Idaho Youth Suicide Prevention Program
Idaho Youth Suicide Prevention Program (IYSPP) is a partnership between the Idaho Department of Education and the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (IDHW). IYSPP is funded by IDHW’s Suicide Prevention Program and two federal grants from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. IYSPP’s mission is to foster connectedness and resilience throughout Idaho school communities to prevent youth suicide.
IYSPP Suicide Prevention Program Grant
The Idaho Youth Suicide Prevention Program is currently accepting applications from secondary schools wishing to implement Sources of Strength in grades 6-12 this fall. Sources of Strength is a best-practice youth mental health promotion and suicide prevention program designed to harness the power of peer social networks to create healthy norms and culture, ultimately preventing suicide, violence, bullying, and substance misuse. The mission of Sources of Strength is to prevent adverse outcomes by increasing well-being, help-seeking, resiliency, healthy coping, and belonging.
Three spots are available and the grant application will remain open until those are filled. Please refer to the Application Guidance document for more comprehensive information about the grant and award process.
Please use this electronic form to submit your application.
Applications Open for Sources of Strength Elementary
The Idaho Youth Suicide Prevention Program is now accepting applications from elementary schools interested in implementing Sources of Strength Elementary in grades K-5 this fall. The classroom-based lessons are designed for students in kindergarten through 5th grade, but they also can be used in 6th grade elementary classrooms. Selected schools will participate in a two-day Sources of Strength Coaches training, receive classroom materials, and receive a suicide prevention gatekeeper training for all school personnel.
To learn more about the program, please visit the Sources of Strength Elementary website.
Applications are due Friday, September 6, 2024. Please use this electronic form to submit your application.
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The Idaho Youth Suicide Prevention Program (IYSPP), formerly known as the Idaho Lives Project, was created in 2013 after the Idaho Department of Education received a three-year Garrett Lee Smith State/Tribal Youth Suicide Prevention and Early Intervention Grant (GLS) from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
In its first three years, IYSPP brought a three-layered system of support to Idaho schools and communities:
- Training for youth in ongoing-wellness and help-seeking
- Training in suicide prevention and support for school staff and parents
- Suicide risk assessment and treatment training for the mental health professionals supporting their school communities
These early years also included specialized training for juvenile justice centers and targeted training for universities.
In 2016 the Idaho Legislature funded the creation of the Idaho Suicide Prevention Program housed within the Division of Behavioral Health at the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. With the exception of K-12 school communities, the Suicide Prevention Program is tasked with supporting and coordinating Idaho’s suicide prevention efforts. The legislature stipulated that a portion of the funding be used to continue the Idaho Youth Suicide Prevention Program. This established our current partnership with the Department of Health and Welfare. IYSPP received additional funding in 2018 to hire three regional coordinators to support schools implementing youth ongoing-wellness and suicide prevention programs.
In January 2020 the Idaho Department of Education again received a GLS grant for five years. In September 2020 the department received a second five-year Project Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education (Project-AWARE) grant, also from SAMHSA.
Today, with both state and federal funding, the Idaho Youth Suicide Prevention Program provides statewide services and resources to K-12 districts and schools helping to support youth suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention efforts, as well as some services for youth up to age 24.
The project is supported by the Youth Suicide Prevention Coordinator and a contracted team of subject matter experts who provide direct support to schools and districts. Three regional coordinators and trainers, located in northern, southwestern, and southeastern Idaho, are available to provide training, information, resources and other support to the schools and school communities in their regions.
Contact Your Regional Coordinator
Marie Gray, M.S.
Supports Northern Idaho schools in Education Regions 1 and 2
mariegray@resilienceconsultingservices.comPatrick "Patxi" Connor, MEd
Supports Southwestern Idaho schools in Education Region 3
pconnor@goitiaconsulting.comVacant
Supports Southeastern Idaho schools in Education Region 4
Jeni Griffin
Supports Southeastern Idaho schools in Education Regions 5, and 6
jenigriffin@ddot31.org
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The Idaho Youth Suicide Prevention Program provides a variety of resources and opportunities to help support K-12 school communities with youth suicide prevention. In 2020, the Idaho Department of Education received a five-year federal grant that allows the Idaho Youth Suicide Prevention Program to expand its youth suicide prevention efforts as well as support youth up to age 24. Please contact us for more information about any of the following services.
Training
- Clinician Training: Annual clinician training in assessing and treating suicide risk
- Gatekeeper Training: Suicide prevention training for school staff and other adults who serve youth up to age 24
- School Training Grants: Annual youth suicide prevention program grants for elementary and secondary schools with ongoing support and training
- Supplemental Training: Detailed supplemental trainings specific to suicide intervention, postvention, non-suicidal self-injury and prevention for special populations for school counselors and other school personnel
Direct Services
- Attempt Survivor Support: Peer-to-peer suicide attempt survivor support groups for young adults
- Consultations: Suicide prevention policy, practice, protocols, messaging and research consultations, as well as those related to individuals with serious ideation or suicide attempt
- Continuity of Care: Follow-up and reintegration support after a youth (up to age 24) suicide attempt or severe suicide ideation resulting in being seen by a mental health professional/agency/facility
- Postvention: Postvention support after any sudden death that affects a school, not just death by suicide
- Suicide Assessments: Formal suicide assessments for youth up to age 24 when other financial resources are unavailable
Resources
- Conference Scholarships: Local and statewide conference scholarships for education professionals
- Protocols: Suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention protocols and resources
- Safe Messaging: Safe messaging guidelines for schools and the media
- University Grants: University and college grants to support suicide prevention and early intervention activities on campus
- Web Resources: Idaho School Mental Health website with resources that promote safe, consistent and positive learning environments for all students
Select District Services
In 2020, the Idaho Department of Education received a second five-year federal grant that allows the Idaho Youth Suicide Prevention Program to bring additional services and resources to three specific districts: Glenns Ferry, Kimberly, and Marsing.
- Behavioral Health Clinicians: Full-time, on-site clinician to provide behavioral health support to students and families
- Community Stakeholder Meetings: Community collaborative groups that enhance mental health promotion efforts at the community level
- Parent Support Groups: Support groups for parents or caregivers providing care to youth experiencing a mental health concern
- Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS): School-based behavior frameworks and multi-tiered systems of support training and technical assistance
Suicide Prevention Consultations
Idaho Youth Suicide Prevention Program offers free consultations on topics related to youth suicide prevention from the individual level to statewide planning efforts.
IYSPP consults with schools, school districts, youth-serving organizations and community members and others on the following:
- Suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention
- Policy and protocol implementation
- Best practices and suicide research
- Safe messaging related to suicide
- Other suicide-related topics
These consultations are not mental health services.
To request a consultation, call (208) 332-6816 or email hcrumrine@sde.idaho.gov. IYSPP will respond to your request within three business days.
If you need more immediate assistance with intervention or postvention consultations, please call Judy Gabert at (208) 999-0137.
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Risk factors are characteristics that make it more likely someone will consider, attempt, or die by suicide. They cannot cause or predict a suicide attempt, but they are important to be aware of, particularly if you have noticed warning signs.
- Mental disorders, particularly mood disorders, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, and certain personality disorders
- Alcohol and other substance use disorders
- Hopelessness
- Impulsive and/or aggressive tendencies
- History of trauma or abuse
- Major physical illnesses
- Previous suicide attempt(s)
- Family history of suicide
- Job or financial loss
- Loss of relationship(s)
- Easy access to lethal means
- Local clusters of suicide
- Lack of social support and sense of isolation
- Stigma associated with asking for help
- Lack of healthcare, especially mental health and substance abuse treatment
- Cultural and religious beliefs, such as the belief that suicide is a noble resolution of a personal dilemma
- Exposure to others who have died by suicide (in real life or via the media and Internet)
Knowledge of warning signs may help you determine if a loved one is at risk for suicide, especially if the behavior is new, has increased, or seems related to a painful event, loss, or change. If you or someone you know exhibits any of these, seek help by calling or texting the Idaho Crisis & Suicide Hotline at 988.
- Talking about wanting to die or to kill themselves
- Withdrawing or isolating themselves
- Nightmares (in adults)
- Looking for a way to kill themselves, like searching online or buying a gun
- Acting anxious or agitated, behaving recklessly
- Sleep changes (not enough or too much)
- Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live
- Talking about being a burden to others
- Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs
- Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain
- Extreme mood swings
Protective factors are personal or environmental characteristics that help protect people from suicidal thoughts and behavior.
- Strong connections to family and friends
- Strong connections to community support
- No access to highly lethal means
- Problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills
- Effective professional care for mental health and substance use disorders
- Easy access to different types of professional health
- Mental and medical health care relationship that are ongoing
- Being supported to seek help
- Cultural or religious beliefs that discourage suicide and support self-preservation
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Idaho is one of more than 30 states with laws encouraging or requiring districts to adopt suicide prevention policies (NASBE.org). Enacted in 2018, Idaho Code §33-136(3)(a) requires districts to “adopt a policy on student suicide prevention. Such policy shall, at a minimum, address procedures relating to suicide prevention, intervention and postvention.”
To help ensure districts adopt evidence-based and evidence-informed policies, the Idaho Department of Education, with input from other suicide prevention stakeholders, has developed an Idaho Suicide Safer Model Policy. This two-page policy is a condensed version of a national resource, Model School District Policy on Suicide Prevention: Model Language, Commentary, and Resources.
Like the national model policy, Idaho’s Suicide Safer Model Policy is intended to help districts protect the health and wellbeing of their school communities. Educators have one of the most important jobs in the world. School personnel spend more time with youth than any other professionals and they can have a significant influence on student well-being. This impact can last a lifetime. In addition to academic benefits, actions by school staff can promote protective factors to build resilience and help prevent risky behaviors among youth including suicide.
To further assist Idaho schools with issues related to youth suicide, the Idaho Youth Suicide Prevention Program has developed protocols for school suicide prevention. These protocols are concise and meant to function as a quick and critical guide founded on well-researched best practices in youth suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention.
These protocols are not exhaustive and are not meant to replace, but rather augment, a school’s or district’s own suicide prevention plan. For comprehensive school guidance see Preventing Suicide: A Toolkit for High Schools. The document is also available from the Suicide Prevention Resource Center.
Rationale for School-based Prevention
- Schools have a responsibility to maintain a safe school environment
- Students’ mental well-being affects academic performance
- Student and staff suicides can impact other students and entire school communities
- School districts have been sued and found liable for not offering suicide prevention programs, for providing inadequate supervision of or failing to get help for at-risk students, and for failing to notify parents when their children were suicidal
- The tragedy of suicide is beyond measure, and evidence-based prevention, intervention, and postvention efforts are effective
- Idaho Statute requires school districts to have suicide prevention plans as well as policies on suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention
Idaho Administrative Rules, Statute, and Case Law
Various state rules, statutes, and case law influence suicide prevention efforts statewide. The references listed here are specific to youth suicide prevention and guide our efforts to support school communities.
