Suicide Prevention Screening Resources
One of the best ways to identify youth at-risk for suicide is through screening. There are many things that need to be in place before implementing a screening program.
Before implementing screening, make sure that staff have been trained in suicide warning signs, referral procedures, and that pupil services staff are prepared to respond to a student who may be thinking about suicide.
Below are some basic preparatory steps.
- Seek approval from administration and school board
- Engage pupil services team support
- Identify and notify community resources of screening
- Select a valid and reliable instrument
- Determine whether you will use active or passive parent consent
- Inform parents and students of their right to opt out
- Alert/train staff and parents on gatekeeper training, screening tool, protocols, and available resources
- Determine who will interview individual students
- Determine who will contact parents and when
- Determine who will provide follow-up/case management and specific procedures to follow
- Evaluate/reflect on data and program with staff involved
- Revise/update program
Materials to help your research before implementing. This is not an exhaustive list.
- Maximizing the Return of Parent Consent Forms
- The Youth Suicide Prevention School-based Guide
- The Wisconsin Components of School-based Suicide Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention Model
Proactive tools that are on the Suicide Prevention Resource Center's (SPRC) Best Practice Registry include:
For more information on evidence-based tools go to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center.
Some risk screening tools available for reactive/individual screening include: