Kim Urenda School Counselor June 2014

SUICIDE PREVENTION IN HIGH SCHOOLS

¡ What have you experienced working with students at your school?

¡ What questions do you ask students whom you are concerned about at your school?

¡ Does your district have a wellness goal? ¡ Is there a set formula or program for

your suicide prevention?

YOUR EXPERIENCES

FREE RESOURCES

What do you use in your building?

This would be great to show staff and/or parents. It would be a great link on a wellness website too. It is short but very direct and created by the Mayo Clinic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BByqa7bhto

MAYO CLINIC YOUTUBE CLIP

Under BLOG -  Self Love Spotlight -  What to Expect -  Mood Boosters

Find “YOU MATTER” under the Young Adults button on the right side

Erika’s Lighthouse focuses more on teen depression as a way to educate about suicide prevention. They have a free parent resource and video-based study guide for 8th grade through high school students. Here are free bookmarks you can download in color or black and white for your students.

BOOKMARKS

SUICIDE PREVENTION AT BV WEST

We have created a dif ferent presentation for each grade level. At this time, we are using a video for our freshman that was created in our school district about 10 years ago called, Barely . It was filmed in one of our high schools. It is no longer in production. We have a high school who has worked with their broadcast class and theatre department to make their own awareness video. We show this to all our freshman in September/October. Give them resource cards. They all must complete a check in sheet for stating they are okay or they need to speak to someone.

SUICIDE PREVENTION AT BLUE VALLEY WEST HS We are using the SOS: Signs of Suicide Prevention Program with our sophomores. They focus on ACT

•  Acknowledge •  Care

•  Tell They give several different scenarios. Here is one of the scenarios… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhuUCVbejus

Find a walk near you OR schedule your own walk to raise awareness for Suicide Prevention

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP42v07aGUw

SUICIDE PREVENTION AT BLUE VALLEY WEST HS

At Blue Valley West, we use the More Than Sad: Teen Depression for our junior students. The DVD can be ordered online through the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. We used it the first time two years ago and the students clapped when it was over. They also have clips on Youtube.

Suicide Prevention at Blue Valley West HS Joe Karlin came and spoke to our Senior class about his son who committed suicide.

In our district, we had ten students commit suicide during the years of 2005 and January 2011. As a district, we started the Suicide Prevention Task Force as a response to our students. We researched different programs and staff books/guides from Olathe to Dallas. From all these various forms, data, and articles, we created our own forms and training for our school counselors, school psychologists, nurses, and administrators.

BLUE VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT

BLUE VALLEY LEVEL I

Global/ Cultural Protective factors ¡ Counseling curriculum may be reviewed and suggestions

for grade level lessons collected.  Suicide prevention at the younger grades centers around resiliency, problem solving, hope. (Scope and sequence)

¡ Consider adding “Resiliency” to the Blue Valley Virtues. ¡ Develop online resources for parents and students (will

be included in the Student Wellness Website). ¡  Identify resources for inclusion in the Student Wellness

section of the School Improvement Plan. ¡ Next Steps: Create a counseling committee to look at

specific lessons/ scope and sequence for middle and elementary.

Prevention Education (large group specifically addressing suicide prevention) ¡ Investigate Signs of Suicide (SOS) prevention program

for middle and high schools. Program will be considered for use across the district in classroom guidance for prevention education. (program being previewed currently)

¡ Next Steps: Development of a section on a new District Student Wellness Website that will provide timely information to parents, students, staff and provide resources. Evaluate and decision to purchase the SOS curriculum. http://www.bluevalleyk12.org/education/dept/dept.php?sectionid=5356&

BLUE VALLEY LEVEL II

Prevention/ Identification of at-risk youth (small group)   ¡  Pilot proposed for Reconnecting Youth in two high schools and

BVA for next spring. ¡  Consider training for wider course offering and development

of course description to be included in the Course Description Guide for 12/13.

¡  Consideration of CAST six-week intervention program to be added later.

¡  Continue with Gallup poll – look at Strengths Assessment for small groups.

¡  Next Steps: Identify a leadership team for Reconnecting Youth. We will write a course proposal for the C and I Committee in September 2011, with the Reconnecting Youth pilot starting in spring 2012.

BLUE VALLEY LEVEL III

Suicide Intervention (individual student concern) ¡ Development of manual/ notebook for use with

students who are expressing suicidal thoughts. ¡ Include flow chart. ¡ Include list of resources. ¡ Include guidelines for parent contact. ¡ Next Steps: BV team will engage in summer work

writing the suicide prevention manual.  The goal is to train staff on the manual during fall 2011.

