Culture of Caring

Years ago, I attended a presentation during a kick-off for the new school year. The speaker compared our jobs as teachers and leaders in public education to those who worked in other fields. In a public school, we never know who will walk through our classroom doors on the first day of school or what kind of “blueberries” will be in the basket. We take them all and do our best to meet the needs of every student. Other organizations have the choice of culling out the “blueberries” that may be defective, rotten, discolored, or in any way imperfect. They can choose to work with the “cream of the crop” and toss out the rest.

Those berries that are tossed out represent young people who come to school with more challenges than others. They don’t fit the criteria of perfect blueberries because of their

• Race or ethnicity
• Sexual orientation or gender identity
• Special health care needs, including mental health conditions
• Language differences
• Involvement in the child welfare system
• Under-resourced schools

When you think about meeting the needs of all those students, you realize they are all different. What does that mean for schools that have or are developing effective suicide prevention plans? It means they must be aware of each of those challenges and address them honestly and sincerely.

Awareness

The American Academy of Pediatrics offers ideas that schools can implement.

*Strategies for Community and School Settings for Youth Suicide Prevention

Note: Suicide rates are not directly tied to race, gender, or any other social construct. Rather, youth may experience discrimination or long-standing health, social, or systemic inequities that may impact their development and risk for suicide.

For example, Black students and American Indian/Alaska Native students are more likely to receive a disciplinary response to mental health-related behavior changes than white students, who are more likely to receive support and referral to mental health services, contributing to a phenomenon known as the "school to prison pipeline."

Solutions include training for staff using a trauma-informed approach and sustained efforts to address inequities in the school and other settings.

Action

Schools already know they need prevention policies, and many require training teachers and administrative staff in suicide prevention. The reality is they need to go way beyond that.

1. Train all staff and volunteers who work with students in suicide prevention and how to address trauma.  
2. Teach students about suicide prevention and trauma. 
3. Provide information to parents and community members on what the school is doing and what parents should know about suicide prevention and trauma.
4. Find ways to integrate inclusion and diversity awareness into school culture.
   1. Music: Look for lyrics and songs that support diversity and caring. Cyndi Lauper’s  True Colors is a great example.
   2. Literature: Get a list of recently banned books and choose some for staff book studies. Many of them are written from the point of view of marginalized youth.
   3. Art: Encourage the artistic talents of students who want to share their feelings through art. Find opportunities for Native American, Black and Brown, LGBTQ+, those who have a mental illness, and others.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recently published ** Youth Suicide Prevention: A Call to Action. Knowing that of all youth who die before reaching adulthood, 25% of them die by suicide should be a wake-up call for schools.

All suicides are not a result of mental health conditions, but most prevention efforts must involve addressing mental health. Of course, schools cannot serve as mental health providers. Districts could require school nurses to include mental health screeners based on the Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ) Toolkit, along with their regular vision, hearing, and other regular checks each year. When the results identify students at risk, refer them to community partners.

Partnerships

Building strong partnerships with community partners is a critical step.

Too many school districts tend to avoid initiating the process because it is difficult and can be time-consuming. But with guidance and effort, it is well worth creating a safety net for students – and staff. *Start here :

Identify Key Partners: Many partners play a role in suicide prevention. Consider: schools, clubs, scouting/sports organizations, religious institutions, mental health organizations.

Understand the Landscape: Before launching a new partnership, assess the scope of youth suicide risk in your community and identify the individuals/groups already working in this area. Then, seek input from key stakeholders, including youth and individuals with lived experience.

Find Shared Goals: Identify shared priorities for suicide prevention, for example, increasing identification of youth at risk or improving supports for mental health.

Consider Strengths: Consider operational differences and individual strengths and identify ways to leverage individual strengths to work toward shared goals.

Define Success: Agree upon metrics for success and track progress toward these metrics over time.

Why Schools Must Care About Suicide Prevention

Because children and teens spend so much time at school and with their peers, it is logical for schools, acting "in loco parentis," to do everything they can to ensure their students are safe, well-educated, and prepared to enter society as adults.  

A wise school leader explained her philosophy to me. She said we must “spend our privilege.” Anyone who had the opportunity to earn a college degree and works with youth has an obligation to help children and their families follow their own paths to success.

*This section contains content from the article “Youth Suicide Prevention: Strategies for Community and School Settings," published by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

A Culture of Caring: A Suicide Prevention Guide for Schools (K-12) was created as a resource for educators who want to know how to get started and what steps to take to create a suicide prevention plan that will work for their schools and districts. It is written from my perspective as a school principal and survivor of suicide loss, not an expert in psychology or counseling. I hope that any teacher, school counselor, psychologist, principal, or district administrator can pick up this book, flip to a chapter, and easily find helpful answers to the questions they are likely to have about what schools can do to prevent suicide.