Identifying Students on the Edge: The First Step in Suicide Prevention
/Dr. Hart recently authored her first article in a series on Suicide Prevention for Educators in the National Association of Community College Teacher Education Program's (NACCTEP) Newsletter. NACCTEP is a national association which supports training and preparation of K-12 educators.
Teachers know their students. They are able to identify typical vs. atypical developmental behaviors within the age group they work with and they are able to identify significant changes in their students. Educators are uniquely positioned to identify both long-term risk factors for suicidal behaviors in their students and acute warning signs indicating that a student may be having suicidal thoughts.
Elementary and high school educators are more likely to identity a student at risk and help them access the services they need when they are abreast of the current research regarding suicide prevention. To learn how to accurately identify students at risk for harming themselves, read Dr. Hart's article, Identifying Students on the Edge: The First Step in Suicide Prevention.