Administrative Rules
IDAPA 08.02.03.160 – SAFE ENVIRONMENT AND DISCIPLINE
- Each school district will have a comprehensive district wide policy and procedure encompassing the following:
- School Climate
- Discipline
- Student Health
- Violence Prevention
- Processing Weapons on Campus
- Substance Abuse - Tobacco, Alcohol, and Other Drugs
- Suicide Prevention
- Student Harassment
- Drug-free School Zones
- Building Safety including Evacuation Drills
- Relationship Abuse and Sexual Assault Prevention and Response
Districts will conduct an annual review of these policies and procedures.
Idaho Statute
Idaho Code §33-512(4) — GOVERNANCE OF SCHOOLS
The board of trustees of each school district shall have the following powers and duties: (4) To protect the morals and health of the pupils;
Idaho Code §33-136(3)(a) — SUICIDE PREVENTION IN SCHOOLS
Each public school district shall adopt a policy on student suicide prevention. Such policy shall, at a minimum, address procedures relating to suicide prevention, intervention and postvention.
Case Law
The Idaho Legislature enacted Idaho Code § 33-512B in response to Brooks v. Logan, 127 Idaho 484, 903 P.2d 73 (1995), which the Legislature characterized as holding “that a teacher and a school district owe a duty to warn or otherwise take action when confronted with ambiguous, circumstantial evidence of a student’s suicidal tendencies.” Statement of Purpose, H.B. 598, 52d Leg., Reg. Sess. (Idaho 1996).
Idaho Code § 33-512B limits the duty to warn of the suicidal tendencies of a student to situations where a teacher has “knowledge of direct evidence of such suicidal tendencies.” In Carrier v. Lake Pend Oreille Sch. Dist., 142 Idaho 804, 809, 134 P.3d 655, 660 (2006), the Idaho Supreme Court held that “the Legislature intended the term ‘suicidal tendencies’ in I.C. § 33–512B to mean a present aim, direction or trend toward taking one's own life.”
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Idaho Protocols for Suicide Prevention in Schools
School personnel spend more time with our children than any other professionals and are in a valuable position, through appropriate knowledge and action, to prevent suicide among students.
Idaho Code §33-136(3)(a) states “Each public school district shall adopt a policy on student suicide prevention. Such policy shall, at a minimum, address procedures relating to suicide prevention, intervention and postvention.”
For more information on suicide prevention for schools, see Preventing Suicide: A Toolkit for High Schools published by SAMSHA
Important factors to consider for suicide prevention in school settings include Student Well-Being, Staff Gatekeeper Training, Student Training and Student Screening.
Student Well-Being
Student Well-Being is complex as it relates to overall mental and physical health. Two aspects of importance in preventing suicide are documented by nationally-recognized suicide expert, Dr. Thomas Joiner. In his book Why People Die by Suicide, Dr. Joiner points to failed belongingness and perceived burdensomeness as the two fundamental elements involved in the desire for suicide. School personnel can play a key role in increasing student feelings of belongingness and capability/effectiveness (non-burdensomeness).
School climate, which is critical to student well-being, reflects how members of the school community experience the school and sets the tone for all the learning and teaching done in the school environment. Specific focus and effort on cultivating a supportive, and respectful school climate, through the implementation of school-wide strategies, is a key component to effective prevention measures.
Staff Gatekeeper Training
Gatekeeper trainings provide participants with critical information on identifying, intervening with, and supporting individuals who may be suicidal. Gatekeeper trainings should include all school personnel: teachers, paraprofessionals, nurses, administrators, bus drivers, administrative assistants, volunteers, cafeteria personnel, parent representatives, and anyone who has regular contact with students. Trainings must be completed before any student suicide prevention activities or curricula are in place. For gatekeeper training to be effective, best practice dictates that school personnel receive gatekeeper training annually.
For information on free gatekeeper trainings available through the Idaho Department of Education, please see the Events and Training page.
While certain elements of gatekeeper trainings are safe for youth, such as knowledge of warning signs and awareness of the hotline, gatekeeper training is not advised for youth. There are suicide prevention trainings that are safe for youth. See information about youth training below.
Gatekeeper training tools as well as a multitude of best practice prevention protocols are available on-line through www.sprc.org.
Student Training
Great care must be taken in selecting any suicide prevention-related activities, training, or curricula for students. The following are guidelines to know before implementation of any youth training or curriculum.
- Training and Curricula Type: Training or curricula should be evidence-based and carefully chosen. They should be fully researched, age appropriate, and emphasize often that there is hope and help. Curricula should include warning signs, protective factors, available school and community mental health services, and a strong message of hope. To prevent suicide, the curriculum’s purpose should help students identify and seek help from a trusted adult for themselves or a classmate.
- Caution: Training and curricula should never normalize suicide, discuss means, or share suicide statistics. Curricula content should emphasize to students that suicide is rare and that recovery from suicidal thinking is the norm. Curricula needs to address the code of silence among youth and remind them that trusted adults in their school and community are available to share concerns about a suicidal friend or themselves. Any presentations or discussions on suicide should be done in classrooms or small groups (See Training Group Size below).
- Embedded Training: Training and curricula are best embedded in mental health units within regular school classes, such as health or teen living, that routinely and sensitively address these issues.
- Adult Training Importance: Training and curricula should be presented to students only after school personnel, parents, and community mental health providers are trained as gatekeepers so they can support any youth with suicide ideation. Free training is available through the Idaho Youth Suicide Prevention Program.
- Training Group Size: Training and curricula should be presented in small groups (classrooms preferable) and with an additional adult present to watch for concerns and to provide support to vulnerable youth, while maintaining students’ rights to confidentiality. Schools should NOT hold assemblies or large group training because these do not allow for easy identification of students who may be at risk and can cause harm or activate those with mental health issues.
- Exceptions for Vulnerable Youth: Training and curricula should be carefully considered for any students who have experienced a recent death or suicide attempt themselves, in their family or friend circle, or who may be affected by a mental health issue. These youth should receive a confidential offer to opt out of this unit. If these students decide to attend, they must be carefully monitored. If they show any signs of distress or inappropriate response to the material, they should be taken to the school mental health personnel.
- Suicide Attempters as Speakers: Training and curricula should not allow students who have attempted suicide to be speakers. Other students may identify with them in an unhealthy way or see them as receiving extra attention, which may increase risk. In addition, the student presenters sometimes receive backlash from other students that causes them emotional harm.
- Cultural Competence: Training and curricula must address cultural competence as suicide affects people of all races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, and socio-economic groups. It is important to include the contributions, images, and experiences of diverse cultural groups. Be sure the school has access to interpreters and community mental health services that have experience with cultures/ethnic groups represented in your school.
- Parent and Community Involvement: Training and curricula will require entire school and school community support as their delivery requires sensitivity and understanding of the importance of the issue. The curriculum chosen might be presented to school staff, to community agencies connected to youth, and to parents/guardians or others who are available and trained to follow up with students. Parents/guardians should be made aware the curriculum is being taught beforehand and be invited to review it online or at a presentation; this may include back-to-school nights, brochures sent home with students, or messages from the school’s communication system.
- Student Survey: Idaho Code requires that parents/guardians provide active consent before presentation of a survey (See Idaho Code 33-6001). Training and curricula sometimes contain a self-evaluation survey to evaluate the mental health issues of students. Even with parent approval, any mental health self-evaluation is not recommended. If you choose to do so, it is imperative that the teacher/student service provider review all completed surveys before students leave for the day and take action, when needed! For some vulnerable youth, completing these self-evaluations may activate suicide ideation and heighten their risk for suicide. If a student is deemed to be at risk, the student must not be left alone, and parents/guardians must be notified immediately! Always guard the student’s right to confidentiality during this process. More information on confidentiality is available (see the Intervention Protocols section below).
- Caution During Postvention: Consult with suicide prevention experts to determine the readiness of the school and school community before conducting any suicide prevention training if within twelve months of a completed suicide that affected the school (see the Postvention Protocols).
For sample curricula, contact the Idaho Department of Education's Youth Suicide Prevention Coordinator or visit www.afsp.org, www.sprc.org, or www.samsha.gov.
Individual Student Screening
For information on individual screening, please see the Screener Protocol under the Intervention Protocols section below.
Universal Student Screening
Universal screening is not recommended. If you choose universal screening, exercise extreme caution as many safeguards must be in place before administering. Legal issues are likely to arise unless parents/guardians have consented to such screenings (See Idaho Code 33-6001 (7)). Any students identified by the screenings as being at risk must have access to affordable, immediate, and appropriate mental health care.
Before implementing a school-wide screening:
- Obtain written consent from all students and parents/guardians if students are minors.
- Schools should convene a working group that includes community mental health services, parents, community resource groups, school staff and support personnel, school administration, and other important representatives. This group will need to carefully determine the value of school-wide screening and connect with other schools that have completed a school-wide screening to identify pros and cons.
- All school staff need to complete a gatekeeper training before implementing any school-wide or curriculum-based screening program.
- Schools should have a working crisis team and policies/protocols for dealing with suicidal youth or staff members.
- All parents must “opt in” to any school-wide screening, be offered gatekeeper training, and be provided a copy of the screener. They must receive resources that include information about free or sliding-scale mental health services and community resource lists that provide support for daily needs.
- Schools must identify clinicians who will offer immediate assessments to students who show signs of suicidality as there may be several false positives from screening programs.
- Schools must plan how they will review all screenings before students leave school for the day.
- Schools must identify and traing staff to follow up with students who screen positive so that they receive timely mental health access.
For information on the controversial nature and efficacy of universal screenings, see Suicide Screening in Schools, Primary Care and Emergency Departments or Service Use by At-Risk Youth after School-Based Suicide Screening
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Idaho Protocols for Suicide Intervention in Schools
Schools can convey that they value and care for their students and staff by implementing best practices’ suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention plans.
The best intervention programs are successful because good training precedes them, allowing school communities to identify students at risk quickly and safely, and to follow-up regularly and monitor these students. Thankfully, good prevention and intervention lessen the need for postvention programs.
Idaho Code §33-136(3)(a) states “Each public school district shall adopt a policy on student suicide prevention. Such policy shall, at a minimum, address procedures relating to suicide prevention, intervention and postvention.
The following guidelines are largely excerpted from Preventing Suicide: A Toolkit for High Schools published by SAMSHA.
