PURPOSE:
The Northwood School District is committed to protecting the health, safety and welfare of its students and school community. This plan supports federal, state and local efforts to provide
education to create youth suicide awareness and establishes methods of response to suicide including prevention, intervention, and response to suicide. The Northwood School District:
• Recognizes that physical and mental health are integral components of student outcomes, both educationally and beyond graduation;
• Further recognizes that suicide is a leading cause of death among young people; • Has an ethical responsibility to take a proactive approach in preventing deaths by suicide;
• Acknowledges the school’s role in providing an environment that is sensitive to individual and societal factors that place youth at greater risk for suicide and helps to foster positive youth development and resilience; • Acknowledges that comprehensive suicide prevention policies include prevention, intervention, and postvention components. This policy is meant to be paired with other policies supporting the overall emotional and behavioral health of students.