Abstract
This project is based on the literature surrounding suicide postvention and the importance of preparing high school staff to implement appropriate suicide postvention practices. Suicide postvention protocols are inconsistent across schools and lack many components recommended by the current research. Most school personnel lack sufficient preparation to successfully and confidently engage in postvention activities after a suicide in their school. It is important for staff to be trained on postvention practices that are informed by current research because certain postvention practices may potentially result in negative effects on students. There are two main objectives of this training. The first objective is to educate high school personnel of the need for suicide postvention and potential suicide postvention issues. School personnel must be prepared to follow appropriate protocols while navigating special issues regarding suicide, such as complicated bereavement, social stigma, risk of contagion, and developmental and cultural differences. Understanding these key aspects is critical to appreciating the importance of appropriately implemented suicide postvention. The second main objective is to prepare the audience with empirically informed training on how to appropriately respond in the event of a suicide in the schools. The training introduces the essential steps of a suicide postvention protocol and what actions should be taken at each stage of the protocol and clarifies different staff members’ involvement at each phase. This training is also intended to develop a sense of empowerment in participants by sufficiently preparing them to implement suicide postvention services. This inservice training was created to train high school personnel. Materials provided include a PowerPoint presentation with presenter’s notes, participant handouts, and enrichment activities. This inservice training was designed to be presented by a school-employed mental health professional, such as a school counselor or school psychologist.