IV. Protocols for suicide prevention and intervention

• A. School administrative units shall have protocols for suicide prevention and intervention and counseling services after an incident of youth suicide.

• 1. Protocols shall be based on the best practices established and maintained by the National Alliance on Mental Illness Maine or a similar organization authorized by the Department of Health and Human Services through its suicide prevention program and the Maine Department of Education.
• 2. The protocol development resources developed by the department will provide protocol templates, models and examples of forms, protocols and flow charts that can be adapted as needed by SAUs.
• 3. The SAUs will certify to the Maine Department of Education that the required protocols are in place.

• B. Protocols shall be in place 2019-2020 school year.

The department shall, in cooperation with the Department of Education and the “local action councils” funded in Public Law 1987, chapter 349, Part A under the heading “Human Services, Department of,” develop a teenage suicide prevention strategy and a model suicide prevention program to be presented in the secondary schools of the State. Development of such a program must include preparation of relevant educational materials that must be distributed in the schools.

This document provides guidance to schools in developing a suicide related policies.