As National Suicide Prevention Week continues, we take a look at what the Greene County School District is doing to be proactive in getting students resources to prevent suicides.

Special Needs Counselor Kyle Kinne says they are implementing a new policy focused on preventative measures for students that talk about wanting to kill themselves out loud. He points out for students that might be joking about commiting suicide, district officials will discuss with the student more appropriate means of communication, as well as contacting their parents. However, Kinne says the policy provides more details for those students that are seriously thinking about committing suicide.

“We’re going to bring in trained professionals, and all of our counselors are being trained in this. We’re going to do a screener survey that’s well thought of and reliable and valid to get more information. We’re going to reach out again to the parents and let them know that this is what’s going on. And then we’re going to talk to them again about what the survey says. And then we’ll probably, if there’s a worry, we’re going to talk with the parents about coming and getting the kid, and getting them evaluated with somebody else.”

Kinne notes another new aspect is providing a part-time mental health nurse practitioner that will visit with students and their parents via telehealth-on a computer screen-to prescribe medication or give evaluations of students. Finally, on the state level, all teachers are required to take a suicide prevention course when they renew their teaching license.      

To hear more from Kinne about suicide prevention, listen to today’s Community State Bank in Paton Let’s Talk Greene County program.