Self-Harm, Suicide and Depression in the Schools – John Bearoff

The school years are fraught with turmoil and strife for kids. In addition to the usual unrest, many of your students will be affected by emotional and/or mental health issues. They may present with dropping grades, decreased class participation and negative acting-out behavior. For some students, these issues escalate into more severe and complex behaviors that cause harm to both themselves and others.

These students often become emotionally withdrawn, exhibit extreme mood swings, become severely depressed and may even resort to self-harm and/or suicide. These issues pose a serious challenge to you and your school.

As an educator, you are in the unique position to identify, help and support these struggling students. This recording will examine the best strategies for identification, prevention and postvention among students with depression, self-harm and suicidal ideation. Emphasis will be placed on understanding how to detect and respond to at-risk students at the individual level, classroom level and school-wide level.

You will learn strategies, techniques and interventions to provide the appropriate support and effectively help students cope. Whether you are a classroom teacher, school counselor/psychologist/social worker, administrator or support staff, you will leave this seminar armed with tools you need to connect with and help students who most need your help.

1. Integrate techniques to build students’ social/emotional skills, thus increasing the likelihood to establish positive relationships.
2. Recommend effective methods to detect the hidden signs of depression, self-harm & suicide and put to practical use in the schools.
3. Implement techniques that promote resiliency among all students thus improving their social and academic success.
4. Explore a collaborative approach to integrate SEL into the curriculum.
5. Ascertain the underlying reasons for self-harm & suicide in order to improve your connection with the student.
6. Provide guidelines for notifying and engaging parents.
7. Specify a suicide intervention team and delineate the role of each member.
8. Establish best practices for postvention plans in the aftermath of a suicide.

Today’s Mental Health Issues in our Classrooms

• Prevalence of depression, self-harm and suicide
• The first line of defense: Role of teacher & school
• Confidentiality & sharing of information
• A collaborative approach

Depression: Identify and Reach At-Risk Students

• Telltale and hidden warning signs
• Key factors determining susceptibility, vulnerability and recovery
  • Emotional reserve
  • Emotional resiliency
• Creative strategies to reach at-risk students
  • Sorry 7 & Super 7
  • Activities to enhance connection
  • Techniques to increase engagement
• Classroom & school-wide accommodations

Self-Harm: Develop a Protocol for Handling the Silent School Epidemic

• Modes of self-harm: Similarities and differences
• Understanding the “why” of self-harm
• Protective factors & risk factors
• The interconnected role of addiction, self-harm & suicide
• Approaching and connecting with the student
• Strategies to support the at-risk student
  • Techniques to engage the disengaged
  • Methods to build coping skills
• Notifying and engaging the parents

Create a Suicide Crisis Team: Guidelines to Recognize and Respond to Suicidal Behaviors

• Recognizing the underlying reasons
• Risk factors: Low/medium/high level of risk
• Imminent warning signs – the strongest predictors
• What to do when you suspect or hear of ideation
• Approaching and connecting with the student
• Strategies to:
  • Address and respond to ideation
  • Cope with a suicide attempt
  • Mobilize staff
• Notifying and engaging the parents
• Is suicide contagious?

Prevention Toolkit: A Guide to Help Prevent Depression, Self-Harm and Suicide

• The role of Social/Emotional Learning (SEL) in preventing depression, self-harm and suicide
• A collaborative, strategic approach to integrate SEL into the curriculum
  • Empower students
  • Promote connection
• Case example: Effective K-12 SEL approach to prevention

After Suicide: Postvention Plans for Schools

• Short-term strategies
• Long-term, school-wide interventions
• Minimizing risk of self-harm & suicide contagion
• Case example: Successful postvention plans