Suicide Awareness and Prevention Training – Act 71
Act 71 requires schools to provide training to staff on youth suicide awareness and prevention. This act became effective with the 2015-16 school year. Districts are mandated to provide four (4) hours of training every five years. This program fulfills a portion of that requirement.
The law also mandates instruction for students in grades 6-12 on depression and suicide prevention.
The law aside, this training is critically important. We work with adolescents every day. We need to appreciate the severity of teen depression. We need to recognize the warning signs and who could be at-risk for self-harm. We need to know how to get them help.
The goal is to provide you with a concise and practical training program that enables you meet these challenges while interacting with young people as part of your day.
These resources are provided as part of the district’s initiative to support administrators, classroom teachers, and classroom support staff on teen mental health and suicide prevention. Combined with the video, the completion of these activities will count as 3 hours of training.
Training for Students
The health education program includes specific training for students on depression and suicide awareness beginning at Grade 5 and is embedded throughout their high school career. The district relies on the expertise of national organizations such as the Jason Foundation in addition to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Training for Adults
Because students spend a lot of time with teachers and their peers, it is critical to address mental health and suicide awareness in schools. We are not in a position to fix mental health issues, but we need to be aware of the warning signs for a student in mental health distress, and know how to get them the help they need.
For the training, each school staff will review the Training Materials and watch the video: More Than Sad.
When finished, complete the attached exit survey at the bottom of this page, and give to your building principal.
More than Sad – VIDEO
The video may take a few minutes to download.
Film Materials: Supporting documents to accompany the film.
Suicide Prevention Education for Teachers and Other School Personnel Program Manual
Suicide Prevention Education for Teachers and Other School Personnel Power Point
Web Resources: Please access and review the resources available on these web sites.
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
American Society for the Care of Children
Active Minds: Changing the Conversation About Mental Health
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Exit Survey: Submit to your building principal when completed.
Exit Survey – Suicide Awareness