BLUE VALLEY LEVEL IV

¡ Develop statement of best practices with guidelines about memorials and services following a suicide.

¡ Begin to craft a document for board policy consideration. 

¡ Next Steps: Develop a proposed school board policy or management guideline that will include the latest recommendations for memorializing students after a suicide.

BLUE VALLEY POSTVENTION

We created these sample questions for anyone who is uncomfortable or unsure about what to ask. It can be modified but also helps others without the words to try and cover all aspects of the whole student. Note: If students are non-compliant and/or hostile about answering questions, interviewer should assume moderate/high risk. If students do not respond, we have the student paper self assessment which they can complete. Then you can read their responses together.

SAMPLE QUESTIONS FOR OBSERVATION CHECKLIST

SUICIDE PLAN: DETAILS, MEANS, TIME, ETC.

Details, Availability of Means, Time, Chance for Intervention: ¡ Have you thought about how you might hurt yourself? ¡ Do you have a plan? If so, what is it? ¡ Do you have access to the means you mentioned in your

plan? ¡ When would you do this? ¡ How long have you been thinking about hurting

yourself? ¡ Have you talked to anyone about this?

PRIOR ATTEMPTS ¡ Have you hurt yourself before? If so, when was that? ¡ Any other times? ¡ Have you been hospitalized? If so, when?

SUICIDE PLAN: PRIOR ATTEMPTS

MEDICAL HISTORY ¡ How has your health been? ¡ Have you been sick lately? ¡ When was your last check-up? ¡ Are you taking any medications right now?

SUICIDE PLAN: MEDICAL HISTORY

SYMPTOMS

Depression: ¡  Have you been feeling sad? ¡  Overwhelmed? ¡  Are you finding that your moods are up and down or feeling out

of your control?

Stress: ¡  Are there things in your life that are hard to handle? ¡  Are there things that you have trouble seeing a solution for?

Demeanor: ¡  (Interviewer will make this assessment based on responses

throughout interview.)

SYMPTOMS

Attendance: ¡  How is your attendance? ( Interviewer will verify with school

records) Hopelessness: ¡  What are you looking forward to? ¡  What activities are you involved in or want to get involved in? ¡  What do you see yourself doing in the future?

Discipline/Legal: ¡  How are things going at school? ¡  Have you had any referrals to the office? (Interviewer will verify

with school records.) ¡  What about outside of school – any trouble with the police?

(Interviewer will verify with police records.)

Resources: ¡ Are there people in your life that you feel would be

worried about you right now? ¡ Are those people willing to help you? ¡ Do they know/have you told them how you are feeling? ¡ Can you talk to them today? ¡ Which adults do you know that you can trust and talk

to? ¡ Who do you go to when things are hard? ¡ Are you in counseling now? Have you ever been to

counseling before?

PROTECTIVE FACTORS: RESOURCES

Coping Behaviors ¡ Describe your sleeping patterns. How many hours do

you sleep? When do you sleep? Is this a change from your routine?

¡ How about school – are you doing as well as you would like in school?

¡ Has your appetite changed? ¡ Are there any significant changes to your daily

routine? ¡ What do you like to do in your free time? ¡ What activities, organizations, community, religious,

etc.

PROTECTIVE FACTORS: COPING BEHAVIORS

Lifestyle: ¡  How are things at school? ¡  Are you getting along with friends? ¡  How about your teachers? ¡  Describe your home environment and who you live with. ¡ What do you like to do in your free time?

These next questions are not designed to get you in trouble. Sometimes people who are feeling down/sad/suicidal

f ind themselves drinking or using. ¡  Talk to me about partying. ¡  Are you drinking or using drugs? ¡  Are you partying/using more than usual? ¡  Is it affecting your ability to complete your daily routines?

PROTECTIVE FACTORS: LIFESTYLE

At this time, we have used our assessment sheets for every student we talk to about suicide. It has been helpful for us identifying and supporting students and their families to get help. As a district, it really helps to have this as part of our district wellness plan. We feel we have been successful in utilizing this program and spreading the word with students, staff, parents, and the community.

FUTURE GOALS

¡ I just wish it was all over. ¡ No one even cares about me. ¡ I haven’t been wanting to do anything. ¡ My boyfriend/girlfriend broke up with

me. There is nothing to live for. ¡ Everyone hates me. ¡ I hate myself. ¡ Nothing matters.

PRACTICE WHAT YOU WILL DO

Thank you for attending. I will submit the power point online with the conference organizers. Please email/call with any questions.

Kim Urenda Blue Valley West High School

School Counselor (913) 239-3774

kaurenda@bluevalleyk12.org

QUESTIONS?