Suicide Prevention & Awareness - Home
Suicide Prevention
Protecting the health and well-being of all students is of utmost importance to the Greater Johnstown School District. The school board has adopted a suicide prevention policy which will help to protect all students through the following steps:
Students will learn about recognizing and responding to warning signs of suicide in friends, using coping skills, using support systems, and seeking help for themselves and friends. This will occur in all health classes and/or other designated classes that incorporate social/emotional curriculum. Additionally, the GJSD incorporates various additional content designed to increase social / emotional awareness:
- Elementary School - Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS).
- Middle School- BOTVIN.
- High School - EQ Skills.
Each school has designated a suicide prevention coordinator to serve as a point of contact for students in crisis and to refer students to appropriate resources. The school counselor and/or the school nurse serve as the coordinators.
When a student is identified as being at risk, they will be assessed by a school employed mental health professional who will work with the student and help connect them to appropriate local resources.
Students will have access to national resources which they can contact for additional support, such as:
- The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1.800.273.8255 (TALK), www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
- The Trevor Lifeline – 1.866.488.7386, www.thetrevorproject.org
All students will be expected to help create a school culture of respect and support in which students feel comfortable seeking help for themselves or friends. Students are encouraged to tell any staff member if they, or a friend, are feeling suicidal or in need of help.
Students should also know that because of the life or death nature of these matters, confidentiality or privacy concerns are secondary to seeking help for students in crisis.
