Suicide Postvention

There has been a growing understanding that after a suicide attempt or completion, that the people connected to the person who has attempted or died by suicide also need support. 

In response to a suicide related trauma, Portland Public School utilizes two support teams: Multnomah County's Suicide Postvention team as well as PPS' own crisis response team through the office of Student Success and Health. The teams are highly trained in crisis response and management and allow school staff at the impacted school to not have to take the lead when they themselves may be grieving or otherwise impacted. The crisis teams are on site as soon as possible and connect to the family of the student who has attempted/died by suicide to support and discuss their preferences for what information, if any, they would like to share with the student's friends, teachers, and/or the community at large. On campus, support staff such as school counselors, social workers, school based therapists, and school psychologists are also made available to students who need additional support and how would like to connect with a staff member they are familiar with. Each step of the process is informed by the family's preferences in order to respect their privacy and wishes. 

It is also well understood that following a completed suicide, the people who were most connected to the person who has died are more likely to have suicidal thoughts and potentially make an attempt at ending their own life. We are cautious with friends of the youth that has died given how connected they are to each other and regard this piece of prevention work in the wake of tragedy as a key factor in maintaining safety within the school. 

If any staff or students have questions about the supports Roosevelt High School offers following a suicide attempt or completion by a student, they can contact Caitlin Clark, Roosevelt's Family Therapist, to receive more information. Her email is cclark3@pps.net. 

Goals of Postvention

• Provide support to those who are grieving or otherwise impacted
• Prevent suicide attempts/completions by others 
• Offer resources to students, staff, and community (i.e. trainings on mental health, offering free lock boxes for medications or weapons, connections to mental health support)
• Provide ongoing support until the school has re-stabilized
• Reaffirm protective factors and positive coping skills

Considerations Following a Suicide

• Staff and support teams should anticipate the personal and complex nature of grief following a suicide. This includes being mindful of specific community needs that may be grounded in race, ethnicity, or cultural identities. 
• Staff and support teams should anticipate the wide ranging impacts on the deceased person's social circles including friend groups, teams, clubs, and other communities. 
• Staff and support teams should work to ensure responsible reporting of information regarding the suicide. Taking care to avoid glorification and instead encourage the community to use factual and empathetic language.