Resource Types: Program/Practice

The PREPaRE School Crisis Prevention and Intervention Training Curriculum (2nd  Edition), developed by the National Association of School Psychologists, consists of two complementary workshops. Workshop 1 is designed to help schools create systems to meet the safety and crisis prevention and preparedness needs of students, staff, and families. Workshop 2 focuses on mental health crisis intervention and recovery. The curriculum builds on existing personnel, resources, and programs; links to ongoing school safety efforts; facilitates sustainability; addresses a range of crises (including suicide); and can be adapted to each school’s size and needs.

PREPaRE has three primary goals:

1.  Build school safety and crisis management capacity at the local level;

2. Improve schools’ attention to mental health as key to prevention and recovery; and

3. Facilitate effective collaboration among school and community professionals by providing a common framework and language.

While PREPaRE is not itself a suicide prevention program, it does provide the type of training all schools should have prior to the implementation of suicide prevention programs.

Program Objectives

PREPaRE Workshop 1 Participants will be able to take on the following responsibilities:

1. Participate more effectively on a school safety and crisis team;
2. Understand and help facilitate the major functions of the Incident Command System;
3. Help organize crisis planning and services within the four phases of crisis management (Prevention, Mitigation, Response and Recovery);
4. Provide guidance on developing effective crisis plans;
5. Improve ongoing prevention and early intervention efforts to promote psychological safety, including suicide risk assessment and supports;
6. Improve understanding and increase emphasis on psychological safety in all four phases of crisis management;
7. Distinguish between the purposes of a crisis team response plan and the school staff response plan, including critical components specific to each;
8. Provide staff development related to crisis prevention (e.g., signs/symptoms of students at risk for harming themselves or others) and crisis intervention (e.g., lockdown drills);
9. Support ongoing evaluation of crisis prevention and preparedness efforts; and
10. Integrate ongoing school safety crisis planning into multi-tiered systems of support.

PREPaRE Workshop 2 Participants will be able to take on the following responsibilities:

1. Improve awareness of and attention to promoting students’ psychological safety in the aftermath of a crisis;
2. Identify variables that determine the number of individuals likely to have been traumatized by a given crisis event, including death by suicide;
3. Identify how school crisis intervention and recovery fit into the multidisciplinary National Incident Management System’s Incident Command System (NIMS/ICS) school crisis response;
4. Understand the triage variables that predict for psychological trauma;
5. Match the degree of psychological trauma risk to the appropriate school crisis interventions;
6. Provide staff development and guidance on supporting traumatized students in the classroom, including recognizing and referring students who may be at risk for self-harm;
7. Provide guidance on appropriate memorial activities, including special consideration for suicide deaths; and
8. Help school leaders support school staff in their caregiver role in the aftermath of a crisis, including recognizing staff members who may be at risk for extreme stress or suicide.

Implementation Essentials

• PREPaRE Workshops should only be led by trainers approved by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). There is a list of approved trainers on the NASP website at http://www.nasponline.org/prepare/local-trainers.aspx. 

2012 NSSP Objectives Addressed: 

Objective 5.2: Encourage community-based settings to implement effective programs and provide education that promote wellness and prevent suicide and related behaviors.

Veterans on Campus: Peer Program is a 30-minute, online, interactive gatekeeper and re-integration training simulation developed by Kognito. The training prepares active duty military and veteran students to provide support to one another when confronting challenges such as adjusting to campus life or struggling with psychological distress, including suicidal ideation. Through practice in virtual conversations with virtual students, users learn (1) how to identify when another student veteran needs peer support, (2) conversation techniques to encourage productive problem-solving, (3) warning signs of psychological distress, and (4) how to refer student veterans exhibiting signs of psychological distress including suicidal ideation to appropriate on- and off-campus resources.

This training is based on Veterans on Campus for Faculty and Staff.

Program Objectives

Individuals who participate in the Veterans on Campus: Peer Program training will:

1. Increase their knowledge of warning signs that another veteran is in distress;
2. Become more motivated and likely to approach a student veteran to discuss his/her struggles and to refer him/her to on- or off-campus support services; and
3. Increase their knowledge and skills in dealing with a potentially suicidal friend.

