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Quincy School District outlines new suicide-prevention and response plan, begins staff training rollout
Summary
District staff described a 50-page suicide prevention, intervention and postvention plan developed with University of Washington support, reported staff trainings complete for certificated employees, and announced a parent training on Feb. 25. Local data cited 10% of eighth-graders considering suicide in the past year.
The Quincy School District outlined the components of a new, districtwide suicide prevention and response plan and said staff trainings are now underway.
District Director (Speaker 2) told the board the work grew out of a broader Social, Emotional, Behavioral and Mental Health (SEBMH) umbrella plan required by state rules and developed with technical assistance from the University of Washington. "This is a big umbrella plan," the director said, describing separate prevention, intervention and postvention sections and a lengthy resource appendix with templates and screeners.
Why it matters: the board heard local data showing the problem is tangible in Quincy. "Right here in Quincy, 10 percent of our QSC eighth graders reported on that survey that they had considered attempting suicide in the past year," the director said, noting the number is lower than the state figure but nonetheless high.
What the plan does: staff described four main parts. The prevention piece emphasizes training (the "LEARN" model from the University of Washington), parent workshops and awareness (including encouraging staff and families to save the 988 suicide lifeline in their phones). The intervention section standardizes an evidence-based risk assessment and a counselor-led flowchart for warm handoffs and referrals to mobile crisis teams. The postvention section provides communication templates and step-by-step guidance for administrators responding to a death or other unexpected loss. An appendix includes screeners, staff checklists and contact directories to make resources immediately available.
Training and rollout: the director said all certificated staff in every school have completed a one-hour advanced LEARN training and that the district trained a cadre of "trainers of trainers" so staff can continue in-house training. A parent LEARN training is scheduled for Feb. 25 at 6 p.m. at the middle school and will be offered in Spanish and English. "As of last Friday, we have accomplished the goal of doing this LEARN training in every school," the director said.
Confidentiality and response: staff emphasized that when a student is assessed at high risk the safety of the student supersedes counseling confidentiality and parents are notified as part of a warm handoff; the district also partners with a regional mobile crisis team that can respond on site for high-risk cases.
Implementation challenges and next steps: board members asked about extending training to paraeducators, bus drivers and coaches; staff said those efforts are next on the rollout plan and that timeline and staff time remain the major implementation constraints. The district will continue refining the SEBMH narrative and complete data-driven reviews on a multi-year cycle.
The board did not take formal action on the plan at the meeting; staff said the full 50-page document and appendices are available in district crisis binders and digitally for administrators and counselors.
