Suicide Prevention Guidance for Families

1. Ask your child if they have heard or seen the series 13 Reasons Why. While we don’t recommend that they be encouraged to view the series, do tell them you want to watch it, with them or to catch up, and discuss their thoughts.
2. If they exhibit any of the warning signs below, don’t be afraid to ask if they have thought about suicide or if someone is hurting them. Raising the issue of suicide does not increase the risk or plant the idea. On the contrary, it creates the opportunity to offer help.
3. Ask your child if they think any of their friends or classmates exhibit warning signs. Talk with them about how to seek help for their friend or classmate. Guide them on how to respond when they see or hear any of the warning signs.
4. Listen to your children’s comments without judgment. Doing so requires that you fully concentrate, understand, respond, and then remember what is being said. Put your own agenda aside.
5. Get help from a school-employed or community-based mental health professional if you are concerned for your child’s safety or the safety of one of their peers.
6. See Preventing Youth Suicide Brief Facts (also available in Spanish) and Preventing Youth Suicide: Tips or Parents and Educators for additional information.

Additional Resources

1. National Suicide Prevention Hotline, 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or text "START" to 741741
2. Center for Disease Control Suicide Resources
3. SAMHSA Prevention Suicide: A Toolkit for High Schools
4. Suicide Prevention Resource Center, After a Suicide: Toolkit for Schools
5. Memorials: Special Considerations for Memorializing an Incident

Websites

1. National Association of School Psychologists, www.nasponline.org
2. American Association of Suicidology, www.suicidology.org
3. Suicide Awareness Voices of Education, www.save.org
4. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, https://afsp.org/
5. Bullying www.stopbullying.gov
6. Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, www.rainn.org

Local Resources