Implementation Essentials

No materials are required to implement the program. The course is hosted on Kognito’s learning management system and Kognito provides technical support to end-users as well as a dedicated account manager for each client. The client’s part of implementing the program is to announce its availability to end users via email, the media, their website, and other marketing outlets. Kognito created an implementation manual that can help clients plan their roll-out. The course includes a customizable web page with information about local support services available for student veterans.

2012 NSSP Objectives Addressed: 

Objective 5.3: Intervene to reduce suicidal thoughts and behaviors in populations with suicide risk.

Objective 7.1: Provide training on suicide prevention to community groups that have a role in the prevention of suicide and related behaviors.

Objective 7.2: Provide training to mental health and substance abuse providers on the recognition, assessment, and management of at-risk behavior, and the delivery of effective clinical care for people with suicide risk.

The Family Intervention for Suicide Prevention (FISP) is a cognitive behavioral family intervention for youth ages 10-18 who are presenting to an emergency department (ED) with suicidal ideation or after a suicide attempt. The main goal of the FISP is to use the ED visit as an opportunity to decrease the short-term risk of repeated suicidal ideation and behavior by building the coping skills of youth and their families, enhancing motivation for follow-up mental health treatment, and improving linkage to outpatient follow-up treatment services after discharge from the ED or hospital.

The FISP is delivered by mental health providers or health providers with some mental health training and has three core components: (1) ED staff training; (2) Youth and family crisis therapy session; and (3) Care linkage telephone contacts. It includes reframing the suicide attempt as a problem requiring action; educating families about the importance of outpatient mental health treatment and restriction of access to dangerous attempt methods; strengthening family support; and working with the youth to identify potential suicidality triggers and develop a safety plan and “hope box” to enhance safe and adaptive coping. Both the therapy session and follow-up contacts aim to increase motivation for accessing follow-up care and to provide linkages to appropriate care and services. Follow-up contacts begin within the first 48 hours after discharge and continue until the youth is linked to care (usually at 1, 2, and 4 weeks after discharge).

This intervention has been adapted for use in the homes of youth or in non-ED settings (e.g., inpatient, residential, outpatient, school, other community programs) where youth may present with recent suicide attempts, self-harm, and/or suicidal ideation. The FISP was adapted for delivery as a home-based intervention for youth with “suicide incidents” in the Celebrating Life Program, developed to address suicide attempts by youth within the White Mountain Apache community.

Designation as a “Program with Evidence of Effectiveness”

SPRC designated this intervention as a “program with evidence of effectiveness” based on its inclusion in SAMHSA’s National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices (NREPP).

Outcome(s) Reviewed (Overall Quality of Research Rating-scale of 0 to 4)*

1: Linkage to outpatient mental health treatment services (3.1)

Read more about this program’s ratings.

———————

* NREPP changed its review criteria in 2015. This program is a “legacy program,” meaning that it was reviewed under the pre-2015 criteria. The evidence for each outcome was reviewed and scored on a scale of 0-4, with 4 indicating the highest quality of evidence and 0 indicating very poor quality of evidence. The overall rating was based on ratings of six criteria: 1) reliability of measures, 2) validity of measures, 3) intervention fidelity, 4) missing data and attrition, 5) potential confounding variables, and 6) appropriateness of analysis. When considering programs, we recommend (a) assessing whether the specific outcomes achieved by the program are a fit for your needs; and (b) examining the strength of evidence for each outcome.

2012 NSSP Objectives Addressed: 

Objective 8.3: Promote timely access to assessment, intervention, and effective care for individuals with a heightened risk for suicide.

Networks for Life: An Educator’s Role in Youth Suicide Prevention is a 3-hour training on suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention in the school setting. Designed for use in Washington State, it covers (1) the scope of youth suicide locally; (2) risk and protective factors; (3) school policies, procedures, and crisis response plans; (4) strategies for creating a preventive culture; (5) signs of depression and suicidal thinking in adolescents; (6) a basic 3-step intervention process; (7) local resources; and (8) best practices in postvention and the prevention of suicide contagion. The training emphasizes schools’ important and unique role in youth suicide prevention and gives participants specific, easy-to-use tools. Discussions, brainstorms, practice scenarios, and opportunities to review policies and resources are included.

