Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students and the third leading cause among people aged 15-24 years in Nebraska. Please see the resources and tools below for suicide prevention in Nebraska and the nation.
LB 923
LB 923 was signed into law on April 22, 2014. The bill requires all Nebraska public school nurses, teachers, counselors, school psychologist, administrators, school social workers, and any other appropriate personnel receive at least one hour of suicide awareness and prevention training, beginning in the 2015-2016 school year. The Department of Education, along with other stakeholders, will develop a list of approved training materials to fulfill the requirements of suicide awareness and prevention training.
The bill also creates the position of State School Security Director, establishes concussion and brain injury recognition training and protocols, and requires school to participate in tornado preparedness drills twice a year.
Suicide Prevention Trainings and Resources for School Personnel
First, please check the Nebraska Department of Education Suicide Prevention Website
Kognito At-Risk is a one-hour, online, interactive gatekeeper training program that teaches school educators and staff how to (1) identify students exhibiting signs of psychological distress, including depression and thoughts of suicide, (2) approach students to discuss their concern, and (3) make a referral to school support personnel.
Kognito At-Risk for Middle School Educators and Kognito At-Risk for High School Educators online training cost ranges from $5 to $30 per user, depending on the number and length of the licenses purchased. The typical length of licensure for this training is one year. Special pricing is available for statewide adoption. Additional information on Kognito:
http://resources.kognito.com/ht/kognito_overview_highschool_version.pdf
http://resources.kognito.com/ms/At-Risk_onepager_ms_FINAL.pdf
Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) is an emergency mental health gatekeeper training intervention that teaches lay and professional gatekeepers to recognize and respond positively to someone exhibiting suicide warning signs and behaviors.
QPR does not include suicide risk assessment training. QPRT Suicide Risk Assessment and Management Training Program is an extended version appropriate for school counselors, social workers and other professionals that may want more information on risk assessment. Additional information on QPR:
Additional Resources:
- After a Suicide: Toolkit for Schools
- SAMHSA Prevention Suicide Toolkit for Schools
- The Role of High School Teachers in Preventing Suicide
- Model School Suicide Prevention Policy
- Building & Sustaining Student Engagement
- Coalition to Support Grieving Students
- NPR Story, “Grief in the Classroom”
- Learn more about safe messaging for communicating about suicide by visiting: http://reportingonsuicide.org/
- National Suicide Prevention Hotline http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
- Crisis Texting System http://www.crisistextline.org/how-it-works/