Intervention Program Goals
- Identify and respond to students at risk for suicide in a prescribed manner while keeping both the student and classmates safe.
- Utilize Regional Clinical Case Managers through BPA Health to connect home, student, and school for continuity of care.
- Set up pre-arranged building contact(s) for the preliminary screening and subsequent follow up of the student.
- Refer students at risk to recognized mental health programs which may include emergency personnel (ambulance or police) and designate people who make calls to these agencies and the required notification to parent/guardians.
- Have a pre-determined documentation plan, which must include dates and times of parent/guardian contacts and their responses.
- Help students integrate safely back into the school setting when appropriate.
- Monitor the student and adjust activities as needed after integration.
- Provide school or staff support if needed .
- Reach out for support from Idaho Youth Suicide Prevention Program or the Idaho Department of Education as needed.
Critical Pre-Planning
- The entire school community must be trained in prevention and intervention and then act accordingly. The school community includes administration, custodians, bus drivers, teachers, students, aides, lunchroom workers, regular volunteers, etc., so that they are ready to respond at the initial identification of students at risk. Protocols should be regularly discussed at staff or professional development meetings, and new staff and substitutes should be provided an opportunity to learn these protocols. If the district/school has a handbook for staff and substitutes, these protocols should be included.
- Schools should access Regional Clinical Case Managers (RCCMs) for support. RCCMs provide free services both to the school and family to:
- Advocate for the youth throughout the treatment and transition process.
- Act as liaisons among the family, behavioral health or emergency department, the school, and the student.
- Participate in school re-entry teams, if applicable, to support implementation of behavioral health goals.
- Provide youth suicide assessment services when the family has no other access to assessment resources.
- Pre-screening of agencies that can offer mental health help to the student and family is important so the intervention is effective. These agencies must include those that take sliding-scale fees and that are willing to work with the school to re-integrate the student. Consider agencies that have training in assessing and managing suicide risk and experience working with youth.
- Emergency personnel and police, including school resource officers and security, should be involved in planning so all parties understand procedures and their roles in managing the situation.
- Protocols should be available for times when parents/guardians are unavailable or when they refuse to take their child (deemed critical) to receive mental health services.
- Confidentiality rights must be explained and understood by anyone involved.
- Cultural issues and language barriers must be addressed, and protocols set up to accommodate these students and their families’ needs in a crisis.
NOTE: A crisis that affects a classroom or a group of students may require post-attempt work, including a letter/email sent to all parents/guardians with resources to support their own children. (Confidentiality issues apply here. Know your district’s confidentiality policies.) Classroom discussions about the incident, other than to debrief students involved, should be avoided. Staff involved with the student should receive appropriate information within the confines of confidentiality.For additional information see Questions for Guiding Intervention Set Up.
Screener Protocol
NOTE: USE OF A SUICIDE SCREENING TOOL IS NOT PROHIBITED BY 2023 IDAHO LEGISTLATION RESULTING IN NEW LANGUAGE UNDER IDAHO CODE SECTION 33-6001(7).
After a student is identified and is in the custody of the person prepared to administer the screening tool, this person should follow specific guidelines.
- Never leave the student alone until they are in custody of the parent/guardian, mental health authority, or emergency personnel.
- Use screening tools carefully to assess the extent of the threat to self or others.
- Follow through with parent/guardian regardless of the screening outcome. If a student is deemed likely to make a suicide attempt or harm others, also contact the agency where the parent and student are to go and ask that the agency to call you if they fail to show up in a timely fashion. If parents seem reluctant or embarrassed, use some ideas from Engaging the Parent to alleviate their discomfort. Confirm parent/guardian contact (See Confirmation of Parental Contact Form).
- Follow up with the parent and the mental health agency and ask parents to sign a Release of Information (ROI) with that agency. (Use your district’s ROI or use the Exchange of Information Form. Best practice suggests obtaining the parent signature during the initial visit in your presence when possible.
- Debrief those involved — the student, teacher, and/or school personnel who originally identified the student at risk (See Self-Care for Adults). Confidentiality issues apply here. Know your district’s confidentiality policies.
- Decide with the parent/guardian and the mental health agency how and when the student is to return (See Sample Student Re-Entry Plan).
- Document all the preceding steps (See Document Actions List).
- NO STUDENT WITH ASCERTAINED RISK SHOULD BE SENT HOME ALONE. The student should be accompanied by an adult who is informed of the situation and to whom you have provided a list of resources, including those related to means restriction. The adult cannot leave the child until they are in custody of a parent/guardian, emergency personnel or other designated adult.
For a specific and comprehensive list of intervention actions for school counselors please see Helping Suicidal Youth: Detailed steps for Counselors.
Other Intervention Considerations
Screening Tool: Each school must find an evidence-based screening tool fit its needs, such as the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale for Youth.
Effective screening tools should ask whether the student has lethal means - on person or accessible elsewhere.
Also, be sure to:
- Consult with other student services personnel and find out any other related information from teachers or peers, even if this is done after the original screening. Collect any current information about the student, such as, attendance, behavioral records, and previous evaluations from appropriate staff.
- Inform administration/crisis team of results of risk screening and determine next steps.
Avoid No-Suicide Contracts: No-suicide contracts should not be used. Such contracts normally consist of a written agreement between a person deemed at risk and their counselor/therapist in which the person at risk agrees not to attempt suicide. No-suicide contracts tend to be worded to instruct the person at risk what NOT to do rather than what To Do. Research also demonstrates that these contracts may increase hopelessness and may increase liability for the school.
Safety Plans Recommended: Instead of No Suicide Contracts use a safety plan. A safety plan is a concise, user-friendly crisis plan with a few simple statements. The development of the plan itself can help dilute the intense distress often experienced during intervention. Safety plan statements can be written on an index card, small piece of paper, typed and printed on card stock, or anything else that can be easily kept on one’s person or on their phone. Plans should focus on increasing feelings of belongingness and decreasing feelings of burdensomeness/ineffectiveness. (Joiner, 2005) Anyone can help a youth develop a safety plan, and the mental health clinician usually incorporates one as part of the treatment plan. The school crisis team member or counselor should be informed of this safety plan to better support the student upon return (See Safety Plan). In addition to the written safety plan, several phone apps are available for youth to use, both for suicide prevention and for other mental health issues:
Report Suspected Abuse or Neglect: When anyone has reasonable cause to suspect that a student has been, or is likely to be abused or neglected, they must make a report of suspected abuse or neglect to the proper authorities. In Idaho, school staff, as well as all adults, are mandated reporters. In Idaho, call 855-552-5437 to report child abuse or call your local police or SROs. If a school staff member determines that a student under age 18 appears to be at risk of attempting suicide or other serious harm or death, and the parent/guardian refuses to obtain services for them, a report should be made to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (IDHW) for negligence (failure to seek necessary mental health treatment). IDHW will conduct an assessment to determine if abuse or neglect exists and will engage the family to voluntarily meet the treatment needs of the child.
Lethal Means: Separate a suicidal student from lethal means if the means are on or near the student and if safe to do so. For example, if a weapon is near the student, such as in a backpack, leave the backpack and take the student to another room. If the student has pills on them, ask if you can hold the pills for them while you are talking.
Call the police when the student is in possession of a weapon, such as a gun, knife, or other dangerous item. Secure the area by either removing students to another classroom or area, or by preventing them from entering the room or area. Since lethal means must be removed without putting anyone in danger, immediately notify your school resource officers or local law enforcement agency. Law enforcement officers have special training to de-escalate a situation that can very quickly become dangerous. If a student requires evacuation by ambulance, the police need to be notified.
Guidelines for a Student Suicide Attempt on School Premises
- In classrooms or other small groups where the student was present during the crisis, offer a brief statement assuring others that the student who made the suicide attempt is receiving help. Keep the details of the attempt confidential, while addressing the facts of the situation in a respectful, non-glorifying way. Keep in mind that each situation is different. Remind students that this student has a mental health issue that will be addressed, just as if he or she had a broken leg or any other physical health problem. Ask students to please honor the privacy of this student.
- An at-school attempt warrants a letter/email sent to parents of all students, while maintaining the person who attempted's privacy as much as possible (See Sample Parent Email).
- Describe and promote resources for where students can get help both at school and in the all parent email.
- Notify all school staff about the incident in an internal staff email and request that they monitor students.
- Check in with close friends of the victim and students known to be vulnerable and offer support as needed.
- Conduct a mandatory informational debriefing for staff, administrators, and crisis response team members. Help other school staff by providing an opportunity to address feelings and concerns and conduct any necessary planning.
- Document actions taken as required by school protocol.
NOTE: Always consider requesting free assistance from the RCCMs through BPA Health at (208) 947-5155.
Guidelines for a Student Suicide Attempt off School Premises
A severe, life-threatening suicide attempt off school premises can have a significant impact on the student body. To prevent a crisis from escalating among students, it is important that school personnel follow these steps, or implement your school district’s crisis plan.
- The school administrator or designee must verify the crisis with emergency personnel or parents. Communicate with designated individuals, when needed to support the intervention process, such as crisis or student assistance team members, the school nurse, social worker, counselor or psychologist, emergency medical professionals, community crisis service providers, law enforcement and the superintendent.
- The superintendent or designee should alert principals at schools attended by siblings, who in turn will notify counselors, nurses, and others in a position to help siblings and other students who might be affected if the student’s parents agree.
- Mobilize the school-based crisis team, with support from community crisis service providers, to help staff address the reactions of other students. When other students know about a suicide attempt, steps must be taken to avoid imitation behavior among vulnerable at-risk students. (*Note: At-risk students may be friends and relatives of the student or other students who may not know the individual, but who themselves are at risk for other reasons.)
- Establish communication with the parent/guardian to determine intervention steps and how the school might be helpful and supportive to the student and family.
When a suicide attempt is severe and affects many of the students/staff, e.g., on social media, convene a staff meeting as quickly as is reasonable to address the issue of the crisis with the facts and how to proceed. Ask staff to monitor students for any signs of distress. If the suicide attempt is high profile or likely to result in death, an email message should be sent to all students’ parents alerting them of the attempt and providing them with resources (See All Parent Letter/Email). Alert the parents of the student who attempted that you will be sending this letter/email and that you will not identify the student, but that it is important to keep other vulnerable youth safe.
- Establish a plan for periodic contact with the student while away from school.
- If necessary, plan for class work assignments to be completed at home. If the student is unable to attend school for an extended period, determine how to help the student complete their requirements, e.g., homebound instruction (See Sample Student Re-Entry Plan).
NOTE: Always consider requesting free assistance from the RCCMs through BPA Health at (208) 947-5155.
