When his friend at Poway High School died by suicide 20 years ago, Stan Collins did not hear much from his teachers.
"I just remember the trauma of sitting next to his empty desk the rest of the year," Collins said. "Twenty years ago, schools were still in the mindset of if you talk about suicide it's going to cause it to happen."
Now Collins talks about suicide every day as a specialist with the San Diego County Suicide Prevention Council. And he is working to ensure school staff across the county know how to talk about it, too.
Collins, as well as staff from the San Diego County Office of Education, helped write the model policy being used by districts statewide. It includes specific action plans for when a student is suicidal or attempts suicide on campus and an annual training plan for all school staff on recognizing risk factors and warning signs.
To read more of Megan Burks article, please click here.
Comments (0)