Suicide Prevention

Behavioral health emergencies include incidents of suicidal or homicidal ideation. Students are potentially suicidal or homicidal if they attempt to or express verbally, in writing, or through pictures, the desire or intent to inflict serious or life-threatening injury to themselves or others.

Family Support Specialist are the point of contact for all crisis-related issues. All crises are confidential and FSS will exercise clinical judgment on how to ethically share information with related staff.

Assessment:

If a student appears to feel or reports feeling a high level of stress or emotional distress in school (expressing they want to kill themselves or engage in self-harm):

• Check-in with the child’s school Family Support Specialist immediately.
• The reporting staff will stay with the student(s) until the student is picked up by the Family Support Specialist.
• The Family Support Specialist will share information with school nurses.
• The school nurse will be summoned immediately if there is any self-harm done at school to examine students and determine the next steps.
• The Family Support Specialist will assess students mental health status
• The Family Support Specialist will complete a suicide risk assessment and develop a safety plan.
• The Family Support Specialist will contact the parent/guardian and inform them of the situation.
• The Family Support Specialist will have the student speak with the parent to update on the exhibited crisis, interventions implemented and supports needed.

Resources:

Philadelphia Children’s Crisis Response Center

3300 Henry Avenue Falls Center 2, Suite 3N, Philadelphia, PA 19129 215-685-6440

Mobile Crisis Team

Crisis Text Line: Just text PA to 741741

Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255

TrevorLifeline at 1-866-488-7386, chat online with TrevorChat , or text START to 678-678 to have a text conversation

Back to Student Support Services