Definitions

• Mental Health

  Someone’s state of being in regard to their emotions and feelings. Everyone has mental health. Mental health is a spectrum and can present strengths and challenges at all stages of life.

• Risk factors

  Parts of someone’s life stressors or the oppression experienced by a part of their identity that might increase their likelihood of thinking about suicide. Suicide risk tends to be highest when someone has several risk factors at the same time. Examples of risk factors may include trauma exposure, being LGBTQ+, and experiencing a recent loss.

• Protective factors

  Parts of someone’s life experience that might increase their ability to cope with stressors. Examples of protective factors are a stable home environment, the presence of supportive adults, and financial stability.

• Suicide Screening

  An evaluation of a student who could be having thoughts of suicide. This screening would be performed by a trained school staff member. These screenings usually include questions such as: is the student having thoughts of suicide, do they have a plan for suicide, and do they intend to carry out this plan.

• Self Harm

  A behavior that includes harming oneself (i.e. cutting, burning, scratching). Sometimes, self-harm takes on forms that are less obvious, which can include but are not limited to over-exercise, limiting food, and sabotaging relationships. Self-harm can be a coping behavior for distress and does not necessarily indicate that a young person is thinking of suicide. However, treatment and intervention can help replace this behavior with healthy coping skills.

• Stigma

  A mark of shame or a negative perception of a societal topic due to a combination of lived experience, culture, and belief systems in communities. Mental health topics are stigmatized, with societal messages such as those that live with mental illness are weak, dangerous, or unstable.

• Suicide Contagion/Clusters

  The research pattern is that suicides in a community tend to put others a risk for suicide. Despite the name, suicidal thoughts are not necessarily “contagious” to otherwise mentally healthy individuals. Usually, suicide contagions occur when a suicide provokes feelings in others who are otherwise already at risk for suicide.

• Suicide/Crisis Intervention

  The intentional steps that schools and staff take in the event of a student mental health crisis. Examples include written procedures, safety planning, parental involvement, and emergency services.

• Suicide Prevention

  The intentional steps that schools and staff take to create a school culture that encourages positive coping skills, reaching out to help with mental health, and talking about suicide in a safe and healthy way. Examples of suicide prevention include mental health education, staff training, and mental health awareness activities.

• Suicide Postvention

  The intentional steps that schools and staff take in the event of a suicide in the school community. Best practices in postvention are designed to reduce the rate of suicide contagion. Examples include communication with students and parents, providing grief counseling, memorials, and communication with the media.

• Flight Team

  A multidisciplinary team of primarily school counselors, psychologists, social workers, and administrators whose primary focus is to help support students and staff in the event of a crisis or death.

• Suicidal Thoughts or Ideation

  Thoughts about killing oneself or ending one’s life. These thoughts can range from “I wish I could go to sleep and not wake up” to detailed planning for suicide. All thoughts of suicide should be taken seriously.