5350 - STUDENT SUICIDE - PREVENTION AND RESPONSE

The School Board recognizes that depression and self-destruction are problems of increasing severity among children and adolescents. A student who suffers from depression cannot benefit fully from the educational program of the schools, and students experiencing suicidal ideations are at risk of self-harm. To address the issue of student suicide, the Board believes there must be a partnership among families, the community, and schools. School-based mental health staff shall collaborate with parents/guardians and community mental health agencies, including Mobile Crisis Units, whenever appropriate to help keep students safe.
 

All school personnel should be alert to the students who exhibit signs of unusual depression or who threaten or attempt suicide. Any such signs or reports of such signs from another student or staff member should be taken with the utmost seriousness. Professional development training in youth suicide prevention shall be provided for all staff. This training requirement will be met when a staff member completes the state-required Youth Mental Health First Aid training and/or Kognito training. Further, additional training regarding risk assessment and intervention shall be provided to school-based mental health employees including counselors, psychologists, and school social workers. When completing a suicide risk assessment these trained mental health employees shall include de-escalation strategies as well as the use of the state-approved Columbia protocol instrument before initiating an involuntary examination.
 

Schools will make a reasonable attempt to notify a student’s parent, guardian, or caregiver if the student is to be removed from school, school transportation, or a school-sponsored activity and taken to a receiving facility for an involuntary examination to ensure their safety.

Reasonable attempt to notify is defined as the exercise of reasonable diligence and care by the principal or the principal’s designee to make contact with the student’s parent, guardian or other known emergency contact whom the student’s parent or guardian has authorized to receive notification of an involuntary examination.

The principal or their designee must, at a minimum, use available methods of communication to notify a parent, guardian or other known emergency contact following the decision to initiate an involuntary examination of a student. The methods of communication should include, but are not limited to, telephone calls, text messages, emails and voicemails.

A principal or their designee who successfully notifies any other known emergency contact may share only the information necessary to alert such contact that the parent or caregiver must be contacted. All such information must be in compliance with federal and state law.

A principal or their designee may delay the required notification, which must take place no more than twenty-four (24) hours after the removal, if that principal or their designee reasonably believes that such delay is necessary to avoid jeopardizing the health and safety of the student. Or, if that principal or their designee believes the delay to be in the student’s best interest and a report has been submitted to the central abuse hotline, pursuant to F.S. 39.201, based upon knowledge or suspicion of abuse, abandonment or neglect.

A principal or their designee is required to document the method, number of attempts and the outcome of each attempt made to contact the student’s parent, guardian or other known emergency contact.

During a student crisis situation, school or law enforcement personnel must make a reasonable attempt to contact a mental health professional who may initiate an involuntary examination pursuant to F.S. 394.463, unless the child poses an imminent danger to themselves or others, before initiating an involuntary examination pursuant to F.S. 394.463. Such contact may be in person or using telehealth as defined in F.S. 456.467. The mental health professional may be available to the District either by contracts or interagency agreements with the managing entity, one or more local community behavioral health providers, or the local mobile response team or be a direct or contracted District employee.

Schools who meet the criteria for "Suicide Prevention Certified Schools" as defined in F.A.C. 6A-4.0010 may submit an application for review by the Superintendent's designee.
 

Throughout any intervention, it is essential that Board policies and District procedures regarding confidentiality be observed at all times.

Revised 11/17/15

Revised 3/9/21

Revised 4/12/22

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