1. Student Suicide Prevention Policy and Administrative Regulations
Work with Santa Clara County School Districts

2. Agenda Purpose of Talk Data on California Youth Suicides
Santa Clara County Suicide Prevention Efforts
Justification For a Suicide Prevention Policy
A Suicide Prevention Policy
Taking Action
Motivation/Situation
Obstacles/Difficulties
Results and Other Mental Health Factors
Recommendation
Contact Information
Questions and Answers

3. Why Give This Talk? Two reasons:
All Santa Clara County school districts personnel should know if your district:
Adopted a suicide prevention policy and administrative regulations (ARs)
If the ARs are being implemented
My personal mission:
Prevent individuals from seriously harming themselves or taking their lives
Partially accomplish this objective through awareness and training

4. Folks, Do You Know We Have A Problem?
The data on California children/youth (0-19 years old) suicides (1991 – 2012):
Total suicide deaths: 3,784
Average annual number of suicide deaths: 172
There are at least twelve, active, youth suicide clusters statewide
Youth percentage of total suicides(all ages):5%

5. Is The Problem More Significant Than You Realize?
The data on California children/youth (0-19 years old) for suicide attempts:
Hospitalizations (1991 – 2012):
Total non-fatal injuries: 65,000
Average annual number of suicide attempts: Between 2,500 to 3,000
Emergency room visits (2006 – 2012):
Total non-fatal injuries: almost 56,000
Average annual suicide attempts: 7,500 to 10,000
Youth percentage of total suicide attempts(all ages):25%

6. Are Suicides Just Limited To A Few Locations
Are Suicides Just Limited To A Few Locations? Most Populated Counties Suicide Data
California Children/Youth (0-19)
1991 to 2012
County
Suicide Deaths
Hospitalizations
ER Visits
Los Angeles
891
17,269
11,445
San Diego County
314
5,512
4,489
San Bernardino County
253
3,956
3,785
Orange County
248
6,104
3,767
Riverside County
189
4,643
3,666
Sacramento County
179
2,000
2,573

7. What Actions Have Your County Taken To Reduce Suicides?
In Santa Clara County these actions occurred:
A Santa Clara County Suicide Prevention Advisory Committee (SPAC) formed
Produced Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan (2010)
Including a Needs Analysis: children (0 - 15) and young adults (16 – 25)
Strategy Four: Implement Policy and Governance Advocacy to Promote Systems Change in Suicide Awareness and Prevention
School composition: Thirty Two (32) school districts plus County Office of Education

8. Do You Really Need Justifications For A Suicide Prevention Policy?
Here are some justifications:
A critical time for mental heath conditions: the teenage years
Suicide: the third leading cause of death for 10 – 19 year olds
A call to have school suicide prevention strategies: Superintendent Torlakson’s January 2013 letter
Parental concerns about children mental-emotional health: Lucile Packard Children's Health Council Bay Area parents survey(2006)
School children do exhibit mental health conditions: Santa Clara County study -- Every Child Has a Story: The Need For Mental Health Prevention and Early Intervention Services (2008)
School psychologists have concerns: National Association of School Psychologist (NASP) Presidents’ Call To Action letter (2009)

9. Are Only Advocates Saying We Need A Suicide Prevention Policy?
“Even if legal liability is uncertain, however, no agent of a school board should ignore a student’s cries for help; and no school board should ignore the possibility that a well-defined suicide prevention policy, combined with staff training and accessible higher officials, could further reduce the chances that this sort of suit will ever be considered.”
(Student Suicides and School System Liability by Cindy Singer Cafaro , page 28)

10. Are A School Suicide Prevention Policy And Administrative Regulations Unusual?
The California School Board Association has templates for:
Standard suicide prevention policy (BP )
Administrative regulation (AR )

11. What Would Your Ideal Suicide Prevention Policy Provide?
Here is what mine would have:
Education and training program to improve awareness
Communication approaches and plan
Data/surveillance collection and analysis
Interventions and Screening programs
A peer support organization
Crisis planning including follow-up response (i.e. crisis response team)
Continued

12. What Would Your Ideal Suicide Prevention Policy Provide?
Here is what mine would have additionally:
Parental involvement
Reference existing state, county, and other school district suicide prevention plans
Timeline to implement strategies
Funding suggestion(s)
Distribution plan
An annual update of accomplishments and next steps

