| The purpose of this study was to identify useful and efficacious guidelines for school-based suicide prevention program development. Using a human ecological approach to school-based suicide prevention, trends in youth suicide, related legal implications, the roles of school officials and principals were examined based upon research literature and mandates from a nationally recognized government strategy for suicide prevention.; Following the literature review, a first draft set of guidelines for school-based suicide prevention program development was created. A panel of experts reviewed and approved the guidelines with recommendations for their improvement. The panel recommended greater clarification for users in terms of organization, definitions of suicide prevention levels, and exactly how school districts and their key leaders might implement suicide prevention programs. Employing the expert recommendations, a second draft of the guidelines was created.; The second draft was shown to a group of stakeholders in a computer facilitated focus group for input on usability. This group responded very positively to the guidelines. Their recommendations for improvement included more direction about curriculum integration, program criteria and selection, roles in crisis response, and training content and criteria for selection. The final version of the guidelines now includes those recommendations.; Currently, the guidelines are being piloted in a school district in California and have been accepted for presentation at state and national school psychology conferences in 2006. The California Department of Education (CDE)---Counseling and Student Support has published them in part on its website. Members of a Japanese government task force requested a meeting at CDE after seeing the created suicide prevention material on the CDE website. The guidelines are also being incorporated into a chapter on suicide prevention to be found in a textbook for new counselors.; Areas for further research and development include greater school leadership in the development and implementation of school-based suicide prevention programs and policies, systematic screening to identify students at-risk for suicide, collaboration between schools and the community to accommodate referral and treatment of identified students, and gatekeeper training for all school personnel. |