Networks for Life evolved from many years of work in the field by Washington’s Youth Suicide Prevention Program staff, including teachers, social workers, and other experts in adolescent development. The educator’s version of this training was created in response to requests for more integration of one-on-one intervention skills with local resource networks and school policies. During the 2012-13 school year, this training was implemented and tested through a series of workshops across the state of Washington and edited based on input from educators representing 83 school districts. Information was drawn from credible sources including the Washington State Department of Health, SAMHSA, and SPRC.

Program Objectives

Educators who participate in Networks for Life training will have increased:

1. Capacity to identify and appropriately respond to signs of adolescent stress, depression, and suicidal thinking; 
2. Understanding of how risk factors, stress, and depression are and are not related to suicide; and,
3. Understanding of their role in youth suicide prevention.

Implementation Essentials

• Schools that implement Networks for Life should have protocols in place to guide response to students who may be at risk of suicide.

2012 NSSP Objectives Addressed: 

Objective 7.1: Provide training on suicide prevention to community groups that have a role in the prevention of suicide and related behaviors.

Kognito LGBTQ on Campus for Students is a 30-minute, online, interactive gatekeeper and cultural competence training simulation that teaches students and student leaders at institutions of higher education how to contribute to a safer and more supportive campus environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) students. During the training, users assume the role of a student and engage in three simulated experiences based on common challenges affecting LGBTQ students on college campuses as a result of unsupportive environments. Students learn how to (1) address discriminatory language or the expression of prejudiced ideologies, (2) respond supportively when a peer comes out as LGBTQ, and (3) approach and talk to peers who exhibit signs of psychological distress, including suicidal ideation, and refer them to appropriate support services.

Kognito LGBTQ on Campus for Studentsis a project of The Trevor Project and Campus Pride. It was developed by Kognito Interactive with input from experts in mental health, crisis intervention and suicide prevention, LGBTQ issues, and campus life from organizations such as The Trevor Project, Campus Pride, and the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). Kognito also conducted several face-to-face focus groups and one-on-one interviews with LGBTQ students and college faculty and staff as part of the development process.

Program Objectives

Students who complete the training will have increased knowledge of:

1. Common warning signs that a peer may be suffering from psychological distress, including thoughts of suicide, and skills for approaching a peer to talk about these issues, including asking if the student is considering suicide.
2. The experiences and challenges of LGBTQ college students and of common definitions for sexual orientation and gender identity.
3. Techniques for responding to biased language on campus and for supporting LGBTQ peers.
4. On-campus resources available to LGBTQ peers for support and community, such as LGBTQ clubs and the campus’s mental health services office, and skills for referring peers to these services.

Implementation Essentials

• Colleges and universities that use Kognito LGBTQ on Campus for Students program should identify on- and off-campus resources for LGBTQ students and ensure make all program participants aware of these resources. 

2012 NSSP Objectives Addressed: 

Objective 5.3: Intervene to reduce suicidal thoughts and behaviors in populations with suicide risk.

Objective 7.1: Provide training on suicide prevention to community groups that have a role in the prevention of suicide and related behaviors.

Suicide Prevention: Supporting Those At-Risk for Suicide (formerly known as Suicide Prevention: Supporting Our Youth) is a one- to three-hour training developed by Samaritans for middle school and high school faculty and staff. Participants learn important information about suicide prevention, and are introduced to the concept and skills of befriending. Materials include a PowerPoint presentation, handouts, and wallet cards. Role-playing and practice modules are included for extended (2-3 hour) versions of the training.

Suicide Prevention: Supporting Our Youth is delivered by the Director of Community Education and Outreach at Samaritans. Sources for the information given in the workshop include the American Association of Suicidology, Suicide Prevention Resource Center, and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Program Objectives

Educators who take the Suicide Prevention: Supporting Our Youth workshop will acquire greater: 

1. Knowledge of warning signs and risk factors for suicide.
2. Knowledge of protective factors against suicide.
3. Understanding of how to obtain help for students at risk.
4. Understanding of how to communicate effectively with at-risk students.

Implementation Essentials

• Schools that use Suicide Prevention: Supporting Our Youth should have established protocols for managing and getting help for students who may be at risk. 

