If you are a teacher in the state of California, you are probably looking for the requirements of the California education code 215.
You are probably wondering what you need to do in order to ensure that you are doing what is required of you.
Here are some of the main things that you need to do.
Policy on pupil suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention
The California education code requires local educational agencies to adopt a policy on pupil suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention.
To help ensure that these requirements are met, the Department of Education has developed a Model Youth Suicide Prevention Policy.
In addition to educating the community on what it takes to prevent, intervene and rehabilitate the suicidal, the department is also responsible for identifying and providing resources to local educational agencies on these topics.
A school with a peer counseling system needs to be sure that its counselors are well-trained in the proper way to identify signs of suicidal behavior and referring the students to more appropriate authorities.
This requires the cooperation of county mental health officials.
When the Department of Education provides guidance to local educational agencies, the resulting policies and training materials can be tailored to the needs of individual schools.
A local educational agency's pupil suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention policy must cover the gamut.
For starters, it should cover the basics such as the best method for identifying students in danger of imitating a suicide attempt.
Additionally, it must address the topic of suicide awareness training for teachers in all grades served by the agency.
While this may seem like a daunting task, it is not.
As part of the same package, the Department of Education will also provide guidance to local educational agencies on implementing evidence-based online training programs for teachers.
The most obvious requirement is for the local educational agency to adopt a policy on pupil suicide prevention, preferably before the beginning of the 2017-18 school year.
If a school does not have a policy in place, it could face a fine of up to $5,000.
Although there are no specific guidelines for how long it takes to enact a pupil suicide prevention policy, the prevailing wisdom is to begin in January of the following year.
The most effective means of reducing the number of suicides is to educate students and adults about the signs of suicide and how to prevent them.
This requires the collaboration of school personnel, such as teachers, counselors, nurses, and coaches, along with the support of county mental health and medical professionals.
Similarly, it should not be overlooked that parents play an important role in their children's overall education and that their involvement should be encouraged.
The best way to promote suicide prevention is to establish a culture of acceptance and empathy among both staff and students.
The most cost-effective way to achieve this is to ensure that teachers, principals, and other administrators take seriously the fact that they have a responsibility to assist pupils in need.
This may mean establishing a mentorship program in which one teacher serves as a counselor and the other as a buddy.
Another useful tip is to offer an open line of communication whereby the two professionals can meet to discuss a student's needs.
Identifying factors that may lead to suicide
Identifying factors that may lead to suicide is one of the requirements of California education code 215 (Assembly Bill 2246).
This legislation requires LEAs to develop and implement policies for identifying, intervening and postvention of pupils who have attempted or attempted to commit suicide.
It also provides training for school-employed mental health professionals and school staff, including teachers and administrators.
There are many risk factors associated with suicide, including family instability, interpersonal conflicts, feeling isolated, and feelings of depression.
These can be addressed by implementing suicide prevention programs and educating the community about the risks.
However, there are also protective factors that can be implemented.
Some of these include access to appropriate care, positive connections to peers and the community, and problem-solving abilities.
Suicide prevention training should be provided to all staff members, including counselors, psychologists, social workers, volunteers, tutors, crossing guards, coaches and any other staff who interacts with students.
The training should include the signs of emotional distress and the potential dangers of suicide, as well as methods for intervention and referral.
If possible, it should be provided in conjunction with county mental health agencies.
Suicide prevention is a complex issue that requires a wide range of stakeholders to collaborate.
CWCS should work with local government agencies, community supports and other educators to ensure that its suicide prevention program is effective.
In addition, CWCS should ensure that it has resources available for students, parents, and other members of the community.
In order to help reduce the stigma of talking about suicide, CWCS should develop a policy for identifying and responding to students who are considering suicide.
During this process, CWCS staff should treat reports seriously and take steps to make the student and his or her family feel welcome and supported.
They should notify all of their colleagues and contact the student's family.
Additionally, CWCS should provide training to all staff members and make it easy for them to recognize warning signs of suicidal intent.
They should also have a primary suicide prevention liaison on duty during the school day.
CWCS should also identify a secondary suicide prevention liaison in case the primary liaison is unavailable.
Both liaisons should coordinate with the county's mental health plan.
When a student is in distress, they should call 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
After the student calls, a member of the CWCS should discuss the information with the student.
CWCS should provide counseling and other support for the student, as needed.
CWCS should maintain a protocol for identifying students who are at high risk for imitative behavior, as well as those who are at higher risk for suicide.
These procedures should include identifying the students who are most likely to be affected by suicide and reviewing their resources and protocols for referring them to services.
Finding a school in California that has a policy on pupil suicide prevention, intervention
A good way to determine whether your school has a policy on pupil suicide prevention is to look at the content of the policy.
It should address grades 1 to 6 and include a few key elements.
The policy should also include a list of mental health experts and procedures on how to deal with a student who shows signs of suicidal ideation.
There are many resources available on the internet that can provide you with information on preventing youth suicide.
You can find many of these free of charge, or for a small fee.
Some of these sites are comprehensive, while others are more focused on a specific issue, such as social media.
However, there is no guarantee that these sites will be able to tell you exactly what you need to know.
For example, a resource that you might be able to take advantage of is the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP).
AFSP is an organization that has produced research-based programs to prevent suicide, and is committed to educating and advocating for those who are affected by a suicide.
Another resource you can use is the Trevor Project.
This nonprofit organization provides training, resources, and technical assistance to individuals and groups impacted by suicide.
They have worked with the National Association of School Psychologists and the American School Counselor Association to develop a variety of programs to help schools improve their ability to identify and treat adolescents at risk for suicide.
Another resource is the California Department of Education's Pupil Suicide Prevention Toolkit.
Designed to help schools implement a program to help prevent youth suicide, the toolkit is based on state guidelines and recent research.
In addition, it includes information on a variety of other topics, such as a mental health crisis, the benefits of suicide postvention, and the benefits of self-care.
In the end, you may want to consult with your county office of education to see if your school has a policy on pupil suicide mitigation.
You may also wish to visit the Statewide Suicide Postvention Response Team, which was created to assist districts in the aftermath of a suicide.
If you are unsure of what the school has in place, you can ask your principal to refer you to the website for more information.
To summarize, a pupil suicide prevention policy is a must have for any school in California.
Developing a strategy to reduce suicide takes a lot of work.
The process involves partnering with local community organizations, developing a comprehensive plan with school and student advocates, and implementing the plans.
Using a range of tools, including an online gatekeeper training simulation, you can prepare yourself and your staff to recognize warning signs of psychological distress, intervene in the right way, and build positive relationships with students and families.