SUICIDE

PREVENTION
Bringing Suicide Prevention Training to

Sweetwater Union High School District

BRIANA MIRANDA, XARENI ROBLEDO,

& JONATHAN VERDUGO
Obejctives & Agenda
OBJECTIVES
Recommend  professional development on suicide prevention in order to: 

Promote emotional well-being and connectedness among all students

Identify students who may be at risk for suicide and assist them in getting help 

Be prepared to respond when a death by suicide occurs

AGENDA
1. Analyze CHKS data

2. Discuss best practices for Suicide Prevention

3. Call for support

CHKS DATA
 Chronic Sadness or Hopeless
Feelings, Past 12 Months
125%

100%
Both SUHi and MOH

33%
have slightly lower

35%
SUHSD
75%
rates than the overall

student population in
MOH
SUHSD.
50%
34% 32% SUHi

25%

34% 36% 36%

0%
7th Graders 9th Graders 11th Graders

% OF STUDENTS
RESPONDING ' YES'
 Chronic Sadness or Hopeless
Feelings, 2015 - 2019
125%

100%

Rates increasing

among all grades 75% 36% 7th Grade

every subsequent
33% 32% 9th Grade
year.
50%
36% 11th Grade

25%
31% 30%

26% 25% 34%

0%
2015 2017 2019

% OF STUDENTS
RESPONDING ' YES'
Seriously Considered Attempting
Suicide, Past 12 Months
50%

40%

SUHi has slightly

30% 16% SUHSD
lower rates than
10%
MOH and SUHSD. MOH

20%
12% 12% SUHi

10%

16% 16% 14%

0%
7th Graders 9th Graders 11th Graders

% OF STUDENTS
RESPONDING ' YES'
Seriously Considered Attempting
Suicide, 2015 - 2019
50%

40%
Rates decreasing
14% 7th Grade
among all grades 30%
every subsequent
9th Grade
year.
20% 15% 14% 16% 11th Grade

10%

17% 15% 16%

0%
2015 2017 2019

% OF STUDENTS
RESPONDING ' YES'
SD County & State
Suicide Rates
 Caring Adults in School
2018 - 2019
200%

Over 50% of
150%
students report

having caring 64%

adults at their 58% SUHSD

100%
schools.
MOH

51% 58%
SUHi
50%

58% 55% 63%

0%
7th Graders 9th Graders 11th Graders

% OF STUDENTS RESPONDING ' PRETTY

MUCH TRUE' OR ' VERY MUCH TRUE'
BEST PRACTICES
 Community
Partnership HERE Now
SERVICES INCLUDE:
PRESENTATIONS

SUHSD has partnered with Classroom (7th, 9th, & 11th grade)

HERE Now to provide mental Staff

health awareness to 9th and Parent

11th grade students, their

INDIVIDUAL ASSESSMENTS
families, and staff members.
Referral-based

Self-Identified Students
THE DATA PRESENTED IS BASED

ON THE 2019-2020 SCHOOL YEAR COMMUNITY REFERRALS

Therapeutic Services

Hospitalization
 HERE Now at SUHSD
12,500 FOR THE 19-20 SCHOOL YEAR:
Over 10,000 SUHSD 9th and
10,000
11th grade students have

received Presentations
7,500
Of the 10,000 students over
1,000 9th and 11th grade
5,000
students have received

safety assessments
2,500
56 of the 1,000 received
10660 1145 56 community referrals for
0
Classroom Individual Community therapeutic services

Presentations Assessments Referrals

 HERE Now at SUHSD
1,250 FOR THE 19-20 SCHOOL YEAR:
25% of the students met with
1,000 completed a Safety Plan,

meaning they reported SI

750 within the past 12 months

19% of those who received

500 Safety Plans were referred to

community resources for

250
therapeutic services

1145 290 56 8 8 SUHSD students were

0
hospitalized for their own
Individual Community
Safety Plans Hospitalizations
Assessments Referrals safety
 HERE Now at SUHSD
1,250

FOR THE 19-20 SCHOOL YEAR:

1,000
Only 71% of SUHSD staff
attended the Staff Suicide
750
Prevention presentations

500
How do we include the other
250 29% of staff members that

1127 811 serve our students?

0
Total Attended HERE

Now Presentation
Community Partnership
THE DATA FROM HERE Now' s INTERVENTIONS SHOW:

18 SUHSD schools received the information, including learning centers 

10% of students who received the presentation were assessed

25% of students assessed experienced suicidal ideation within the past 12 months

or attempted suicide once in their life

29% of SUHSD staff did not attend the HERE Now staff presentations

Only 7th, 9th, and 11th graders directly received the information
 What Does This Mean?
HERE Now INTERVENTIONS HAVE PROVIDED EDUCATION
AND SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS, FAMILIES, AND STAFF
BUT IT LEAVES US WITH THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

How can we support the 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students?

How can we provide continuous support to all SUHSD students?

How can we target the 29% of staff that did not receive the information?
CALL FOR SUPPORT
 Provide mandatory annual professional development to ALL staff on

SNOITNEVRETNI
risk factors, warning signs, protective factors, response procedures,

referrals, postvention, and resources regarding youth suicide

LANOITIDDA prevention.

The professional development shall include additional information

regarding groups of students at elevated risk for suicide

PD’s that include cultural understanding to gain insight on how

people think about suicide, death, and mental illness; how they

display emotions or distress; and how they ask for or accept help. 

Require at least 1  hour per semester

Increase funding available for professional development

opportunities for all staff

Offer multiple sessions throughout the school year

Incorporate substance abuse and suicide prevention into health

education curricula using evidence-based, appropriate practices.

Content shall include the importance of safe and healthy choices

and coping strategies focused on resiliency building, and how to

recognize risk factors and warning signs of mental health

conditions and suicide in oneself and others

Collaborate with the district suicide prevention coordinator to

create a comprehensive suicide prevention plan.

REFLECTION
OT SGNIHT This is a topic that may be triggering for staff

REDISNOC members

This can be why 29% do not attend the HERE Now

staff presentations

We need to be aware of how to support our staff

→
members if they are triggered by a suicide training,

suicide attempt, or death by suicide on campus

How is this included in our crisis plan?

Include self-care and wellbeing activities/practices

for staff members, as burnout and mental health can

affect them as well

Reminder to include staff members for Wellness

Wednesday
THANK
YOU
SECNEREFER
Sweetwater High School. California Healthy Kids Survey, 2018-19: Main

Report. San Francisco: WestEd Health and Justice Program for the

California Department of Education.

Sweetwater Union High School District. California Healthy Kids Survey,

2018-19: Main Report. San Francisco: WestEd Health and Justice

Program for the California Department of Education.

Sweetwater Union High School District. California Healthy Kids Survey,

2014-2019: Trends in Key Indicators, Secondary Grades. San

Francisco: WestEd Health and Justice Program for the California

Department of Education.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and

Mental Health Services Administration Center for Mental Health

Services. “PREVENTING SUICIDE: A Toolkit for High Schools.”

UP2SD.Org, up2sd.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Toolkit-for-

Schools-SP-SAMHSA.pdf.