At the most recent Hudson School Board meeting, one of the agenda items was approving the district’s updated Suicide Prevention and Response policy.
“The School Board is committed to protecting the health, safety and welfare of its students and school community,” the policy states. “This policy supports federal, state, and local efforts to provide education on youth suicide awareness and prevention; to establish methods of prevention, intervention, and response to suicide or suicide attempt (“postvention”); and to promote access to suicide awareness, prevention and postvention resources.”
As part of the policy it explains that the “district shall maintain a coordinated written District Suicide Prevention Plan (the “Plan”) to include guidelines, protocols, and procedures with the objectives of prevention, risk assessment, intervention and response to youth suicides and suicide attempts.”
The District Suicide Prevention Plan shall include terms relating to:
- Suicide prevention (risk factors, warning signs, protective factors, referrals)
- Response to in-or-out-of-school student suicides or suicide attempts (postvention, suicide contagion)
- Student education regarding safe and healthy choices, coping strategies, recognition of risk factors and warning signs of mental disorders and suicide; and help seeking strategies
- Training of staff, designated volunteers, and contracted personnel on the issues of youth suicide risk factors, warning signs, protective factors, response procedures, referrals, post-intervention, and resources available within the school and community
- Confidentiality considerations
- Designation of any personnel, in addition to the District Suicide Prevention Coordinator and Building Suicide Prevention Liaisons, to act as points of contact when students are believed to be at an elevated risk of suicide
- Information regarding state and community resources for referral, crisis intervention, and other related information
- Dissemination of the Plan or information about the Plan to students, parents, faculty, staff, and school volunteers
- Promotion of cooperative efforts between the District and its schools and community suicide prevention program personnel
- Other provisions deemed appropriate to meet the objectives of this Policy (e.g., student handbook language, reporting processes, “postvention” strategies, memorial parameters, etc.)
The policy also explained that “No less than once every two years, the Superintendent, in consultation with the District Suicide Prevention Coordinator and Building Suicide Prevention Liaisons and with input and evidence from community health or suicide prevention organizations, and District health and guidance personnel, shall update the District Suicide Prevention Plan, and present the same to the Board for review.”
“Such Plan updates shall be submitted to the Board in time for appropriate budget consideration,” the policy states.
As part of the policy, it also explains the requirements for annual staff training.
“The Superintendent shall ensure that beginning with the 2020-21 school year, all school building faculty and staff, designated volunteers, and any other personnel who have regular contact with students, including contracted personnel or third-party employees, receive at least two hours of training in suicide awareness and prevention,” the policy states. “Such training may include such matters as youth suicide risk factors, warning signs, protective factors, intervention, response procedures, referrals, and postvention and local resources.”
The policy also explains that “Student handbooks and the district’s website will be updated each year with the contact information for the Building Suicide Prevention Liaisons, State and community crisis or intervention referral intervention resources. The District Suicide Prevention Plan will be made available on the district’s, and each school’s respective websites.”
“The National 988 Suicide and Crisis Prevention Lifeline shall be labeled on student identification cards for Grades 6-12 and include the telephone number; National Suicide and CrisisPrevention Lifeline, Call 988. Prior to the start of each school year, the Superintendent shall certify that the contact information for the 988 National Suicide and CrisisPrevention Lifeline is accurate and up to date,” the policy states. “Beginning August 13, 2024, RSA 193-K: 1 requires that all new or replacement student identification cards for grades 6-12 shall also include the telephone number for the National Alliance for Eating Disorders: 866-662-1235.”