American School Counselor Association

Without a doubt, school counselors want to support students who are suicidal. Any time it comes to a school counselor’s attention that a child is in danger of suicide, we recognize our obligation to call parents/guardians, even if it’s only a remote possibility that the student is at risk. The difficulty is not in the commitment to support students at risk; it’s the use of protocols quantifying suicide. Determining suicide risk is problematic on many levels, not the least of which is the difficulty of assessing the risk. Learn about a new Suicide Risk Assessment Replacement Toolkit available to help you focus on the standard of care to protect students who present as suicidal. Download webinar handout here.

Learning Objectives: 

After attending this webinar, you will be able to:

1. Discuss court cases that inform the school counselor’s work with students who are suicidal
2. Identify ways to better protect students, including using the newly released Suicide Risk Assessment Replacement Toolkit
3. Explain best practices, including relaying information to parents/guardians to give them the best chance of keeping their child safe

Speakers:

• Carolyn Stone, Ed.D., Professor of Counselor Education, University of North Florida
• Ben Handrich, School Counselor, South Salem High School, Salem, Ore.

Original air date: Sept. 21, 2022