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California is not the only state to mandate suicide prevention training for teachers and other school staff. Currently, 25 states in the U.S. mandate suicide prevention training, while 14 additional states encourage this training for staff (Hatton, Heath, Gibb, Coyne, Hudnall, & Bledsoe, 2017).

Teachers are frontline gatekeepers to campus resources and supports for students (Hatton, et. al, 2017). Teachers are critical members of the school’s suicide prevention efforts. Therefore, teachers need to be given an opportunity for active participation in suicide prevention education, training, and policy development.

Teachers would benefit from suicide prevention and intervention training that emphasizes the following key points:

• Warning signs of suicidal behavior
• Risk and protective factors
• What to say to a student who expresses suicidal thoughts
• What to do when a student expresses suicidal thoughts
• Campus resources available for students
• School district board policy on suicide prevention

Best practices for teachers and school mental health staff on responding to a student expressing suicidal thoughts include:

• Understanding clinical factors related to suicide
• Applied practice of talking to a student expressing suicidal thoughts
• Follow-up practices.