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Idaho School Response Guidelines for Suicide and Sudden Death
IYSPP provides support after any sudden death — youth or adult — that affects a school or school community, not just death by suicide. Postvention is most effective and successful when the response begins immediately. Knowing that some students and adults might be affected by a sudden death occurring outside of the school year, IYSPP provides postvention support year-round.
Why Postvention is Important
Swift and appropriate suicide crisis response and postvention are critical to maintaining student and staff safety. Good postvention is suicide prevention. In addition, postvention:
- Identifies individuals who need a suicide screening, referral, or additional follow-up
- Provides support to grieving and/or traumatized victims
- Reduces the likelihood of imitation
Suicide crisis response and postvention are critical as they
- Maintain student and staff safety.
- Provide support to grieving or traumatized victims.
- Screen or refer and follow-up with those who may need more support.
- Reduce the likelihood of imitation for suicide, other self-harm, and violent crises.
Idaho Code §33-136(3)(a) states “Each public school district shall adopt a policy on student suicide prevention. Such policy shall, at a minimum, address procedures relating to suicide prevention, intervention and postvention. As used in this paragraph, 'postvention' means counseling or other social care given to students after another student’s suicide or attempted suicide.” Postvention is also necessary after any sudden death that affects the students or staff of a school regardless of manner of death.
Responsibilities of School Principal or Designee
- Verify the death with law enforcement, coroner’s office, hospital, or family of the deceased. IMPORTANT: The death may be labeled a suicide ONLY AFTER it has been confirmed as such by the coroner, law enforcement or the family. This determination may take weeks. See the note below if family does not want the death identified as suicide.
- Convene Crisis Response Team immediately.
- Contact the family of the deceased to express condolences, offer support, ask what students should be told and inquire about funeral arrangements.
- Inform 1) your school district office, 2) the Idaho Department of Education at (208) 332-6960, and 3) administrators of schools where siblings are enrolled or where the deceased recently attended. In tribal communities, the Bureau of Indian Education may notify main offices that notify principals.
- Notify staff. If news of the death is received before the start of the school day, ensure all staff have been contacted via phone tree before start of school and are advised how the school response will proceed. Set up a staff planning session before the school day. Be sure to consider staff who are not regularly part of the school but who may need to know, such as regular substitutes, after-school coaches, leaders of off-campus groups, relevant bus drivers, etc. Please note that some staff members may be significantly affected by the death and be unable to be at that school. If news is received during the school day, use your Crisis Response procedures for proper handling of staff notification (See Staff Notification Example).
- Act as the media spokesperson. Direct all staff to refer all media requests to principal or designee (See Media Sample Statement). A prompt response to the media is critical to help mitigate rumors. When speaking with media, focus on the positive steps of the school’s postvention plan to help students through the immediate crisis. Offer warning signs and resources where parents and students can get help. If the media is talking about the death as a suicide, remind media of safe messaging guidelines (See Recommendations for Reporting on Suicide).
- Ensure office personnel are prepared to deal with calls and in-person visitors concerned with the death (See Office Personnel Phone and Visitor Protocol).
- Schedule a time and place for an after school de-briefing for school personnel to provide emotional support and review next steps.
- Notify all parents of the death without naming the deceased. Every parent has a right to know about a death that can affect their child. Provide information about your school’s response including support services available to students at school, signs of grief, ideas to help (See What Helps) and other community resources, including the hotline number and warning signs if the death is a suicide (See Parent Sample Email).
- 10. Provide information about the death and funeral arrangements to parents of other students when approved by the family of the deceased and after details become available. Please include in the notification that If students wish to attend the service, parents need to attend with their child. (See Students at the Funeral below).
Only refer to the death as a suicide if 1) verified as a suicide by the coroner, law enforcement or the family and 2) the family of the deceased does not object. Otherwise, refer to it as a sudden death. If the family objects, it may be helpful to have someone from school administration or counseling who has a good relationship with the family contact them and explain that students are already talking, texting, or using social media to discuss the death and that talking with the students about suicide can help keep students safe. If they still object, schools can state in notifications, “The family has requested that information about the cause of death not be shared at this time.” The school may then go on with suicide postvention activities without referring to this death as a suicide. Let the family know that the school will be sending out an email with general support and resources to all students’ parents so that they can watch for signs of concern in their own children. A school’s main responsibility is to keep all youth safe.
Keep the school open and return to normal after initial response. It is expected that school routine may not be normal for every student for the first few hours after initial notification. For safety purposes, permit students to leave school early only with parental permission and documentation and ask parents to pick up their children in person. If parents are unable to pick up and stay with their children, the students need to remain at school to ensure safety. Implement an enhanced system of tracking student attendance. Follow regular school routines to the extent possible.
DO NOT announce news of the death over the loudspeaker or in school assembly. Refer to Crisis Response Team protocols below for proper handling of student notification.
DO NOT empty the deceased’s locker without first contacting the family. The family of the deceased may prefer to do this in privacy or to have school personnel do it for them. Provide quiet time and support to meet their wishes. If the locker becomes a memorial, let students know that items outside will be collected and shared with the family after of the funeral. Inform students that following the funeral, the school will no longer keep memorials.
Responsibilities of School Crisis Response Team
The school Crisis Response Team manages the emotional fallout within the school community to decrease the potential for imitation (copycat behavior). The team will likely meet several times during the first day.
- Ensure that the death has been verified by the principal. Always stick to the known facts of the case only.
- Implement counseling support plan to:
- Assess what resources are needed. Consider requesting resources from neighboring school districts, enlisting pre-screened available mental health services, and contacting clergy, if appropriate.
- Clarify responsibilities for support of school personnel, students, and parents with regard to grief counseling, debriefing, etc.
- Designate rooms and personnel for students in crisis. Keep student groups as small as possible in designated rooms. Do not allow bereaved students to congregate in halls or allow large groups of students to congregate anywhere on school ground without adult supervision. .
- Coordinate with district or community mental health services for additional resources.
- Implement communication plan, which should include:
- Writing or reviewing existing scripts for office personnel or other designee — not students — for answering the phone, a staff announcement, a student announcement (by classroom), and parent letter/email. Scripts should be honest and direct (See Classroom Announcements Scripts and Staff Instructions).
- Notifying staff. If news of the event happens before the start of the school day, or if phone tree notifications were not implemented before the start of school, conduct a staff planning session before starting class. If news of the event happens during the school day hold a brief staff meeting during the next available break. Substitutes may be needed if teachers are unable to return to class. (See Guidelines for Staff Session)
- Notifying closest friends of deceased, if known. Keep in mind the family of the deceased may have the best information about which students were friends and might be at risk. Individually notify any students who may be particularly at risk. Student services staff need to provide immediate and ongoing support.
- Notifying all staff and students. Read announcement from a written message, class by class as simultaneously as possible as resources allow. Provide special support in classes of the deceased student including a student support person to sit in the deceased’s desk throughout the day, or for any teacher or student needing assistance. Pay close attention to students who have attempted suicide or have previously experienced any loss (See Youth Suicide: Helping Your Student).
- Ensuring notification of other schools where there are siblings or others who may be affected, including schools where the deceased student was engaged in extracurricular activities or schools where they recently attended.
Other Important Considerations for the Crisis Team
- Consider Manner of Death: If the death has not been verified to be a suicide by the coroner, law enforcement, or the family, refer to it as a sudden death.
- Squelch Rumors: Rumors create more anxiety and trauma. If anyone is sharing undocumented information, take them aside and ask them to keep other vulnerable students safe by sharing only what is determined to be fact.
- If the Family Objects: If the death HAS been determined to be a suicide, but the family objects to that determination being shared, honor the family’s wishes. For the announcements, use “sudden death”. However, if students ask or talk about this death as a suicide, tell them that since the topic of suicide has come up, we can discuss suicide prevention. Be sure to provide students with the hotline number and warning signs and ask them what trusted adult they will talk to if they are concerned about a friend or themselves. Let the family of the deceased know that the school is sending an email for families to watch for suicide warning signs in their own students.
- Exercise Discretion in All Notifications: How we talk about suicide and other sudden deaths matters.
- AVOID EXCESSIVE DETAIL, e.g., discussion of method of death, details of location.
- o Honor the victim deceased but do not glorify them or the death.
- Do not vilify the deceased.
- Provide resources known-to-be safe and appropriate.
- Staff to Follow the Deceased's Schedule: Assign a staff member to follow the deceased student’s schedule, even sit in the deceased’s chair, to observe reactions and comments of students and follow-up as necessary. Let students know that seating assignments will be re-arranged after the funeral.
- Watch for Others at Risk: Identify, monitor, and assist students who are considered at risk for suicide. Follow-up with these individuals and their families, and the school should continue checking in for as long as necessary. All school staff should be especially sensitive to students who are particularly affected by the death such as the deceased’s close friends, peer groups, teams, clubs, etc., including activities at other schools. These students may need to talk about their reactions. Attention to these students may prevent future suicidal behavior. Keep in mind that in small schools, this may mean every student (See Youth Suicide: Helping Your Students).
- Deceased’s Siblings Re-entry: Consider and provide accommodations for reintegration of the deceased student’s siblings. Ensure this is addressed if siblings attend a different school. (See Re-try for Student Loss Survivors)
- Keep Staff Updated: Conduct daily debriefing with faculty and staff during the crisis and postvention periods.
- Document: Document activities as dictated by school protocols.
- Manage Social Media: Document social media posts and memorial pages by taking pictures of them before they are taken down, usually 30-60 days after death. Documentation is important as each crisis presents an opportunity to improve the process for handling the next crisis and can help keep schools safe from liability. Use the school’s social media accounts to post resources and helpful, hopeful messaging.
Memorial Activities
Help students find a way to grieve without allowing inappropriate memorial activities. Avoid any activities that glorify, glamorize, or sensationalize the death. Ensure your school has an established policy about memorial activities. “Schools can play an important role in channeling the energy and passion of the students (and greater community) in a positive direction, balancing the community’s need to grieve with the impact that the proposed activity will likely have on students, particularly on those who might be vulnerable to imitation. The school should prioritize protecting students who might be vulnerable to imitation over what might comfort students who want to remember the deceased student" (After a Suicide: A Toolkit for Schools).
Please note: Memorials need to be the same for any student death regardless of manner. Administration needs to proactively and carefully consider the establishment of any permanent marker for any student death. School staff are advised to make assertive, proactive efforts to guide students in the direction of safe activities for grieving and honoring the student who died. Guidelines that safely honor the deceased are below.
