For Educators

For the past 25 years, members of our clinical advisory board have been providing schools with a number of suicide prevention services, ranging from awareness programs to postvention training. Their approach is built on the premise that school suicide prevention programs are not meant to function as counseling services, but should join all members of the school community together in identifying youth who are at risk for suicide and refer them to appropriate resources. The school is viewed in the context of a "competent community," where all members care about each other's welfare and know how to get help for those in need.

As an educator, we know you often identify students in your classroom who, for one reason or another seem vulnerable or at risk. But how do you know if what you're seeing is part of the normal ups and downs of adolescence or something more severe?

The strategies we suggest for addressing your concerns are simple:

• When you observe changes in a student's behavior, pay attention.
• If the changes concern you, talk with the student if you're comfortable doing so.
• Feel free to consult your school's resources staff about your observations.

Your role in youth suicide prevention is critical—staff who have been educated and have an awareness of youth suicide are a school's greatest prevention resource!

SPTS has developed a two-hour suicide awareness training program. For more information about this and our other training materials, please contat us:

Mail:
Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide, Inc. (SPTS)
P.O. Box 6835
Freehold, NJ 07728

Email:
info@sptsnj.org