Every school, wanting to conduct a suicide prevention effort, needs to consider the benefits as well as the challenges that are involved.
Schools have indicated the following benefits for their students:
- Teaches self-help skills;
- Curriculum encourages students to talk with caring adults
- Teaches problem-solving, decision-making, values clarification and conflict management skills;
- Increases self-confidence in presentation skills; and
- Addresses an issue that effects the health, wellness and safety of their peers
Administrators have identified the following benefits for their school:
- Addresses an issue that effects the health, wellness and safety of adolescents;
- Allows a school to connect with local social service agencies;
- Provides no-cost training opportunities for students, teachers, staff, counselors, and parents;
- Gives a school an opportunity to develop or enhance their crisis response plan; and
- Brings suicide prevention “from the back of the classroom to the front”
Faculty/staff have identified the following benefits for themselves:
- Students view the teachers who have hosted peer-facilitated presentations in their classroom as “helping adults”;
- Serving in role of faculty liaison provides an opportunity to demonstrate leadership and contribute positively to the school climate;
- Curriculum enhances knowledge of warning signs as well as providing tools for effectively intervening; and
- Affords an opportunity to update health curriculum to include suicide prevention.
Students/schools have identified the following challenges:
- Recruiting an adequate number of students to do the work, given all the other demands (responsibilities) they are trying to balance;
- Having sufficient time to plan and implement activities;
- Inadequate number of teachers who are willing to have their classes interrupted for the 45-minute presentations; and
- Uncertain commitment and support from administration, staff and/or students to keep the program going from year to year.
Resources that YSPP can offer your school include:
- Training for students, faculty/staff and parents
- Assistance in developing or enhancing a crisis response plan that addresses prevention, intervention and postvention strategies;
- Technical assistance in the design and implementation of your prevention efforts.