Do Not Allow Allow AVOID that which other vulnerable youth may see as a way to receive recognition for considering suicide. ALLOW that which honors the student who died and can help the living. Do not allow memorial services within the school building. Assign support staff to attend the funeral service to help monitor students during the service. Do not send all students to the funeral or cancelling classes for the funeral. Allow donations collected for the bereaved family, charities, suicide prevention efforts or youth support programs. Do not fly the flag at half-mast. Suggest positive notes or memories written by those students and staff who wish to be given to the family. Do not allow large student assemblies about the deceased or a moment of silence at assemblies, games, or other activities. Allow students to leave memorials at the deceased’s locker up to five days or until the day of the funeral, whichever comes first. Do not allow permanent memorials of any kind, e.g. plaques, trees, benches, retirement of a sports jersey, photos of the deceased on school walls or in display cases, etc. Allow pages in school newspapers or yearbooks that treat the dedication equally with that of any other death. Common guidelines suggest a small photograph, name, birth and death dates and something positive about what they did while living. Do not allow visual displays of the deceased’s image, name, death date, etc., on posters, bracelets, t-shirts, or other attire. If this occurs, tell students of the dangers it poses to other vulnerable youth. Do not dedicate of sports events or other events to the deceased. Other Important Postvention Elements
Social Media: Assign an appropriate school official to monitor social media related to the deceased student such as TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages. In some cases, the site many need to be taken down particularly if posts or comments are unsafe or traumatizing. Remind parents to monitor their own children’s social media accounts for concerns.
Self-Care: Remember self-care during this process! Be aware of your own emotional response to these events and take care of yourself (See Self Care for Adults).
Students at the Funeral: Suggest to the family, if possible, to hold the funeral after-school hours so staff and students might attend. When emailing parents, remind them that attending the funeral with their children will greatly support and help keep students safe.
These guidelines are meant as a basic list of critical functions for school postvention. For a complete postvention guide, see After a Suicide: A Toolkit for Schools published by SAMSHA.
For grief support see Children, Teens and Suicide Loss Flip Book published by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
For immediate or ongoing questions or concerns, contact the Idaho Department of Education at (208) 332-6960. If you feel any student or staff poses an immediate threat to self or others, contact the Idaho Crisis & Suicide Hotline at 988, or call 911 if the person has lethal means.
For more information on school-related suicide prevention, intervention and postvention, visit www.sprc.org.
How to Report a Death & Request Support Services
If your school or school community experiences a sudden death, please contact Hannah Crumrine at hcrumrine@sde.idaho.gov or (208) 332-6816. You may text (208) 921-9422 outside of regular business hours. The sooner IYSPP receives notification, the sooner we can provide critical support.
Once we receive notification of a loss, our postvention specialist will immediately connect with the appropriate school personnel by phone. Your school will be provided a consultation and follow-up email that includes a discussion of protocols and other resources for school personnel, the family of the deceased, and all students and families. When requested, continued support is available including additional mental health support and IYSPP follow-up debrief visits.
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Research has shown that the time of highest risk for those who have been treated for a suicide attempt or serious suicide ideation is right after they receive those services. Follow-up during this period is critical and saves lives.
In partnership with BPA Health, IYSPP offers free clinical regional support services for youth and their families that include:
- Peer-to-peer suicide attempt survivor support group: the clinicians co-facilitate peer-to-peer suicide attempt survivor support groups for young adults statewide.
- Post-attempt or serious suicide ideation follow-up services: the clinicians act as an advocate for students who have made a suicide attempt or have had treatment due to serious suicide ideation, and as a liaison among the student, their family, their school and their mental health provider, or provider agency.
- Suicide assessments when other resources are unavailable: the clinicians provide suicide assessments for youth in cases where the family has no other resources for such an assessment.
Services are available to youth up to age 24 and are provided by Regional Clinical Case Managers.
Please call the IYSPP/BPA Health Referral Line to request any of these services at (208) 947-5155, Monday – Friday from 9 am to 5 pm MT.
If you or someone you know is experiencing an emotional or suicide crisis, contact the Idaho Crisis & Suicide Hotline by calling or texting 988.
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The safety of our students is job one. Ensuring that messaging is safe, and even more important, effective, is a critical element in protecting students’ emotional well-being and preventing severe distress, self-injury, and suicide. All students are affected by school-based messaging and vulnerable students can be deeply affected in ways that increase risk if messages are not appropriate. The next sections will provide more detailed information related to safe and unsafe messages and activities.
Areas considered messaging platforms include:
- Classrooms
- Education and awareness campaigns or materials (posters, PSAs, flyers, giveaways, etc.)
- Fundraising appeals
- Public presentations
- Publicity for events and observances
- School assemblies and announcements
- School websites, newsletters, and blogs
- Social media
- Any other public-facing messages or materials
Avoiding messages that are unsafe and/or ineffective is important. Some messages about suicide can increase the possibility that already vulnerable individuals might consider suicide themselves. Increased risk can be associated with the following “Don’ts” of messaging:
- Don’t show or describe suicide methods or locations. Pictures or detailed descriptions of how or where a person died by suicide can encourage imitation or serve as a “how-to” guide.
- Don’t include personal details of people who have died by suicide. Vulnerable individuals may identify with the personal or situational details of someone who died by suicide, encouraging them to end their own lives. Avoid “she was depressed” or “he was bullied.”
- Don’t glorify or romanticize suicide. Portraying suicide as a heroic, romantic, or honorable act may encourage vulnerable people to view it more positively or lead them to desire the positive attention garnered by someone who has died by suicide.
- Don’t normalize suicidal behavior by presenting it as common or acceptable. Although we don’t want to minimize the magnitude of the suicide problem, we also don’t want to imply that suicidal behavior is acceptable, normal, or what most people do in a given circumstance. The majority of people who face adversity, mental illness, and other challenges – even those in high risk groups – do not die by suicide, but instead find support, treatment, or other healthy ways to cope.
- Don’t use data or language that suggests suicide is inevitable or unsolvable. Describing suicide as an “epidemic,” using terms like “bullycide,” or providing extensive statistics about suicide without solutions or action steps are examples of messaging that can make suicide seem too overwhelming to address. These practices also contribute to normalizing suicide (described above) and add to an overall negative narrative about suicide by implying that nothing can be done about it.
- Don’t oversimplify causes. Suicides result from a complex interplay of factors.
- Avoid attributing suicide to a single cause or circumstance (e.g., job loss, break-up, bullying, high stress, or being gay or Native American). Presenting suicide as an understandable or inevitable response to a difficult situation or membership in a group can create a harmful “social script” that discourages other ways of coping.
- Avoid portraying suicide as having no cause. Describing suicidal behavior as the inexplicable act of an otherwise healthy or high-achieving person may encourage identification with the person who died and convey that suicide cannot be prevented. It is also a missed opportunity to educate about warning signs and how to respond to them.
- Don’t reinforce negative stereotypes, myths, or stigma related to mental illnesses or suicidal persons. This may shift beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors in the wrong direction. Examples:
- Messages linking particular groups with high rates of suicide or mental illness, especially without examples of effective interventions or stories of recovery, may inadvertently increase negative beliefs or discriminatory behaviors towards that group.
- Messaging themes such as “breaking the stigma of mental illness” or other language that reiterates the extent to which stigma is a problem may serve to reinforce stigma, rather than countering it. Instead, reinforce positive norms, e.g., “mental health disorders are treatable.”
- Adjectives like “successful” suicide, “unsuccessful” suicide,” and “failed attempt” inappropriately define a suicide death as a success and a nonfatal attempt as a failure. Terms such as “committed suicide” (associated with crimes or sins), can reinforce stigmatizing attitudes about people who die by suicide.
- Don’t sensationalize or permanently memorialize an individual’s death by suicide.
Do acknowledge a loss of an individual by suicide and give ongoing support to family and friends impacted by suicide (for more information, see Memorials). - Don’t create a false norm or sense that everyone is suicidal or that dying by suicide is common.
Do raise awareness of suicide as a significant health issue. - Don’t try to shock or make teens (or general public) aware of suicide by giving descriptive details of death or by focusing on methods used in a suicide attempt or fatality.
Do give messages of hope and strength and highlight how individuals have recovered. - Don’t focus messaging around sad or traumatic stories.
Do focus on where help is available, hope-based stories, and stories of resilience and recovery. - Don’t assume that if you talk about suicide it will make others become suicidal.
Do use care in how you present suicide prevention messages and with the size of the group being presented to. - Don’t allow overextended, distressed, or stressed teens to over-involve themselves in suicide prevention efforts where it harms rather than heals.
Do assist these teens in maintaining some balance in their lives and making healthy decisions. - Don’t allow students to give public, negative messages about not trusting, blaming, nobody cares, or messages that add to a group’s sense of hopelessness.
Do talk about the importance of hope and help messages with students, rehearse public messaging, and encourage corrective and helpful feedback from other peers. - Don’t allow vulnerable youth early in recovery from depression, addiction or suicidality to tell highly personal stories in public that may harm or embarrass them. Also, don’t allow them to present as the “all knowing community expert.”
Do provide them with individual and small group supports and encourage maturity and listening to others in their healing and recovery process. - Don’t take natural student leaders for granted.
Do provide a variety of ways they are being recognized and honored for the good work they are doing.
Using factual and appropriate terminology is important when discussing suicide. By using correct terminology, suicide attempt and loss survivors experience lessened stigma. For mental health providers and suicide prevention professionals, using consistent terminology increases the accuracy of understanding in communication with one another. As the suicide prevention field evolves, terminology will continue to change. Current guidelines on terminology are listed below.
Avoid: “Committed suicide” – This gives the false impression that suicidal people are committed to dying by suicide. Most, even highly, suicidal people are ambivalent about their deaths because they do not desire death. They want an end to their severe emotional pain and are unable to see another way to relieve it. “Committed” is also usually associated with sins or crimes which carry negative connotations.
Instead use: “died by suicide”
Avoid: “Completed suicide” – This terminology implies achieving a desired outcome whereas those involved in the mission of “reducing disease, premature death, and discomfort and disability” (J. Last, Dictionary of Epidemiology 1988) would view this event as undesirable.
Instead use: “died by suicide”
Avoid: “Failed attempt” – This terminology gives a negative impression of the person’s action, implying an unsuccessful effort aimed at achieving death.
Instead use: “suicide attempt”
Avoid: “Successful suicide” – This term also implies achieving a desired outcome whereas those involved in the mission of “reducing disease, premature death, and discomfort and disability” would view this event as undesirable.
Instead use: “suicide” or “died by suicide”
Avoid: “Suicide epidemic” – Though the impact of suicide on those left in its wake may make it seem so, suicide is not at epidemic levels and using such overstatements can lead vulnerable individuals to normalize suicide or feel that it is inevitable for them when, in fact, death by suicide is statistically rare and recovery from suicidality is the norm.
