Each year an estimated 775,000 family members are impacted by the suicide attempt or death of a loved one. Countless others are concerned about friends. Young adults aged 18-24 have the highest incidence of reported suicide ideation. One fourth of all persons aged 18-24 years in the U.S. are either full- or part-time college students. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the second leading cause of death for Kentuckians 15-34 years old. From the National Institute of Mental Health, "suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students in the U.S."
Kentucky Center for School Safety's New Emergency Management Resource Guide has a section on
Suicide
Hinting, writing, or talking about suicide is a call for help and must be taken seriously. When confronted with a situation in which life-threatening behavior is present, immediate mobilization of all appropriate resources is paramount. Under such conditions, commitment to student confidentiality is superseded by the need to initiate life saving interventions.
Safe and Effective Messaging for Suicide
Prevention
This document offers evidence-based recommendations for
creating safe and effective messages to raise public
awareness that suicide is a serious and preventable
public health problem. The following list of “Do’s” and
“Don’ts” should be used to assess the appropriateness
and safety of message content in suicide awareness
campaigns.
13 Reasons Why Talking Points
13 Reasons Why is a fictional story
based on a widely known novel and is meant to be a
cautionary tale.
Suicide Prevention Training and Resources for
Educators
In response to new Kentucky legislation regarding
suicide prevention training and awareness for middle
school and high school staff and students, the
Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and
Intellectual Disabilities has prepared information about
programs, training and materials.
Visit Kentucky Cabinet for Heatlh and Family Services
website
Suicide Prevention Program
The purpose of this page is to provide information. It
is NOT intended to be used for crisis prevention or
intervention, or as a substitute for seeking
professional help. The Commonwealth of Kentucky and its
Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and
Intellectual Disabilities provide no guarantee of the
accuracy of, nor warranties of any kind related to, the
material provided by external entities. Use of this
information is at the sole risk of the user.
Visit Kentucky Cabinet for Heatlh and Family Services
website
Preparing for and Responding to a Death by Suicide (The Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute at the University of South Florida)
Sample Forms for Schools