On behalf of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Safe and Supportive Schools, the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE) invites you to join our next webinar—Suicide Prevention: Building Protective Factors to Keep Students Safe.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people between the ages of ten and twenty-four. Data from Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), shows that 3.3 million adolescents between the age of twelve and seventeen had serious thoughts of committing suicide, made a suicide plan, or attempted suicide in the past year. Although the data demonstrate persistent challenges, CDC’s 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey report does show signs that adolescent mental health improved from 2021 to 2023.
Schools and school personnel play a critical role in building protective factors that can reduce the likelihood of young people thinking of suicide. This webinar shared the latest information on suicide trends among K-12 students. It also shared related risk and protective factors and strategies schools can implement to support suicide prevention based on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. After the presentations, our practitioner and student panelists talked about strategies they are using to make school climate improvements that build protective factors to prevent suicide.
Speakers & Panelists
Moderator: Cindy Carraway-Wilson, Training Specialist, NCSSLE, ME
- Rodney Bird, School Superintendent, Two Eagle River School of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, MT
- Ken Brown, Teacher, Iowa High School, CEO Peer Initiative, LA
- Katherine Deal, Public Health Advisor, Suicide Prevention Branch, Center for Mental Health Services, SAMHSA
- Marci Hertz, Senior Advisor for School Mental Health, Division of Adolescent and School Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Addysen McCallister, High School Student; Member, Ohio Youth-Led Prevention Network; Member, Impact Prevention; Member, Key Club, OH
- Ayaan Moledina, High School Student; Federal Policy Director, Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT), TX
- Dr. Cindy O’Dell, Project Coordinator, Two Eagle River School of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, MT
Webinar Materials
Related Resources
CDC
- YRBS Data Summary & Trends Report
- Suicide Prevention Resource for Action
- School Connectedness Helps Students Thrive
HHS
SAMHSA
- SAMHSA’s Suicide Prevention Initiatives
- Grants Dashboard
- Warning Signs
- National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative (NCTSI)
- Strategic Planning (includes the Six Steps)
- Zero Suicide Toolkit
Suicide Prevention Resource Center
- Best Practices Registry
- Promote Social Connectedness and Support
- States and Territories
- Centering Lived Experience
- Reduce Access to Means of Suicide
- Ensure Access to Effective Care and Treatment
Peer Initiative
Action Alliance
The White House
- Safe Storage of Firearms - Unload it, Lock it, Store it
- Safe Firearm Storage: Sample Letter to Families
More on the Lessons from the Field Series
To access archived materials from previous webinars and to find out what is coming next, go here.
In Case You Missed It
Do you need guidance on how to prevent suicide? Check out the Suicide Prevention Resource for Action webpage of the CDC, Youth Suicide Prevention Toolkit from Prevent Child Injury, or Suicide Prevention Resource Center.
Please contact NCSSLE if you have any questions.