Instead use: “suicide is a critical public health issue”
Using a positive narrative as part of public messaging is especially important as this promotes the positive aspects of suicide prevention rather than emphasize the negative. We need to change our focus to hope, help and strength rather than sad, shock and trauma, and create positive stories about suicide prevention. Examples of promoting the positive include:
- Effective programs and services exist
- Help is available
- Prevention works
- Resilience and recovery are possible and are the norm
- There are actions that people can take to help prevent suicide
Announcements: In the event of a student death, do not announce the news of the death over the loudspeaker or in a school assembly. It is difficult to keep eyes on all students at once, especially those who may be particularly vulnerable to the news of a suicide death. Announcing the death, from a written script, classroom by classroom is the safest and most effective way to share the news. A communication plan for announcements should be implemented.
Assemblies: Holding school-wide assemblies after a suicide death to honor the victim or to discuss suicide prevention efforts can be detrimental to student safety if not done in a safe and effective way. By gathering a large audience of students into one place, staff are unable to see individual students in a way that would allow them to identify vulnerable and at-risk youth more readily.
Assemblies such as these held at the end of the school day can also be extremely dangerous. Some students may leave school and not have appropriate supervision after receiving potentially harmful and confusing information about suicide, suicide prevention and mental health diagnoses. This does not mean that stories about real struggles and death should not be discussed. However, they need to be discussed in a way that focuses on resilience, strength, help and hope, and ensures that suicide is not portrayed as inevitable or hopeless in any way.
Mental Health & Suicide Screenings: If a school plans to conduct mental health and suicide screenings (e.g. BDI, ACES, PHQ) they must use extreme caution. A school should never conduct school-wide suicide screenings unless they meet the following requirements:
- Screening is conducted with properly trained screeners
- Evidence-based screening tool and process is used
- All screenings are reviewed before students go home for the day
- The school has enough in-school resources to review and assess all screenings
- The school has the mental health resources needed for proper referrals
- The school has enough staff to conduct proper follow-up with all referred students
Memorials: Do not allow inappropriate memorials or activities after a suicide death. Avoid any activities that glorify, glamorize, or sensationalize the death. Avoid anything other vulnerable youth may see as a way to receive recognition for considering suicide.
Do Not Allow Allow Memorial services within the school building. Donations collected for the bereaved family, charities, suicide prevention efforts or youth support programs. Sending all students to the funeral or cancelling classes for the funeral. Positive notes or memories written by those students and staff who wish, to be given to the family. Large student assemblies about the victim or a moment of silence at assemblies. Dedication pages in school newspaper or yearbooks that treat the dedication equally with that of others and follow safe guidelines (limit information to name, birth date/year, death date/year). Permanent markers or memorials of any kind. Flying the flag at half-mast. Suicide Prevention (or other focus area) “Weeks”
Rather than focusing on a specific issue with a negative connotation, schools should focus on the positive opposite. Like the messaging examples above, dedicating an entire school week should have a positive spin that promotes messages of hope, strength, resilience, and recovery.
For example, host a “Wellness Week” instead of a “Suicide Prevention Week.” Each day can focus on a different strength or different ways of help seeking rather than something sad or traumatic that leave the youth in a potentially harmful and vulnerable place. For more information, watch The Happy Secret to Better Work by Shawn Achor.
Resource Files
Brochures
Materials & Tools
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- Adult 18+ Coping Card: Stress and Anxiety
- Belongingness and Capability Activities
- Ideas for Schools to Create Connection
- Safety Guidelines for Schools
- Youth Coping Card: Stress and Anxiety
- Youth Suicide Prevention - Helping Your Children Brochure | (Printable Version)
- Youth Suicide Prevention - Helping Your Friends Brochure | (Printable Version)
- Youth Suicide Prevention - Helping Your Students Brochure | (Printable Version)
- Youth Suicide Prevention - Reduce Access to Lethal Means Brochure | (Printable Version)
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- Adult 18+ Safety Plan: Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Safety Plan
- Adult 18+ Safety Plan: Suicide Ideation Safety Plan
- All Parent/Guardian Notification of Serious Attempt Letter/Email
- Confirmation of Parental Contact Form
- Documented Actions List
- Engaging the Parent
- Exchange of Information Form
- Helping Suicidal Youth: Guidelines for Counselors
- Questions for Guiding Intervention Set Up
- Self-Care for Adults
- Student Re-Entry Plan
- What Helps with Suicide Ideation and Post-Attempt
- Youth Safety Plan: Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Safety Plan
- Youth Safety Plan: Suicide Ideation Safety Plan
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources of Strength is a best practice youth suicide prevention program designed to harness the power of peer social networks to change unhealthy norms and culture, ultimately preventing risky behaviors. The mission of Sources of Strength is to “provide the highest quality, evidence-based prevention for suicide, violence, bullying and substance abuse, by training, supporting, and empowering both peer leader and caring adults to impact their world through the power of connection, hope, help and strength.”
Sources of Strength moves beyond a singular focus on risk factors by utilizing an upstream approach for youth suicide prevention. This upstream model strengthens multiple sources of support (protective factors) around young individuals so that when times get hard, they have strengths to rely on.
Sources of Strength is an evidence-based strategy has been promoted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Suicide Prevention Resource Center, and the National Institute for Mental Health. You can read more about the significant association between social connectedness and protection against suicidal thoughts and behaviors among adolescents in this two-part series (read Part 1 | read Part 2) as well as in this Sources of Strength Research Summary.
All public middle, junior, and senior high schools are eligible to apply for the program through the Idaho Youth Suicide Prevention Program’s annual grant application process. The number of schools selected varies each year and is dependent on funding availability.
In Idaho, the program is provided at no cost to schools selected to receive the program through the Idaho Youth Suicide Prevention Program grant application process.
Applications for Sources of Strength middle, junior, and high school training are typically released in late February or early March each year, and usually due in early April.
Schools are typically notified of selection by the end of April.
If your school is not selected, there are three other options you may consider:
- A school may self-fund. The IYSPP will provide a staff gatekeeper training, initial Sources of Strength training, and Sources of Strength Booster training at no cost. The school is responsible for purchasing the license and materials.
- A school may seek a sponsor for funding, like a local suicide prevention group, local community club, or other organization. The IYSPP will provide a staff gatekeeper training, initial Sources of Strength training, and Sources of Strength Booster training at no cost. The school is responsible for purchasing the license and materials.
- A school may reach out directly to Sources of Strength national for training. This training costs $5,000, includes Year 1 Sources of Strength initial training, license and materials kit.
Consideration for inclusion as a self-funded school is based on capacity and trainer availability. Schools will not be accepted after the spring semester has begun.
Yes! The Idaho Youth Suicide Prevention Program supports all Sources of Strength programs in Idaho. We also support all schools with suicide prevention regardless of whether they have a suicide prevention program like Sources of Strength.
No. Each school must apply individually. A district cannot apply on a single application or submit multiple applications for their schools. However, each school in a district can apply separately and we encourage them to collaborate.
Yes, each school selected through the grant application process receives a stipend of $2,500 to be spent on program implementation, and $500 of the $2,500 must go directly to Peer Leader campaigns.
Outside of the Idaho Youth Suicide Prevention Program grant application process, costs vary depending on the funder or provider. See “If we are not selected…” question for more details.
Your school will be required to:
- Have one staff person act as the main contact for the program.
- Recruit 4 – 10 (depending on school size and other guidance) personnel to act as Adult Advisors for the program. The time commitment is estimated at 4 hours per month. In some circumstances, someone other than a school staff member can be an Adult Advisor, e.g., a well-known, well-connected-to-the-school parent volunteer.
- Require Adult Advisors to participate in two full-day trainings in Year 1 and one full-day training in Year 2 and provide ongoing assistance to student Peer Leaders.
- Require all staff to attend one 2.5-hour suicide prevention gatekeeper training, Suicide Prevention Fundamentals Instruction™ (SPFI).
- Recruit a diverse group of students to act Peer Leaders; allow ALL Peer Leaders to attend one, full-day training, and allow them to conduct Sources of Strength campaigns, presentations, and other activities throughout the year.
- Provide appropriate meeting space for all trainings. The 2.5-hour suicide prevention gatekeeper training requires a room of sufficient size to hold all staff and equipment to project a PowerPoint presentation. The two, full-day trainings require a room of sufficient size to hold all Peer Leaders, Adult Advisors and the trainer(s) sitting in open chairs in a circle configuration. The room must not have ambient or other noise and must be conducive to conversation. Libraries, very large classrooms, or band/orchestra/choir rooms are usually best. Cafeterias and gymnasiums are not appropriate for this training.
- Arrange for lunch to be brought in for both full-day trainings.
- Obtain active parent/guardian consent for all participating Peer Leaders.
- Collect and report all data required by the Idaho Youth Suicide Prevention Program. This includes annual surveys of Adult Advisors and all staff, Peer Leaders, annual status reports and self-evaluation reports from Adult Advisors and Peer Leaders, and monthly Suicide Ideation Referral Forms from your schools mental health staff member(s), e.g., counselor, social worker, nurse. Most data collection tools are available electronically and take little time. Data related to the Source program will be returned to the schools so they may evaluate program effectiveness and utilize data for other funding opportunities.
Peer Leaders are integral to the success of the Sources of Strength program. They also ensure all students know they have trusted adults and strengths. Most successful Sources programs provide Peer Leaders with time during the school day to meet and plan activities. Schools have allowed Peer Leaders to meet during homeroom or advisory hours a couple of times per week/month depending on length of time, rotate through class periods once or twice a month so they only miss one class a semester, or create a class period for them and assign a leadership credit. Contact IYSPP for more information about creating and maintaining successful programs.
Sources of Strength Elementary is a universal classroom program for grades 3 – 6. The program incorporates the strength-based prevention approach used in middle, junior, and senior high schools. The elementary model continues to move further upstream, increasing health and wellness, and decreasing negative downstream outcomes through empowering individuals and communities full of connection, belonging and resilience. The content is designed to be delivered in 12 units with several lessons that build upon the unit topic. Lessons are approximately 30 minutes and typically facilitated one to two times per week by trained staff. You can learn more by visiting https://sourcesofstrength.org/elementary/.
The Idaho Youth Suicide Prevention Program received a one-time funding opportunity to “pilot” the Sources of Strength Elementary program during the 2020/2021 school year. Through a grant application process, 16 elementary schools were selected to receive the program and attended a two-day training where they learned about the content and developed the capacity to coach and support classroom instructors.
Based on the feedback received from these early adopters and the availability of continued funding, the Idaho Youth Suicide Prevention Program will determine whether a second grant opportunity will be opened for the 2021/2022 school year.
