Suicide Prevention & Intervention

Suicide prevention includes the actions schools take to build a culture that supports healthy coping, encourages students to seek help for mental health concerns, and promotes safe, open conversations about suicide. This can include mental health education, staff training, and awareness campaigns.

District Policies & Procedures

• Suicide Prevention & Intervention (INS-A038)
• Suicide Prevention & Intervention Preface (INS-P037)

Tier 1: All Students

• Receive direct instruction on social emotional learning/mental health promotion
• All middle and high school students receive lessons in suicide prevention (defining depression, dispelling suicide myths, encouraging help-seeking behaviors and building resilience) taught by classroom teachers, counselors, or other professionals.

Tier 2: Opt-In Clubs and Support Groups

• Opt-in clubs and groups for social and emotional growth, i.e. anxiety groups, mental health awareness clubs, grief & loss groups, etc., per school need and capacity.
• Opt-in Sources of Strength clubs to promote social and emotional health.

Tier 3: Individualized Services

• ASIST model of suicide intervention skills administered for students with thoughts of suicide.
• Emergency response services contacted if concerns for individual student safety arise.

Teir 1: All Parents

• Local trainings on suicide prevention and awareness provided in community, i.e. QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer), CALM, ASIST, BSBB, and more.  Visit Oregon Health Authority's website for suicide prevention trainings and resources.

Tier 2: Opt-In Clubs and Support Groups

• Contact your student's school for local clubs and support groups for social and emotional health.

Tier 3:  Specialized Support

• Salem-Keizer Public Schools Suicide Prevention Protocol requires a mental health staff member to work with the student and guardians on safety planning and connecting with school and community resources.

Supporting High-Risk Youth

Salem-Keizer Public Schools (SKPS) supports student well-being through programs such as Character Strong, Sources of Strength, and the Panorama survey. These initiatives foster a sense of belonging and connection for all students—especially those at higher risk, including students who identify as LGBTQI+, Indigenous (such as Alaska Native), Black/African American, or students with disabilities (source: National Alliance on Mental Illness).

In addition, many schools offer student clubs that celebrate identity and build community, such as:

• Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA) or Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA)
• Native Club
• Black Student Union (BSU)
• Latino Club
• Pacific Islander Club
• Unified Clubs (for students with disabilities)
• Other student-led groups that promote inclusion and belonging

Please use Suicide Prevention Protocol Conversation Guide when performing a Level 1 student suicide screening.

Why does SKPS not use traditional suicide risk assessments?

Research shows risk assessment screening and protocol cannot accurately predict suicide outcomes.

• In a press release for 2016 meta-analysis of 365 studies spanning 50 years, lead researcher Joseph Franklin, Ph.D., of Harvard University stated that “science could only predict future suicidal thoughts and behaviors about as well as random guessing. In other words, a suicide expert who conducted an in-depth assessment of risk factors would predict a patient’s future suicidal thoughts and behaviors with the same degree of accuracy as someone with no knowledge of the patient who predicted based on a coin flip” (American Psychological Association, 2016).
• In a 2017 study examining 40 years of suicide risk- assessment research, 95% of patients assessed as high risk did not die by suicide; however, 50% of patients assessed in lower-risk categories did die by suicide (Large, M., et al., 2017).
• In a study of 157 patients who died by suicide, 67% of the deceased had denied suicidal ideation during an assessment given within two days of their death (Berman, 2018).
• A 2018 study found that 13 individuals, nearly 20% of those studied, who attempted or died by suicide were assessed as low risk (Mamrol, 2018).

Rationale Against Suicide Risk Assessments

School counselors report multiple challenges when implementing district-required suicide risk assessments or screenings, including:

• Requirements are paperwork-centered vs. student-centered.
• Extensive protocols are nearly impossible to implement with fidelity in a school setting.
• Students may have denial, rationalization, or intellectualization.
• Students may employ conscious defenses that lead to inaccurate information, including:
  • the student not wanting to be stopped
  • the student not wanting to go to a hospital
  • personal beliefs that suicide is wrong, immoral or a sign of weakness
  • the student not wanting to be perceived as “crazy"
  • the student not believing anyone can help
• Additionally, because suicide attempts can be impulsive, suicidal ideation may not be present (Shea, 2009).

For more information, see the American School Counseling Association’s Position Statement, as well as the Oregon School Counseling Association’s Position Statement on Suicide Risk Assessments.

Postvention in the Event of a Death by Suicide

When a school community experiences the death of a student by suicide, the district’s immediate focus is on compassion, care, and coordinated support for students, staff, and families. Postvention is the process of responding to and supporting the school community after such a loss. A thoughtful and timely response can help promote healing, reduce the risk of contagion, and ensure that those most affected receive appropriate care.

Following a student’s death by suicide, the school administrator and crisis team will develop a detailed action plan, guided by the district’s Crisis Team Manual. This plan ensures a consistent and supportive response across the district.

The action plan may include, but is not limited to, the following steps:

• Family contact and support - The school administrator will reach out to the student’s family to offer condolences and connect them with available supports and resources.
• District and community notification - The administrator will contact the Office of Community Relations and Communications to coordinate communication and determine the appropriate crisis response.
• Assessment of school needs - Together, the administrator, communications office, and crisis team will assess the situation to identify what postvention supports are needed for students and staff.
• Collaboration with mental health partners - Designated staff will work with the Local Mental Health Agency (LMHA) and school administrators to initiate community-based support services for affected schools.

Every response is guided by sensitivity, confidentiality, and the understanding that each school community’s needs may differ. The district is committed to providing a safe space for grieving, promoting resilience, and ensuring that all students and staff have access to the care they need.