Schools are key stakeholders in suicide prevention. There are more potential identifiers of a youth at risk of suicide in a school setting than any other. School faculty and staff are well positioned to observe students behavior and to act when a student is suspected to be at risk of self harm.
The National Suicide Prevention Resource Center provides recommendations and resources for school based suicide prevention at http://www.sprc.org/featured_resources/customized/pdf/school_mentalhealth.pdf
In accordance with The Code of Virginia (§22.1-272.1.) and the Department of Education's (DOE) Suicide Prevention Guidelines, the Virginia Department of Health, in partnership with DOE is offering reimbursable grants up to $1,200 for Virginia high schools to implement RESPONSE: A Comprehensive High-School Based Suicide Prevention Program.
RESPONSE is a comprehensive high school-based program that increases awareness about suicide among high school staff, students and parents. All program components are designed to heighten sensitivity to depression and suicidal ideation, increase identification, and facilitate referrals. The program also provides procedures to refer a student who may be at-risk for suicide.
For more information on this grant opportunity, click here.
Other school-based suicide prevention programs can be found through the Suicide Prevention Resource Centers Best Practice Registry at, http://www.sprc.org/featured_resources/bpr/index.asp.
For information on gatekeeper training available to school staff, please see our training section by clicking here.
Contact Us:
Information Line: 1-800-732-8333
Email: injury@vdh.virginia.gov
Phone: (804) 864-7732