Yes, staff can earn one professional development credit through Boise State University. The cost is $60 and there are specific requirements that must be fulfilled. Please contact IYSPP at hcrumrine@sde.idaho.gov or (208) 999-0137 for more information.
Both Boise State University and the University of Idaho have Sources of Strength programs. The Idaho Youth Suicide Prevention Program Regional Coordinators will be asking schools for the names of graduating Peer Leaders so they can be welcomed to the BSU and U of I Sources programs. If you would like to join the team and have not been a Peer Leader, contact IYSPP at hcrumrine@sde.idaho.gov.
Whether you were a Peer Leader at an Idaho high school or an out-of-state high school, the Idaho Youth Suicide Prevention Program can help you identify colleges with Sources programs. Contact IYSPP at hcrumrine@sde.idaho.gov.
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The Idaho Youth Suicide Prevention Program offers two separate suicide prevention trainings. Both trainings are available to K-12 public schools, colleges, and universities at no cost.
Online training: QPR (Question, Persuade and Refer) Gatekeeper Training for Suicide Prevention is evidence-based and takes approximately two hours to complete. Access the training here.
In-person or virtual training: Suicide Prevention Fundamentals Instruction™ (SPFI) is evidence-informed and is 2.5 hours. This training is Idaho specific and covers intervention and postvention in addition to prevention. Please submit a training request form and you will be contacted to schedule your training.
To learn more about QPR (Question, Persuade and Refer), please visit the QPR Institute online.
Suicide Prevention Fundamentals Instruction Training for Schools Flyer.
Suicide prevention trainings are intended for adults who interact with youth or young adults. This may include, teachers, parents, administrators, school staff, grandparents, coaches, law enforcement, juvenile justice, clubs, youth group staff — anyone who interacts with youth and young adults. Anyone who has interactions with youth is in a position to notice suicide warning signs.
No, youth younger than 18 should not attend either suicide prevention training. The content is specifically for adults and allowing youth to attend may normalize suicide.
Yes, both trainings have been approved by the Idaho Department of Education toward an in-service credit for school personnel, and CEs are available for the SPFI training. Please contact IYSPP at hcrumrine@sde.idaho.gov or (208) 999-0137 for more information.
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Behavioral and medical providers will have an opportunity to participate in a training (or more) from David Rudd, PhD who is nationally known for his work in suicide prevention, assessment and treatment expert and is the co-creator of Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Suicide Prevention.
Look under the Events & Training tab for announcements about training dates and open registration. Idaho Youth Suicide Prevention Program staff will send a direct link for those who request it in advance as well as email our contacts.
Dr. Rudd’s training is free! However, space is limited so it is important to watch the website. When delivered in-person, participants are responsible for their own travel.
CEs are always offered, and CMEs and college credit may be available if their respective bodies approve. Please contact IYSPP at hcrumrine@sde.idaho.gov or (208) 999-0137 for more information.
A few months after completing the training, you will be sent a brief survey to see whether the training has been useful to you. If you choose, you may also have the opportunity to be listed as a Dr. Rudd-trained clinician. To be listed you will be contacted about your business information and your ability and willingness to take clients who are suicidal.
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If families have Medicaid, Optum Idaho has behavioral health assigned by region. In addition, IYSPP Regional Coordinators keep lists of resources for their area. Optum has expanded their program in summer 2020 to include special programs after school and in the summer for youth who qualify. Most insurance companies offer some limited services, so families should always contact their insurance provider first. To locate services that do not require insurance, call 211.
Regional Case Managers are available through BPA Health to assist youth, their families, schools, and behavioral health providers or agencies for free. These services apply if a young person has made a suicide attempt, or if a young person is experiencing serious suicidality that requires a suicide assessment and the family has no other assessment resource.
Contact your Regional Case Manager by calling the IYSPP BPA Health Referral Line at (208) 947-5155, Monday – Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm MT.
Many schools have professionals such as counselors, social workers, psychologists, or nurses designated to help with brief mental health interventions. Some schools contract with behavioral health services in the area who come to the school to provide services to students and families. Check with your school to see what services are offered.
If a student is suicidal and needs support, the school, or family should request assistance from a Regional Case Manager whose services may include assessing suicide risk, supporting the student and family throughout the crisis and helping with school re-entry if needed.
Contact your Regional Case Manager by calling the IYSPP BPA Health Referral Line at (208) 947-5155, Monday – Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm MT.
Check with your school counselor or administration to see what is available at your school and how to access those services. Always contact your insurance provider to see which providers are covered. The Idaho Crisis & Suicide Hotline welcomes calls, even non-crisis, and can advise on next steps for help. If this is a crisis, please call the Hotline at 988. Always dial 911 if a suicide is imminent.
BPA Health Regional Case Managers can provide suicide assessments for youth in cases where the family has no other resources for such an assessment. Contact your Regional Case Manager by calling the IYSPP BPA Health Referral Line at (208) 947-5155, Monday – Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm MT.
Costs vary and depend on the service. For instance, schools that have their own behavioral health teams may be able to assess the student or family needs and address them at the school. If a school determines more help is needed, they will make suggestions about local behavioral health agencies which provide information about the cost of their services. Some services may be free. Schools that have contracted with outside behavioral health providers may help set up appointments and places to meet. BPA Health Regional Case Managers are available to assist youth, their families, schools, and behavioral health agency or provider for free if this involves a suicide attempt or serious suicide risk.
The Idaho Crisis & Suicide Hotline welcomes calls from those who are in crisis or who are worried about someone else. School counselors are generally available to also screen in a mental health crisis or to help set up an appointment for a full assessment. Please do not wait if you are worried as you may save someone’s life. If you feel someone is imminently suicidal (they have lethal means and have stated that they are going to kill themselves), call 911. Be sure to restrict means unless doing so puts you in danger. Please also see the Help and Resources FAQ dropdown.
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Postvention is counseling or other social care given to students, staff or community members after a suicide or attempted suicide. “Postvention is a term used to describe activities that help people cope with emotional distress resulting from a suicide and prevent additional trauma that could lead to further suicidal behavior and deaths, especially among people who are vulnerable.” (After a Suicide: A Toolkit for Schools, AFSP, 2018).
The Idaho Youth Suicide Prevention Program provides postvention support to all Idaho schools and school communities in response to any sudden death which impacts students or schools, not just suicide.
Evidence-based postvention is really prevention as we never know who is vulnerable or at risk for suicide. School, colleges and workplaces… “need reliable information, practical tools, and pragmatic guidance to help the protect [those at risk], to communicate with the public and return to their primary mission of education students” [and conducting business]. (After a Suicide: A Toolkit for Schools, AFSP, 2018). Postvention also provides survivors of suicide loss ways to deal with loss in a safe way that promotes the grieving process and connects resources for continued healing.
If there has been a death in your school community, please alert Dr. Eric Studebaker with the Idaho Department of Education at (208) 404-1532. The Idaho Department of Education will contact the IYSPP team and our Program Specialist will reach out to offer support for implementing postvention guidelines. At your request, the IYSPP Program Specialist and Regional Coordinators are available to assist your school or school community.
A loss survivor has had a family member, co-worker, or close friend die by suicide. Attempt survivors engaged in a behavior(s) to end their lives.
The Idaho Youth Suicide Prevention Program is developing attempt survivor groups for young adults 18 years and older. Suicide attempt survivors who are interested will be asked to meet a few criteria to ensure group participation is helpful and positive. The groups are tentatively scheduled to be available in summer 2021.
Contact the IYSPP to locate an attempt survivor group for young adults 18 and older. More information will be available in 2021.
Suicide loss survivor support groups are available throughout the state. For a list of groups, see Idaho Suicide Loss Survivor Support Groups.
There are free youth loss survivor support groups in:
- Boise and Meridian through the Children’s Home Society of Idaho’s Touchstone grieving group.
- Lewiston through the Willow Center for Grieving Children.
- Twin Falls through Because Kids Grieve.
For youth, please see this Developmental Responses to Grief flipbook from the Dougy Center: The National Center for Grieving Children and Families.
You can order Loss Survivor Support Packets from the Suicide Prevention Program. The Idaho Youth Suicide Prevention Program can also provide your school with a support packet at your request.
Please visit the American Association of Suicidiology’s Suicide Loss Survivors webpage and download A Handbook for Coping with Suicide Grief as well as visit friendsforsurvivial.org.
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If they have made a serious attempt, call 911 or, if appropriate, take them to the ER. If someone is in a mental health or suicide crisis, contact the Idaho Crisis & Suicide Hotline at 988.
Please contact IYSPP at hcrumrine@sde.idaho.gov or (208) 999-0137 for additional information and resources to help support your school community.
If they have made a serious attempt, call 911 or, if appropriate, take them to the ER. If someone is in a mental health or suicide crisis, contact the Idaho Crisis & Suicide Hotline at 988.
Crisis centers are available in all seven regions of the state. If the young adult is in college, there may be on-campus support. You may always walk into an ER if you are very concerned. You might request that CIT-trained law enforcement come to assess the young adult for a 72-hour hold if deemed helpful. Be sure to apprise law enforcement of the situation; be sure the young adult knows what you are doing if appropriate and that he/she is unarmed. It is always okay to share what you have observed with any of the practitioners that become involved; however, if a young adult is over 18 and you do not have a confidentiality release, you will not be given information back.
For more information about helping those who have made an attempt, please contact IYSPP at hcrumrine@sde.idaho.gov or (208) 999-0137.
The first step is to call 911, and if you or another person can, try to identify the physical location of the person who is posting or threatening. Give as much specific information as you can to the police or campus security. If the post is an unspecified threat — vague, or not in crisis, immediately forward the post to the school/campus counselor, parent of the author or the hotline. Follow up with right away with a phone call to whomever you sent the post to ensure they got it and are alerted to your concerns.
If you cannot identify the person posting about suicide, reach out to the safety team of the social media application on which you found the posting. For a complete list of social media safety teams, see https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/help-someone-else/safety-and-support-on-social-media/.
Idaho Department of Health and Welfare established a Suicide Prevention Program (SPP) in 2016. The program oversees the coordination of statewide suicide prevention efforts. Please visit the SPP website to learn more about statewide efforts in addition to looking at the goals from the Idaho Suicide Prevention Plan.
It is critical that students who select suicide prevention as their project are mentored and monitored to ensure safety and accuracy of content. For guidance and assistance with this, please contact IYSPP at hcrumrine@sde.idaho.gov or (208) 999-0137.
Training Resources
Youth Training
IYSPP offers youth-specific trainings for youth up to age 24. IYSPP certified Sources of Strength trainers are available to provide Sources of Strength and Mini Sources trainings specific to youth suicide prevention. For information about Sources of Strength secondary and elementary trainings, please visit the Sources of Strength section. Gimzo’s Pawesome Guide to Mental Health for elementary schools is also available on a limited basis.
