Faculty and staff participate
September 7, 2010
Suicide is the third leading cause of death among children, teens, and young adults ages 10 to 24. About 4,000 young people die by suicide each year. And this doesn’t count the vast majority of children brought into the emergency room for attempting suicide.
Very few of these suicides, or suicide attempts, take place in schools. But many young people who are at risk of suicide attend school and exhibit warning signs that, if recognized and acted on, could prevent death or injury and reduce emotional suffering. For this reason, MCS officials took steps to train teachers and staff on ways to prevent suicide on Tuesday, Sept. 7.
According to the ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) trainers, teachers have a powerful roll to play. “We are talking about someone’s life here. This training will not only be applicable in school but in your own life.”
Teachers have day-to-day contact with many young people they are well-positioned to observe students' behavior and to act when they suspect that a student may be at risk of self-harm. Part of the training was being able to recognize behavioral patterns and other warning signs that indicate that a young person may be at risk of suicide. The next step was learning how to actively intervene by ensuring that young people at risk receive the available services they need.
Training also included how to conduct suicide risk assessment, warning and informing parents, providing recommendations and referrals to community services, and providing follow up counseling and support at school.
“Our goal is to have the entire school staff working to create an environment where students feel safe sharing such information,” said Superintendent Paul G. Williamsen.