Prevention Programs in the Boise School District

Research indicates that prevention is much more than any program. In fact, prevention begins the moment a student walks through the door of their school. Every school has a unique culture of connection and belongingness that they strive to create with their students, famililes and the surrounding community. These connections help bond the students to their peers, teachers, and staff. Beyond this, Suicide Prevention is addressed in a variety of ways. In the Boise School District, this is primarily seen as a mental health and suicide prevention lessons that start in the elementary schools with Sources of Strength, and transition to discussions in Health classes and with Signs of Suicide in the secondary schools.

 Below you will find three of the prevention programs currently being used in schools within the Boise School District. Hope Squad and Signs of Suicide are being used by all junior high and high schools, while Sources of Strength is used in all elementary schools.

Prevention Resources

Intervention 

Suicide intervention is a direct effort to prevent a person from attempting to take their own life. Within our schools, suicide intervention begins in a variety of manners. The first steps of referring a student to a school mental health professional can begin when a teacher reads a student's paper or sees a drawing that may raise an alarm,  a student discloses that they have thoughts of suicide to a staff member, or a student talking with a staff member about a friend that they are concerned about.  All of these situations would generally warrant a conversation with a school mental health worker and may start the official intervention process.

 The intervention process begins by maintaining student safety, the school mental health professional talking with the student to gain a better understanding of what is going on, acknowledging the unique risk factors of the student while completing a suicide risk screener, providing resources and notifying parents. Our school mental health professionals' primary concern is the safety of the child. We work diligently to provide the information parents need so they can make an informed and supportive decision on how to proceed. Below are some of the documents our district uses.

Postvention 

Postvention refers to activities that reduce risk, promote healing, and create stability after a death. Losing a student or staff member can be very difficult for students and staff alike. Providing support to each is essential in postvention support.

Postvention is often a districtwide affair incorporating planning and collaboration with district leaders, activation of a district level crisis team that consists of school counselors, school social workers and school psychologists, and on the ground support by the staff at the school.  A plan is made and support is established for the school community. Depending on the level of impact, support can look differently during each event. District Crisis members and response are based in the PrePare Model of crisis response, After a Suicide: A Toolkit for Schools,  and through guidance with local partners

After a Suicide Resources

Reducing Access to Lethal Means

Reducing access to lethal means, such as firearms and medication, can determine whether a person at risk for suicide lives or dies. This free online course focuses on how to reduce access to the methods people use to kill themselves. It covers how to: (1) identify people who could benefit from lethal means counseling, (2) ask about  their access to lethal methods, and (3) work with them—and their families—to reduce access.  

Local Community Crisis Support

For additional information, questions, or comments, please email:

 suicidepreventioncoordinator@boiseschools.org 

You can also visit: Policy 3320: Suicide Prevention