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The Mini Sources of Strength training is a condensed and abbreviated Sources of Strength Peer Leader training. This training is available for non-school youth groups, e.g., 4-H, after school programs, Boys and Girls Clubs, etc., and secondary school health classes. Through this fun and interactive training, youth learn to engage with the eight protective factors depicted in the wheel of strength and how to identify and reach out to trusted adults.
The training is 1 to 2 hours, can be facilitated in-person or virtually, and can be tailored to specific audiences. The training is for youth 24 years or younger. Please complete this form to request a Mini Sources of Strength training.
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Gizmo’s Pawesome Guide to Mental Health is an evidence-informed, upstream mental health and wellness program for students from grades 2 to 5. The program materials feature Gizmo and his friends (actual therapy dogs) to focus on healthy coping, emotional regulation, and reaching out to trusted adults. IYSPP periodically provides the Gizmo materials kits and online curriculum access to elementary schools in Idaho for free.
Please contact Hannah Crumrine to request information about availability.
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IYSPP provides Sources of Strength to middle, junior, and senior high schools through our annual grant program. Since 2014, we have helped more than 150 secondary schools implement this program. Depending on certified trainer availability and program capacity, IYSPP may be able to accommodate additional schools outside of the grant program. Sources of Strength for elementary schools is also periodically available.
Interested Schools
Sources of Strength is a best practice youth suicide prevention program designed to harness the power of peer social networks to change unhealthy norms and culture, ultimately preventing risky behaviors. The mission of Sources of Strength is to “provide the highest quality, evidence-based prevention for suicide, violence, bullying and substance abuse, by training, supporting, and empowering both peer leaders and caring adults to impact their world through the power of connection, hope, help and strength.”
Sources of Strength moves beyond a singular focus on risk factors by utilizing an upstream approach for youth suicide prevention. This upstream model strengthens multiple sources of support (protective factors) around young individuals so that when times get hard, they have strengths to rely on.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can my school receive the Sources of Strength program?
All public middle, junior, and senior high schools are eligible to apply for the secondary program through the Idaho Youth Suicide Prevention Program’s annual grant application process. The number of schools selected varies each year and is dependent on funding availability.
All public elementary schools are eligible to apply for the elementary program through a similar grant application process. The elementary grant is offered periodically. Please check back for information about future grant opportunities.
Does the Sources of Strength program cost money?
In Idaho, the program is provided at no cost to those schools selected to receive the program through the IYSPP grant application process for the first two years of implementation. At year three, schools become responsible for program re-licensure through Sources of Strength at a minimal annual cost. Ongoing, non-financial support from IYSPP is always provided.
When does the grant application cycle start?
Applications for the Sources of Strength secondary program are typically published in late February or early March each year, and are usually due in early April.
The elementary grant is offered periodically. Please check back for information about future grant opportunities.
Current Program Schools
If you are a Legacy School (in your third year of program implementation and beyond), you are eligible to apply for these grant opportunities:
Adult Training
IYSPP offers suicide prevention gatekeeper trainings for adults over 18. We also offer expanded trainings that provide a more robust look at what helps and other strength-based strategies. Detailed, supplemental trainings for schools are also available virtually on a bi-monthly basis.
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SPFI™ is a regularly updated, evidence-informed training which addresses the following topics:
- Understanding the suicidal mind and why people die by suicide
- What is true and false about suicide
- State, national, and regional suicide statistics
- Suicide warning signs
- How to ask, and practice asking, the suicide question
- Getting those at risk to help
- How to instill hope and increase protective factors
- Postvention and helping survivors of suicide loss
- The importance of safety and proper messaging
Virtual and in-person options are available. If you are requesting this training for district or school staff, the training is 2.5 hours. The training can be tailored to specific audiences such as law enforcement, hospitals, etc. Depending on the audience and their needs, the training is 1.5 to 5 hours. Only adults 18 years or older may attend this training.
Please complete this form to request an SPFI training.
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Much like CPR, QPR is an emergency mental health intervention for suicidal persons. This evidence-based training follows three steps: 1) Question the individual's desire or intent regarding suicide, 2) Persuade the person to seek and accept help, and 3) Refer the person to appropriate resources. As a QPR-trained Gatekeeper you will learn:
- How to Question, Persuade and Refer someone who may be suicidal
- How to get help for yourself or learn more about preventing suicide
- The common causes of suicidal behavior
- The warning signs of suicide
- How to get help for someone in crisis
The training is offered online and takes approximately 2 hours to complete, although trainees are encouraged to move at their own pace. Trainees receive a QPR booklet and wallet card as a review and resource tool that includes local referral resources. The training is for adults 18 years or older. You can access this training online.
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The Think Strength training combines information from Suicide Prevention Fundamentals Instruction (SPFI)™ and a national evidence-based program to explore healthy coping mechanisms and support the mental health of attendees.
In addition, the training explores eight protective factors, depicted in the wheel of strength, to help attendees develop resilience in themselves and their communities. The training is 2 to 4 hours, can be facilitated in-person or virtually, and can be tailored to specific audiences. The training is for adults 18 years or older. Please complete this form to request a Think Strength training.
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The Sources Introductory training offers attendees a brief but comprehensive overview of suicide prevention and Sources of Strength. The training addresses suicide prevention topics such as:
- Suicide warning signs
- How to ask, and practice asking, the suicide question
- Getting those at risk to help
The training also introduces attendees to Sources of Strength, a nationally recognized strength-based wellness program that focuses on youth suicide prevention but impacts other issues such as substance abuse and violence. This portion of the training explores eight protective factors, depicted in the wheel of strength, to help attendees learn how they could support student well-being by implementing a Sources of Strength program in their school or community.
The training is 1 to 1.5 hours, can be facilitated in-person or virtually, and can be tailored to specific audiences. The training is for adults 18 years or older. Please complete this form to request a Sources Introductory training.
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IYSPP offers three separate virtual, one-hour trainings on intervention protocols, postvention protocols and special populations at higher risk of suicidal behavior. These trainings are intended to supplement current district and school youth suicide prevention policies and efforts. Four trainings of each supplemental training topic are offered each year on a bi-monthly basis. The trainings are free and provide 1 CE.
A combination of case law, Idaho Code, and Administrative Rule influence the youth suicide policies and procedures districts use to keep students safe. This training offers a high-level overview of these laws and brief discussion on common liability concerns. Participants will also learn about a new resource document, Suicide Safer Idaho: A One Stop Guide for Schools. The guide will be available in spring 2023 and will help administrators assess whether their current policies align with the required components, and help them create an action plan for any necessary updates. This training is tailored for superintendents, administrators, and other staff assigned to respond to crises. Other interested individuals are also welcome to attend.
Four trainings are provided per school year: one each in September, November, January, and March. The trainings are free and provide 1 CE.
The Youth Suicide Intervention Protocols training teaches participants how to communicate with students at risk for suicide, overcome reluctance in students and parents, create a student safety plan, administer suicide screeners like the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), and access resources, including those to support attempt survivors and their families. This training is tailored for all district and school health personnel such as nurses, counselors, social workers, and psychologists. Other interested individuals are also welcome to attend.
Four trainings are provided per school year: one each in September, November, January, and March. The trainings are free and provide 1 CE
The Sudden Death Postvention Protocols training provides information about the critical nature of appropriate postvention measures in the aftermath of a sudden death and a detailed look at school postvention protocols to ensure the safety of other students and staff. This includes details about vital steps for school principals, crisis team members and counselors, basic do's and don'ts of postvention, resources and much more.
Four trainings are provided per school year: one each in September, November, January, and March. The trainings are free and provide 1 CE.
There are some minority subpopulations of youth who are at higher risk of suicidal behavior. Some are at higher risk because of abuse, neglect or other trauma, and some because of their involvement with the juvenile justice or foster care system. Others who belong to a minority population are at higher risk because they are stigmatized and often subjected to harassment, bullying, or another mistreatment related to their minority status. This includes racial and ethnic minorities, those with certain disabilities, those who are LGBTQ and others. IYSPP provides a 60-minute, evidence-informed training to create awareness about these populations and how we can help reduce their risk.
Four trainings are provided per school year: one each in October, December, February, and April. The trainings are free and provide 1 CE.
Clinician Training
IYSPP provides essential training tailored for behavioral health professionals. Assessing and Treating Suicide Risk with M. David Rudd, PhD is offered annually and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) is offered bi-monthly. CEs are available for both trainings.
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Annual training in Assessing and Treating Suicide Risk is provided by M. David Rudd, PhD, a nationally and internationally-recognized expert in the suicide and suicide treatment. Dr. Rudd co-developed Brief Cognitive Therapy for Suicide Prevention, which has been proven to arrest suicidality in clients within 4 to 12 sessions. Participants will gain the essential tools needed to accurately assess suicide risk, manage challenging scenarios, and provide treatment effectively. These are free, one-day trainings and provide 6 free CEs.
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The IYSPP training on Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) is an evidence-informed training that provides information about NSSI in youth, and skills that counselors and clinicians can use to help those engaging in NSSI. This virtual, 90-minute training is tailored for all district and school health personnel such as nurses, counselors, social workers, and psychologists. Other interested individuals are also welcome to attend.
Four trainings are provided per school year: one each in October, December, February, and April. The trainings are free and provide 1.5 CEs.
Presentations
IYSPP is available to present or speak to youth groups, parent associations, athletic associations, community groups, professional organizations, and any other group who interacts with youth. We typically provide overviews of following topics, although we can always accommodate requests for other information.
- IYSPP Services
- Sources of Strength
- Suicide in Idaho
Please call (208) 332-6816 or email to Hannah Crumrine to request a presentation.
Resource Links
National and State Organizations
- American Association of Suicidology
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
- Suicide Prevention Resource Center
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
- The Trevor Project
- Idaho Suicide Prevention Program
- Idaho Crisis & Suicide Hotline
Suicide Prevention Programs
Electronic Resources
- A Handbook for Coping with Suicide Grief
- A Journey Toward Health and Hope: Your Handbook for Recovery After a Suicide Attempt
- After a Suicide: A Toolkit for Schools
- Children, Teen and Suicide Loss
- Preventing Suicide: A Toolkit for High Schools
- Reporting on Suicide
- Responsible Media Coverage of Crisis Events Impacting Children and Youth
- Supporting Survivors of Suicide Loss: A Guide for Funeral Directors
- The Model School District Policy on Suicide Prevention
- To Live To See the Great Day That Dawns: Preventing Suicide by American Indian and Alaska Native Youth and Young Adults