Suicide Intervention Protocol

To all CSD staff:

If you become aware of potential student suicidal ideation (notes, threats, conversations, indications, or thoughts of killing oneself):

  1. Immediately notify one of the following individuals in progression until contact is made: counselor, principal, assistant principal, psychologist, nurse, or an administrator within CSD. Contact must be made in person or by phone. Do not send an e-mail.
  2. Use the Suicide Intervention Checklist
  3. Follow-up with principal or counselor to debrief.
*If the threat of suicide is imminent or there is an immediate safety concern, escort or arrange for another adult to escort student to counselor, administrator or designee and do not leave student unsupervised.

ADMINISTRATOR OR COUNSELOR:

    1. Meet with student to gather information.
      • Determine emergency (suicidal ideation whether ongoing or immediate) or non-emergency (reason for referral was unfounded or past suicidal ideation; has not felt this way in past year) and develop immediate plan to support student through situation.
      • Questioning strategies to gather additional information (examples):
        • Do you have pain that at times feels unbearable?
        • Are you having thoughts of suicide?
        • Do you have a plan? How? How prepared? How soon?
        • Have you ever attempted suicide before?
        • Are you receiving or have you received mental health care?
        • Do you feel you have few, if any, resources?
    2. Make necessary contacts. If emergency, debrief plan with administrator as soon as possible.
      • Emergency: Suicidal ideation whether ongoing or immediate.
        • Contact parent. Student will only be released to parent or parent designee. Decide with parent the best course of action for immediate support (i.e., connect with outside resources, discuss safety in the home)
        • Check for siblings – transportation home may be impacted.
        • If parent contact is not successful, call Clark County Crisis Line to consult and/or School Resource Officer/911 until you can insure safety.
        • Non-Emergency: Reason for referral was unfounded or past suicidal ideation; has not felt this way in past year.
          • Contact parent. Provide details of conversation had with child. Also, determine whether or not parent has any concerns. 
    3. Talk with student about developing safety plan and set up a re-entry meeting the following school day. The re-entry meeting may involve parents and Support Team members in addition to the student. Administration needs to be informed of the safety plan and re-entry meeting.
    4. Meet with support team to debrief and create ongoing plan to monitor student.
    5. Complete Suicide/Intervention Checklist.

SUPPORT TEAM:

This is a team of three which must include a building administrator and two other team members (counselor, psychologist, nurse, intervention specialist, etc.).

    1. Debrief incident.
    2. Consider risk and protective factors using the Crisis Worksheet.
    3. Develop plan for follow-up and monitoring.
      • Should teachers be informed and by whom?
      • Develop Safety Plan with student.
      • Plan for re-entry meeting with student and consider additional parent contact.
      • Discuss other support staff available to student.
      • Do we need a release from his/her provider?