Florida Administrative Code
6 - DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
6A - State Board of Education
Chapter 6A-4 - CERTIFICATION
Section 6A-4.0010 - Youth Suicide Awareness and Prevention

Universal Citation: FL Admin Code R 6A-4.0010

Current through Reg. 50, No. 187; September 24, 2024

(1) Purpose. The purpose of this rule is to set forth the suicide risk assessment instruments approved for use; to require that school districts and local community-based mental health services providers use the same instrument; to provide criteria for continuing education and in-service training materials covering youth suicide awareness and prevention; and to set forth criteria for Suicide Prevention Certified Schools.

(2) Definitions.

(a) "Instructional personnel" means personnel as defined in Section 1012.01(2), F.S.

(b) "School-based mental health services provider" means a school psychologist certified under Rule 6A-4.0311, F.A.C., a school social worker certified under Rule 6A-4.035, F.A.C., a school counselor certified under Rule 6A-4.0181, F.A.C., or a mental health professional licensed under Chapter 490 or 491, F.S., who is employed or contracted by a district to provide mental health services in schools.

(c) "School district" or "district" means a Florida school district, the Florida Virtual School (Section 1002.37, F.S.), the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (Section 1002.36, F.S.), and Developmental Research (Laboratory) Schools (Section 1002.32, F.S.).

(d) "Suicide risk assessment" means an assessment conducted by a school-based mental health services provider or other licensed mental health professional to determine the level of suicide risk and plan of action for a student expressing suicidal ideation or suicidal intent.

(3) Use of Approved Suicide Risk Assessments.

(a) School districts must use Department-approved suicide risk assessment instruments in all district schools, per Section, 1012.583, F.S., and must adopt policies to ensure that all community-based mobile response teams use the same Department-approved instruments. Districts must consider addressing the use of suicide risk assessment instruments in contracts or interagency agreements with community-based behavioral health providers, pursuant to Section 1011.62(13)(b)2., F.S. Department-approved suicide risk assessments are posted at https://www.fldoe.org/schools/k-12-public-schools/sss/suicide-prevent.stml.

(b) Only school-based mental health service providers who have been trained in the use of the instrument(s) adopted by their school district may give a suicide risk assessment to a student expressing suicidal ideation or suicidal intent. If a trained school-based mental health services provider is unavailable, school districts must adopt policies for contacting other certified or licensed mental health providers to evaluate students in the district for suicide risk, including the mobile response team serving the district.

(c) When a suicide risk assessment results in the initiation of an involuntary examination, public school principals, or their designees, are required to make a reasonable attempt to notify the student's parent(s) before the student is removed from school, school transportation, or a school-sponsored activity, unless notification is delayed pursuant to Section 1002.20(3)(l), F.S.

(d) When a suicide risk assessment results in a change in related services or monitoring, a student's parent(s) must be notified as soon as possible, unless notification is withheld or delayed pursuant to policies adopted under Section 1001.42(8)(c)2., F.S.

(4) Youth Suicide Awareness and Prevention In-service Training for K-12 Instructional Personnel.

(a) Youth Suicide Awareness and Prevention materials must:
1. Address common suicide myths;

2. Identify suicide risk and protective factors;

3. Identify suicide warning signs;

4. Provide information on department-approved suicide risk assessments appropriate for use with a school-age population; and

5. Include training on how to identify appropriate mental health services and how to refer youth and families to appropriate services.

(b) Youth Suicide Awareness and Prevention training must:
1. Be at least two (2) hours in length; and

2. Include an interactive component conducted by a school-based mental health services provider that addresses the following district or school-specific information:
a. Identification of school-based mental health services providers available to the school and community-based mental health providers;

b. District policies and procedures for responding to a student with suicidal ideation or suicidal intent;

c. District guidelines for informing parents of suicide risk; and

d. Information on how to refer youth and families for mental health services in the community.

(c) Department-approved youth suicide awareness and prevention training materials.
1. A list of approved youth suicide awareness and prevention training materials is posted on the Office of Safe Schools website at http://www.fldoe.org/safe-schools/ and Student Support Services website at https://www.fldoe.org/schools/k-12-public-schools/sss/.

2. A school district may request approval of district-developed or adopted youth suicide awareness and prevention training materials by completing the form, Review of Suicide Awareness Training: District-Adopted Materials, form number RSAT-2020 (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-11944) (effective, June 2020). This form is incorporated by reference and may be obtained from the Florida Department of Education, 325 West Gaines Street, Room 614, Tallahassee, Florida 32399. In order for district-developed or adopted youth suicide awareness and prevention training to be approved by the department, the training must meet the criteria in paragraphs (4)(a) and (b) above.

(5) Suicide Prevention Certified Schools.

(a) A Suicide Prevention Certified School must meet the following criteria:
1. All instructional personnel are required to complete two (2) hours of approved youth suicide awareness and prevention training, and repeat training every three (3) years;

2. The requirement for all instructional personnel to complete youth suicide awareness and prevention training is included in the district's continuing education or master in-service plan;

3. The school has at least two school-based mental health services providers that are qualified to conduct a suicide risk assessment using a department-approved instrument; and

4. The school or district has a policy requiring the use of an approved suicide risk assessment instrument administered by a school-based mental health services provider prior to requesting or initiating an involuntary examination due to concerns about a student's suicide risk. Department-approved suicide risk assessment instruments are posted on the Office of Safe Schools website at http://www.fldoe.org/safe-schools/ and Student Support Services website at https://www.fldoe.org/schools/k-12-public-schools/sss/.

(b) A school that meets the criteria for a "Suicide Prevention Certified School" must report the information listed in paragraph (3)(a) of this rule to the Department of Education by completing the Suicide Prevention Certified School form, SPCS-2020, (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-11945) (effective June 2020) and submitting the completed form to SuicidePreventionSchools@fldoe.org by October 1 of each school year. This form is incorporated by reference and may be obtained from the Florida Department of Education, 325 West Gaines Street, Room 614, Tallahassee, Florida 32399.

(c) The list of Suicide Prevention Certified Schools will be posted on the Office of Safe Schools website at http://www.fldoe.org/safe-schools/.

Rulemaking Authority 1012.583(5) FS. Law Implemented 1012.583 FS.

New 6-16-20, Amended 11-22-22.

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