Crisis Support Services

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Suicide Assessment Intervention For Educators

• Crisis Support Services
• of Alameda County
• Cristina Rita, MA

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Todays Agenda

• Agency Introduction
• Understanding Adolescents
• Youth Suicide Statistics
• Depression Warning Signs
• Suicide Warning Signs
• Contributing Factors to Adolescent Suicide
• Risk Protective Factors for Suicide
• Assessment Intervention
• Community Education
• Conclusion

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Crisis Support Services Programs

• 24 Hour Crisis Hotline
• 1-800-309-2131
• Grief Counseling Program
• Senior In-Home Counseling Program
• Support Groups
• Debriefing/Disaster Response
• Stress Counseling Program

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Adolescents A time of transition
The brain continues to develop until the middle
20s Development of cognitive abilities
Physical changes Changes in social roles
family roles Loss of innocence Lack of life
experience Development of ego strength A time
of transitions
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Youth Suicide Statistics
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More teenagers die from suicide than from cancer,
heart disease,

• AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza
  and
• chronic lung disease
• COMBINED

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Common Methods

• Firearms accounted for 49 of all completed youth
  suicides
• Most youth suicides occur at home after school
• Typical adolescent attempter is female who
  ingests pills
• Typical adolescent completer is male who dies by
  gunshot
• Females attempt 3x as often as males
• Males complete 4x that of females

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General Symptoms of Depression
Symptoms have been present during the same
2-week period and represent a change from
previous functioning with at least one of the
symptoms being depressed mood/or loss of interest
or pleasure

• Lack of pleasure and/or depressed mood,
• Lack of interest in usual activities
• Change in appetite
• Change in sleeping patterns
• Persistent sadness, emptiness, boredom
• Low self-esteem

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Depression Symptoms in Adolescents
Increased agitation, restlessness Aggressive
behavior Truancy Running away from home
Incarceration Risk-taking Self harming behaviors
Alcohol, drug use Energy fluctuations
Excessive fear/anxiety/worry Changes in
personality including behavior dress Inability
to concentrate Physical complaints Less
tolerance for frustration Blaming oneself
inappropriately, overly sensitive, Taking
criticism hard Believing they are not good enough
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Suicide Warning Signs Feelings Associated with
Suicidal Behavior
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Behaviors Commonly Associated with Suicide
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Contributing Factors to Adolescent Suicide(What
teens say about why someone their age commits
suicide)

• Family problems divorce, abuse, substance abuse
  
• Academic pressures
• Relationship problems
• Peer pressure
• Feeling adults cannot be trusted
• Feeling adults do not understand their problems
• Poverty
• Trauma
• Loss grief
• Mental Illness
• Substance abuse
• Bullying
• Loss of hope for a secure future

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Risk Protective Factors for Suicide

• Risk Factors

• Protective Factors

• Prior suicide attempt
• Family history of suicide
• Substance Abuse
• Sexual abuse
• Trauma history
• Sleep deprived
• Anxiety
• Gender (male, LGBTQ)

• Access to effective clinical care
• Restricted access to lethal means
• Family community support
• Problem solving skills
• Cultural religious beliefs
• Ambivalence

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Check out the idea

• Ask Directly

• If the answer is yes

• Do you feel so hopeless that you think about
  killing yourself?
• You said that you feel like there is now way
  out, have you been thinking about suicide?
• Are you feeling suicidal?

• Do you have a plan?
• Do you have means available?
• Have you done anything to harm yourself before?
• If so when, what and how much?

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Building Rapport
What is causing you to feel suicidal? How long
have you been feeling this way? What are some
positives in your life? Have you had a difficult
time before, how did You cope with it? What
has keep you going so far? What has stopped you
from completing Your suicide plan?
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Helpful Responses
Acknowledge/validate feelings Try to understand
what happened to make them question whether life
is worth living Are there ways to deal with the
pain without having to take your life Emphasize
that most crises are temporary death is
permanent It is common for youth to be confused
about whether they want to die or escape
psychological pain Let them know you are taking
this seriously and are concerned about them and
want to help
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Goals of Intervention
Foster life-affirming part of student Indentify
student support system Lend perspective Provide
realistic hope Provide a caring presence Get
appropriate professional/clinical help Follow
school protocols
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Community Education

• Teens for Life
• Mental Health First Aid 12 Hour Workshop
• Grief Loss Workshops
• Active Listening Workshops
• Responding to a Crisis in A Educational
  Environment
• Suicide Assessment for Parents, Mental Health
  Professionals Educators
• Bullying, Cyber-Bullying Our Youth

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Conclusion
The most important question to a potentially
suicidal person is not an inquiry about family
history or lab tests but Where do you hurt?
and How can I help you? Edwin S. Shneidman
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Resources
Websites American Association of Suicidology
www.suicidology.org Society for the Prevention
of Teen Suicide http//sptsnj.org Suicide
Prevention Resource Center - http//www.sprc.org
Further Reading Why People Die by Suicide
Dr. Thomas Joiner Myths About Suicide Dr.
Thomas Joiner The Suicidal Mind Edwin S.
Shneidman
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Contact Information
Cristina Rita, MA PO Box 3120 Oakland, CA 94609
crita_at_crisissupport.org 510-420-3203