the rules and policies, Mrs. Gonzales stated that if anyone in the counselor suite gets a referral that a student has been talking about suicide or if a student comes in to talk about it, they have a certain set of questions that needs to be asked. They need to see if the student already has a plan or see if they have a letter written out already. Once the questions are asked, the mental health deputy is notified, as well as the parents. The parents need to be contacted, no matter what. Any situation like this needs to be called in.

We also talked about how our campus saw a high rate of suicidal students last year alone, even if they did not attempt it. After a teacher is told that a student is in a mental hospital and will return at a later date, some teachers will say something along the line of "oh yeah, they did talk about stuff like that in class". Mrs. Gonzales stated that if there is any talk about suicide by a student, then it needs to get reported right away. Even if we think the student if joking around or if they always talk like that. This is nothing to mess with and needs to be dealt with immediately.

As far as court goes, our school personally has not had to deal with any court cases. However, there is a chance of it. If something is not handled correctly, then the school can go to court. Any current court cases out in the public do not affect us. The school district has their policies and that is what they go by. ]]> 2022-07-25 21:27:16 UTC https://padlet.com/jennifersimpson3/nqc5w0nwtngn7wyq/wish/2249482598 Professional Association jennifersimpson3 https://padlet.com/jennifersimpson3/nqc5w0nwtngn7wyq/wish/2249483034 Link to resource: https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/new-from-nea/teen-suicide-rate-increases-states-look-schools-address-crisis

Summary: According to the CDC, the suicide rate among adolescents has increased 70% in 10 years. Untreated mental health conditions are among the leading cause of suicide and it happens more among girls ages 15-19. Academic pressure is one reason students may consider suicide and the school system has taken a huge weight into making sure students are safe and feel at home.

Citation: Walker, T. (2018, May 14). As teen suicide rate increases, states look to schools to address crisis. NEA. Retrieved from https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/new-from-nea/teen-suicide-rate-increases-states-look-schools-address-crisis ]]> 2022-07-25 21:28:43 UTC https://padlet.com/jennifersimpson3/nqc5w0nwtngn7wyq/wish/2249483034 Current News Article 1 jennifersimpson3 https://padlet.com/jennifersimpson3/nqc5w0nwtngn7wyq/wish/2249483199 Link: https://www.highereddive.com/news/former-student-athlete-sues-washington-and-lee-u-following-suicide-attempt/545837/

Summary: - A freshman in college spoke with a counselor and told her about his thoughts of feeling suicidal and that he did have a plan to take his own life. The counselor ended the conversation in less than 10 minutes after telling the student to go to class and football practice that day and then check himself into the health center for overnight observation. He never checked himself in, as that night he attempted suicide.
-The students issue is something we see common today. He was already dealing with anxiety and depression and then he injured himself and could not play football early in the season, adding to his depression. Today, we see many students who are struggling with anxiety and depression and then something else happens to add onto that depression.
-There is a very small amount of people who suffer from a mental health disorder that will actually get help. In this article, it mentions that 3 out of 10 college students struggling with mental health will seek help. The same goes for any age group, which is why we are seeing a doubled rate of suicide.

Citation: Busta, H. (2019, January 11). Former student-athlete sues Washington and Lee U following suicide attempt. Higher Ed Dive. Retrieved from https://www.highereddive.com/news/former-student-athlete-sues-washington-and-lee-u-following-suicide-attempt/545837/ ]]> 2022-07-25 21:29:20 UTC https://padlet.com/jennifersimpson3/nqc5w0nwtngn7wyq/wish/2249483199 Current News Article 2 jennifersimpson3 https://padlet.com/jennifersimpson3/nqc5w0nwtngn7wyq/wish/2249483227 Link: https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/federal-appeals-court-lets-lawsuit-proceed-against-educators-in-students-suicide/2020/12

Summary: - An 8 year old boy hung himself after being bullied multiple times at school. His parents sued the school for not reaching out to them when their son was being bullied and knocked on the school campus. The principal and assistant principal denied that bullying took place on their campus.
-As a current teacher and a future counselor, I know the number one thing on a school campus is to keep the students safe. If we see anything, we must respond. If we are told anything, we must respond. If something happens, the parents must know. I think we are seeing more and more, especially in court cases like this, that schools are not reaching out to parents like they should be. Parents need to know what is happening when their children is in our care.
- We do have an issue of bullying in today's society. It can be physical, cyber, or sexual- but it is happening. Every school is experiencing bullying. There is no one school that does not have this problem. It is who we are as a society. How the schools are handling it is different. If they are not handling it properly, then we will have students like this who choose suicide to make the pain stop. However, if we have schools that are handling it in a proper way, they could stop students from wanting to harm themselves.

Citation: Walsh, M. (2020, December 30). Federal Appeals Court lets lawsuit proceed against educators in student's suicide. Education Week. Retrieved from https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/federal-appeals-court-lets-lawsuit-proceed-against-educators-in-students-suicide/2020/12 ]]> 2022-07-25 21:29:26 UTC https://padlet.com/jennifersimpson3/nqc5w0nwtngn7wyq/wish/2249483227 Constitutional Source of Law jennifersimpson3 https://padlet.com/jennifersimpson3/nqc5w0nwtngn7wyq/wish/2249483437 Source of Law: Constitutional

Citation: Legal Information Institute. (n.d.). Washington, et al., petitioners, V. Harold Glucksberg et al.. Legal Information Institute. https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/521/702

Link: https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/521/702

Requirements: -The state of Washington has had it illegal to assist with a suicide. A group of physicians, terminally ill patients, and an organization, argued that the 14th amendment's due process clause gives a choice of physician assisted suicide.
- Aiding a suicide does not offend the 14th Amendment of the Constitution
- Washington's law states that it is a felony to promote a suicide attempt.
- ]]> 2022-07-25 21:30:15 UTC https://padlet.com/jennifersimpson3/nqc5w0nwtngn7wyq/wish/2249483437 Statutory Source of Law jennifersimpson3 https://padlet.com/jennifersimpson3/nqc5w0nwtngn7wyq/wish/2249483478 Source of Law: Statutory
Tex. Health & Safety Code § 62.052 (a)(3)(D)

Citation:

Link: https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/HS/htm/HS.62.htm

Requirements: ]]> 2022-07-25 21:30:23 UTC https://padlet.com/jennifersimpson3/nqc5w0nwtngn7wyq/wish/2249483478 Administrative Source of Law jennifersimpson3 https://padlet.com/jennifersimpson3/nqc5w0nwtngn7wyq/wish/2249483506 Source of Law: Administrative

Citation:

Link: https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.TacPage?sl=R&app=9&p_dir=&p_rloc=&p_tloc=&p_ploc=&pg=1&p_tac=&ti=37&pt=11&ch=351&rl=13

Requirements:]]> 2022-07-25 21:30:29 UTC https://padlet.com/jennifersimpson3/nqc5w0nwtngn7wyq/wish/2249483506 Judicial Source of Law jennifersimpson3 https://padlet.com/jennifersimpson3/nqc5w0nwtngn7wyq/wish/2249483532 Source of Law: Judicial

Citation:

Link: http://jaapl.org/content/46/4/521

Requirements:]]> 2022-07-25 21:30:33 UTC https://padlet.com/jennifersimpson3/nqc5w0nwtngn7wyq/wish/2249483532 Local Administrative Law/Policy/Rule jennifersimpson3 https://padlet.com/jennifersimpson3/nqc5w0nwtngn7wyq/wish/2249483674 Brazosport ISD has implemented programs to address the following mental health and substance abuse concerns:
-Suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention (interventions after a suicide);

Link: https://cdn5-ss10.sharpschool.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_415374/File/Resources/Code%20of%20Conduct/Student_Code_of_Conduct.pdf

Summary: I chose this out of the code of conducts from my campus. It shows for the public to see that we do have a counseling program here on campus for students who are suicidal. We can start early or we even have a plan set if there is a suicide.

]]> 2022-07-25 21:31:07 UTC https://padlet.com/jennifersimpson3/nqc5w0nwtngn7wyq/wish/2249483674 Ethical Principle jennifersimpson3 https://padlet.com/jennifersimpson3/nqc5w0nwtngn7wyq/wish/2249483799 A.9.b "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."

Link: https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/44f30280-ffe8-4b41-9ad8-f15909c3d164/EthicalStandards.pdf

Summary: All students going through suicidal ideation will be assessed by a counselor. While there is confidentiality among counselors and students, this type of things is one of the topics that gets shared. When a student is assessed, no matter if they are at low risk or high risk, the parents/guardians need to be informed so that they can get the student the proper help. ]]> 2022-07-25 21:31:36 UTC https://padlet.com/jennifersimpson3/nqc5w0nwtngn7wyq/wish/2249483799 Personal Connection to the Legal and Ethical Standards jennifersimpson3 https://padlet.com/jennifersimpson3/nqc5w0nwtngn7wyq/wish/2249483935 Identify your personal connection to legal and ethical standards by providing an overview of how the context allowed you to understand the application of the law to your personal educational journey (3 sentences). Include three (3) sentences points regarding your feelings about these connections to the law and how this paved a way for your education goals.]]> 2022-07-25 21:32:04 UTC https://padlet.com/jennifersimpson3/nqc5w0nwtngn7wyq/wish/2249483935 Recommendations jennifersimpson3 https://padlet.com/jennifersimpson3/nqc5w0nwtngn7wyq/wish/2249484093 2022-07-25 21:32:37 UTC https://padlet.com/jennifersimpson3/nqc5w0nwtngn7wyq/wish/2249484093