13. If Action is Needed, Don’t You Need To Act?
Between 2013 – 2014 requests were made: each of Santa Clara County school district superintendent ed/asked to adopt a suicide prevention policy
ed supporting documents, including:
Sample suicide prevention policies
The Executive Summary, Santa Clara County’s Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan (2010)
The California State Superintendent of Public Education Tom Torlakson’s January 2013 letter
A free online suicide prevention training (QPR) flyer
A resource list
A resource letter to a school district with significant student suicidal ideation and attempts

14. But, What If There is Still No Action? What Next?
If a school district superintendent did not respond, then:
A follow-up sent, noting attendance at an upcoming school board meeting
Spoke during public comment section
Co-presented with a school district board of education member, when possible
Requested a suicide prevention policy and administrative regulations
Stated the number of county school districts that had adopted a Suicide Prevention Policy and Administrative Regulations
Provided handouts
Where time permitted:
Engaged school district PTA Council members and parents
Met with teachers’ union officers

15. And, If There Is Still No Action? Is It Time To Give Up?
Looked at additional actions to encourage a suicide prevention policy
Wrote a report:
Asked all school district superintendents and school board chairpersons to review
Noted the report would be revised per additional policy approvals
Delivered a copy to the county board of education and county superintendent
Provided a copy to the county mental health director
Sent a report to the California Office of Education (David/Monica)
Distributed this report hither and yond

16. What Motivation Do You Need To Act?
Here is what motivated me?
The number of teenage deaths in Santa Clara County: Thirty three teenage suicides (2009 to 2012)
Having met more than the normal number of school districts’ superintendents all because of tragedies
Being informed of several school districts experiencing suicide contagions/clusters
Being asked to assist schools experiencing increasing numbers of children/youth suicide attempts

17. What Are Obstacles/Difficulties If Not To Overcome?
I experienced the following:
School districts personnel did not have time
Recent education requirement changes made school personnel even busier
In some cases, board members or staff were not aware of an existing school district suicide prevention policy
A suicide prevention policy existed but was not acknowledged
Gamut (an online application) can be very helpful

18. What Results Can Be Expected?
There were slow and gradual outcomes:
Five school districts: SP policy & ARs prior to 2010
Four school districts: SP policy & ARs in 2010
Five school districts: SP policy & ARs in 2012
Ten school districts: SP policy & ARs since June 2013
Four school districts: considering a SP policy & ARs
Three school districts: no indication of any action
One district: unique, so no request
Santa Clara County Office of Education: SP policy & ARs

19. Here are Santa Clara County’s Results
Alum Rock Union School District
Fremont Union High School District
Milpitas Unified School District
San Jose Unified School District
Berryessa Union School District
Gilroy Unified School District
Moreland School District
Saratoga Union School District
Campbell Union High School District
Lakeside Joint School District
Mount Pleasant School District
Sunnyvale School District
Campbell Union School District
Loma Prieta Joint Union School District
Mountain View Los Altos High School District
Union Elementary School District
East Side Union High School District
Los Gatos Union School District
Oak Grove School District
Evergreen School District
Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union H.S. District
Orchard School District
Franklin-McKinley School District
Luther Burbank School District
Palo Alto Unified School District
Santa Clara County Office of Education

20. Some Other California Counties Have A Suicide Prevention Policy
ALPINE COUNTY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District
Salinas Union High School District
Beaumont Unified School District
FORTUNA UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT
SANTA MONICA-MALIBU UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
Claremont USD
Gonzales Unified School District
SANTA YNEZ VALLEY UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT
Chula Vista Elementary School District
Lompoc Unified School District
SCOTT VALLEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
Davis Joint USD
Murrieta Valley Unified School District
Woodland Joint Unified School District
EL RANCHO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
Pleasanton Unified School District

21. What Other Mental Health Information Can You Obtain That Is Helpful?
Santa Clara County school districts use third-party/contract mental health services providers:
Most school districts use a contracted mental health provider
There is no predominate mental health provider, instead there are many service agencies
Mental health providers may not be well versed in suicide prevention techniques

22. Are There Additional Resources Worth Asking About?
In Santa Clara County some school districts have:
Memorandum of understanding with Mental Health Department for services (School Linked Services)
Trainings:
Mental Health First Aid
Suicide prevention gatekeeper program (Question, Persuade, and Refer)

23. Were There Further Outcomes From This Work?
On July 21, 2014, California State Superintendent of Public Education Tom Torlakson issued a letter encouraging all California school district superintendents and charter school administrators to adopted a student suicide prevention policy and administrative regulations.

24. What Can You Do?
If your school district does not have a suicide prevention policy and administrative regulations, advocate for one.
If your school district does have a suicide prevention policy and administrative regulations, see that the ARs are implemented.

25. Do You Want More Information?
Contact: Victor Ojakian

26. Question and Answer