There is probably no more difficult aspect of school-based mental health practice than navigating assessment, prevention, and postvention related to youth suicide. Although many schools follow best practices and respond appropriately, there are important lessons to be learned from cases that resulted in litigation. This article reviews key cases…

This article serves as the first in a series addressing comprehensive suicide prevention programming in the school context. Suicide is currently the second leading cause of death for 10- to 24-year-olds in the United States. As schools are a place where the majority of youth spend a significant amount of time, it follows that they are a natural…

Suicide is a leading, preventable cause of death in our nation for youth ages 10-24, and rates have increased slowly, but steadily since 2007. The rate of increase recorded between 2014 and 2015 for the youth 15-19 years old was the largest jump in the past decade (from 11.6 to 12.5 per 100,000) and the rate for youth 10-14 years old doubled…

Military members endure a variety of stressors (e.g., transitioning from military culture to college culture), which may be associated with mental health distress. College counselors must be aware of the unique clinical needs of student Veterans. College counselors can increase military cultural competence and adopt effective clinical approaches…

The relationship between self-injury (SI) and suicide is largely unclear. However, researchers have suggested that clients who self-injure are at a heightened risk of suicide (Chapman & Dixon-Gordon, 2007; Toprak, Cetin, Guven, Can, & Demircan, 2011]). Thus, it is important that college counselors be knowledgeable about both SI and…

Suicide remains the third leading cause of death among young people in the United States. Considering that youth who contemplate suicide generally exhibit warning signs before engaging in lethal self-harm, school-based mental health professionals can play a vital role in identifying students who are at risk for suicidal behavior. Nevertheless, the…

Youth suicidal behavior is a significant public health problem, and schools can play an important role in youth suicide prevention. However, schools cannot do this alone; they need the student's family members and peers, and other professionals and community members, to do their part. School personnel, and particularly school-employed mental…

Suicide is currently the second leading cause of death among college students in the United States. This complex issue on college campuses is often overlooked, and this book combines the efforts from several leaders in the field of suicidology in an attempt to grasp a better understanding of college student suicide. The book is divided into four…

Suicide rates have soared among African Americans within the past 2 decades. Curiously, this fact remains poorly understood within and outside the African American community. This article includes a review of M. Compton, N. Thompson, and N. Kaslow's (2005) study, recently published in "Social Psychiatry" and "Psychiatric Epidemiology", and…

Professional school counselors are likely to work with students who are experiencing mental health issues including self-injury, eating disorders, depression and suicidality, as well as those associated with dating violence and bullying. This paper discusses two key areas school counselors are encouraged to reflect upon in determining if there is…

Music has a significant impact on the daily lives of adolescents. This article provides music interventions that school counselors can use with adolescents: music listening/sharing, lyric revision, improvisation, and use in classroom guidance lessons. Also provided are the benefits, limitations, and ethical considerations for using music…

In this book, David Capuzzi, a renowned expert on suicide, encourages suicide prevention in schools through the use of a clear and effective crisis management plan designed to identify and serve at-risk youth. His concise, step-by-step framework provides essential information for school counselors, administrators, and faculty on suicide…

Suicide is a leading cause of American deaths. Given suicide's overall frequency and negative effects, specialized suicide training is warranted. This article describes a creative self-suicide assignment designed to enhance doctoral students' suicide assessment and intervention knowledge and clinical skills, and promote greater counselor empathy…

This literature review highlights the relationship between spirituality and/or religion and how people respond in the face of impending death. Attitudes toward physician-assisted suicide and hospice are explored. The author also offers recommendations to counselors for addressing religious and spiritual concerns.

The article describes the implementation of Immediate Strategic Intervention, a counseling strategy which utilizes trained adolescent female friends to help during the first 24 hours of an emotional crisis (e.g., potential suicide). Middle school adolescents can be taught basic psychological concepts and utilize them in supporting friends and…