A comprehensive approach for preventing suicide includes many elements including educational outreach, screening opportunities, access to professional services, support networks, means restriction, social marketing, and encouraging social environments to prevent isolation (SPRC, 2004). Having a policy that helps students struggling with depression, self-injurious or suicidal behavior, is one other way administrators may be able to support these students. Our experience with mandatory counseling has convinced us that it can make a difference. All but one of the students we have worked with under this policy returned to school. None of these returning students have had a further self-injurious incident or made further threats. More importantly, they have been emotionally and academically successful after returning and starting counseling. In some cases we hear the impact we have made directly from the student as was the case just last month when one young man told me, “thank you and please thank all the staff members, for helping me get the help I’ve needed for so long.”
View the entire article on page 6 of this article. Feel free to contact me with questions, Dr. Jill Landesberg-Boyle.
