Prevention
Suicide prevention refers to efforts to prevent suicide from occurring. This may include training and education (for students, staff, caregivers, and the wider community), universal screening, and promoting and maintaining a positive school climate.
Intervention
Intervention refers to a combination of efforts of communication, structural, and therapeutic strategies designed to reduce the form, frequency, intensity and duration of current suicidal thoughts, feelings, urges, or actions. This may include assessment and formulation of suicide risk, safety planning, crisis Intervention, and management of crises and ongoing support and monitoring following crises.
Postvention
Postvention refers to efforts after a suicide or suicidal crisis has occurred aimed at promoting and facilitating healing and limiting future risk. This may include services provided for the students, staff, and the greater community and the way that the school communicates regarding the crisis after it has occurred.
Policy
The overarching rules or framework at the district level
Procedure
School level enactment of the district policy which defines how the school implements prevention, intervention, and postvention
The process level of who does what, when they do it, and under what criteria. The “what” includes the forms and steps.
Protocol
The practice-level instructions for the school personnel to follow, which includes how and what to do when a student is identified at risk for suicide.
Screening
Screening refers to the use of a standardized instrument or protocol to determine if someone is at-risk for suicide.