Suicide 
 

While the Charter School has a responsibility to notify a student’s parent/guardian regarding any known changes in the student’s mental, physical, or emotional health or well-being, neither a charter school nor a teacher has a duty to warn of the suicidal tendencies of a student absent the teacher’s or charter school’s knowledge of direct evidence of such suicidal tendencies. The Board directs the Executive Director or their designee to draft and implement procedures relating to: 
 

1. Suicide prevention; 

2. Suicide intervention; and 

3. Suicide postvention. 
 

"Postvention" shall mean counseling or other social care given to students after another student’s suicide or attempted suicide. 
 

These procedures may include, but are not limited to, the following measures: 
 

1. Prevention: 

      A. Offering and providing help and assistance, including early identification; 

      B. Support and/or counseling by school support personnel for low-risk students; 

      C. Referral to appropriate sources outside the school for high and moderate-risk students; 

      D. Contacting the parent/guardian of students suspected of any risk of suicide, as  appropriate. 

      E. The designation of a school-level suicide prevention coordinator(s) by the Executive Director to be
          responsible for planning and coordinating the implementation  of procedures addressing suicide. 

      F. Encouraging staff to report to the coordinator of students they believe may be at  elevated risk of
          suicide.  

      G. Education of students on suicide prevention through age-appropriate curriculum. 

      H. Small group suicide prevention programming.  

      I. Offering resources to parents/guardians on suicide prevention. 
 

2. Intervention: 

      A. Contacting the parents/guardians of students suspected of being at risk of suicide, as  appropriate. The
          purpose of communicating concerns or risk-assessment results to  parents/guardians is to inform them of
          the concerns and encourage them to take  appropriate action to support the student, rather than to
          communicate a definitive  judgment of the student's level of risk. 

      B. Contacting emergency services to assist a student who is at imminent risk of suicide. 

      C. Providing first aid until emergency personnel arrive, as appropriate. 

      D. Moving other students away from the immediate area of any suicide attempt on Charter  School property
          or at a School event. 
 

3. Postvention: 

      A. After care support by the school for faculty, staff, and students after a sudden death has  occurred. 

      B. The development of a plan for responding to a death by suicide that has a significant  impact on the
          school community. 

      C. Notification of the suicide prevention coordinator, if applicable. 

      D. The creation of a crisis team to respond to deaths by suicide that have a significant  impact on the
           school community. 

      E. Contacting the State Department of Education to report any student deaths by suicide and to seek
           postvention assistance and/or resources. 

      F. Offering mental health services to students likely to be strongly affected by a recent  death. 

      G. Appointing a spokesperson to handle inquiries related to issues involving suicide in the  school. 
 

Following notification of School staff of a suicide attempt by a student or following the identification of a student as being at imminent risk of suicide, the student’s parent/guardian shall provide documentation from the student’s treating physician, licensed mental health professional, or other qualified healthcare provider confirming that the student has been evaluated and providing recommendations, if any, regarding the student’s safe return to school. This documentation must be received when the student returns to school. 
 

The student and their parent/guardian may meet with the school counselor or designee to create a plan for the student’s return to school, including any appropriate accommodations needed by the student. 
 

Charter School personnel shall attend to the rights of the student and his or her family. 

The Charter School shall comply with all requirements of State law and administrative rules for training personnel on suicide prevention and awareness. This includes providing annual professional development to staff involved in preventing, intervening, and responding to suicide on: 
 

1. School philosophy regarding school climate and the promotion of protective factors; 
2. Data on suicide for the region or state, or both;  
3. Risk and protective factors for students;  
4. Suicide myths and facts; 
5. How to develop community partnerships related to suicide prevention;  
6. How to utilize safe and appropriate language and messaging when addressing students; 
7. Warning signs of suicide ideation for students;  
8. Local and school-based protocols for aiding a suicidal individual;  
9. Local protocols for seeking help for self and students;  
10. Identification of appropriate mental health services and community resources for referring students and their families;  
11. Information about state statutes on responsibility, liability, and duty to warn; 
12. Confidentiality issues;  
13. The need to ask others directly if they are suicidal; and 
14. Evidence-based protocol for responding to a student or staff suicide. 

 
Legal References:  

I.C. § 33-136 Suicide Prevention in Schools 

I.C. § 33-512B District Trustees - Suicidal Tendencies — Duty to Warn 

I.D.A.P.A. 08.02.03.160 Safe Environment and Discipline 

Policy History: 

Adopted on: June 14, 2021 

Revised on: October 19, 2026 

Reviewed on: