JS:  SUICIDE PREVENTION, INTERVENTION AND RESPONSE

The School Committee recognizes that suicide prevention requires a comprehensive approach.

The Kittery School District will provide suicide prevention awareness training for all employees within the school system or through an outside agency. School employees shall complete suicide awareness training within six months of beginning employment and refresher training at least once every year thereafter.

The Kittery School District will enable a sufficient number of school staff to complete “gatekeeper” training in suicide prevention and intervention in order to meet the minimum gatekeeper to student ratio prescribed by Maine law.

The Superintendent/designee will develop protocols to address suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention, including counseling services, after an incident of student suicide.  Such protocols will be aligned with guidelines that have been reviewed and approved by the Maine Department of Education, i.e., guidelines based on the best practices established by the National Alliance on Mental Illness Maine or a similar organization authorized by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services through its suicide prevention program.

The school unit’s health education programming will include grade level-appropriate instruction to increase suicide awareness.  The School Committee encourages programming that will support mental/behavioral health, teach stress management and coping strategies, and encourage students to seek help from caring adults.  Suicide prevention efforts will be aligned with the health education standards of Maine’s system of Learning Results.  

Adopted:                December 18, 2019

Reviewed by PC:  September 23, 2021 (no changes)

Legal References: 20-A MRSA § 4502(5-B); Resolves, Ch. 38 (2018)

                                 Maine Dept. of Education Rule Ch.  38