2012 NSSP Objectives Addressed: 

Objective 7.1: Provide training on suicide prevention to community groups that have a role in the prevention of suicide and related behaviors.

Umatter for Schools Youth Suicide Prevention is a two-day training program that provides school teams with the knowledge and skills to develop comprehensive, asset-based approaches to suicide prevention in their schools. Teams may include teachers, administrators, counselors, and other staff, and are encouraged to bring a representative from a local mental health agency in their area. The program includes gatekeeper training with an emphasis on building assets and protective factors for all youth, developing school protocols, learning to use a student curriculum, and making an action plan to implement suicide prevention strategies in the school community. Umatter also includes a public information campaign with the central message that adults matter because they can act as gatekeepers for youth who are suicidal. The campaign emphasizes that young people who are depressed or suicidal also matter because they are needed by their families, friends, and communities whether they feel that in the moment or not.

Umatter was developed following a review of several school-based suicide prevention programs to determine key concepts. Additional concepts were drawn from the American Association of Suicidology and the academic literature about suicide. The learning activities in Umatter are designed to reach the learning preferences and styles of all participants, and to ensure maximum transfer of knowledge, skills, and attitudes to the workplace.

Program Objectives

School personnel who complete the Umatter training will be able to:

1. Identify cultural factors that contribute to the stigma associated with seeking help.
2. Identify warning signs, risk factors, and protective factors for youth in distress.
3. Describe their roles and responsibilities in responding to suicidal behavior.
4. Establish school protocols for suicide prevention, crisis intervention, and suicide postvention.
5. Describe the Lifelines student curriculum and supports for the curriculum.
6. Identify possible challenges to the implementation of the Lifelines curriculum.
7. Develop a school-wide strategy to build critical connections among schools, parents, and regional support services.

Implementation Essentials

• Umatter includes the use of the Lifelines suicide prevention curriculum.

2012 NSSP Objectives Addressed: 

Objective 2.1: Develop, implement, and evaluate communication efforts designed to reach defined segments of the population.

Objective 5.2: Encourage community-based settings to implement effective programs and provide education that promote wellness and prevent suicide and related behaviors.

Objective 7.1: Provide training on suicide prevention to community groups that have a role in the prevention of suicide and related behaviors.

Kognito LGBTQ on Campus for Faculty and Staff is a 30-minute, online, interactive gatekeeper and cultural competency training simulation that teaches faculty and staff at institutions of higher education how to contribute to a safer and more supportive campus environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) students. During the training, users assume the role of faculty and staff members and engage in three simulated experiences with emotionally responsive student avatars to gain practice in (1) addressing discriminatory language, (2) respectfully handling LGBTQ-related issues, and (3) talking with students who are exhibiting signs of psychological distress, including suicidal ideation, and making effective referrals to appropriate support services.

The program is a project of The Trevor Project and Campus Pride. It was developed by Kognito Interactive with input from experts in mental health, crisis intervention and suicide prevention, LGBTQ issues, and campus life from organizations such as The Trevor Project, Campus Pride, and the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). Kognito also conducted several face-to-face focus groups and one-on-one interviews with LGBTQ students and college faculty and staff as part of the development process.

Program Objectives

After completing the training, college faculty and staff will have increased knowledge of:

1. Common warning signs that a student may be suffering from psychological distress, including thoughts of suicide, and skills for approaching a student to talk about these issues, including asking if the student is considering suicide.
2. How to build a community of respect and inclusion for all students—especially LGBTQ students.
3. Common definitions for sexual orientation and gender identity and ability to promote an awareness of the number of students who may be LGBTQ.
4. Resources and referral points for LGBTQ students, and effective tactics for making such referrals.
5. Skills for conducting conversations with students regarding sexual orientation and gender identity.
6. Skills in mediating situations in which discriminatory language is used or prejudiced ideology is expressed.

Implementation Essentials

• Colleges and universities that use Kognito LGBTQ on Campus for Faculty and Staff should identify on- and off-campus resources for LGBTQ students, and make program participants aware of these resources.

2012 NSSP Objectives Addressed: 

Objective 5.3: Intervene to reduce suicidal thoughts and behaviors in populations with suicide risk.

Objective 7.1: Provide training on suicide prevention to community groups that have a role in the prevention of suicide and related behaviors.