Policy FDB - Health Requirements: Youth Suicide Prevention
Policy FDB - Health Requirements: Youth Suicide Prevention (PDF)
Issue Date: November 18, 2020
Updated: March 27, 2024
Establishment of Youth Suicide Prevention Program
In collaboration with the public education suicide prevention coordinator appointed by the State Board of Education, the District shall implement a youth suicide prevention program for students in elementary and secondary grades. (Elementary grades are Kindergarten through grade 5 and grade 6 if the associated middle or junior high school does not include grade 6. Secondary grades are Grades 7 through 12 and grade 6 if a middle or junior high school includes grade 6.) These programs shall consider appropriate coordination with programs for the prevention of bullying and cyber-bullying and for the prevention of alcohol and substance abuse. The programs shall also include provisions to ensure prompt communication with parents in accordance with Utah Code § 53G-9-604. The elementary and secondary programs shall include programs and training to address:
- Life-affirming education, including the concepts of resiliency, healthy habits, self-care, problem solving, and conflict resolution;
- Methods of strengthening the family; and
- Methods of strengthening a youth’s relationships in the school and community.
The secondary program shall also include programs and training to address:
- Prevention of youth suicide;
- Decreasing the risk of suicide among youth who are not accepted by family for any reason, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning youth, or who suffer from bullying.
- Youth suicide intervention; and
- Postvention for family, students, and faculty.
In implementing this program and related training, the District shall refer to and as appropriate make use of the model programs developed by the Department of Health and the state suicide prevention coordinator.
Utah Admin. Rules R277-620-3(3) to (6) (December 10, 2018)
Youth Suicide Prevention Training
Each licensed employee of the District shall complete a minimum of two hours of professional development training on youth suicide prevention every three years, using the training materials adopted by the District.