Youth suicide is a complex topic with many varying components that need to be considered when educating students. It is not just a “mental illness” topic, or a “result of stress” topic. Those are just two of the important risk factors. It is the combination of multiple risk factors and the individual’s resiliency and coping skills which must be addressed when teaching prevention and awareness. 2 The following curriculum is a model of what could be utilized as a minimum of response to educate students. It is not an extensive scope and sequence. It is to be used as a reference to guide professionals to develop a personalized curriculum to meet the needs of their community of learners. LEAs may use as it is presented, or use the provided resources to build content. It is a local decision to be made by professionals who know the students and the learning goals of the curriculum.

(3) Develop a model youth suicide awareness and prevention curriculum and make such curriculum available to all school entities and, upon request, to nonpublic schools. A school entity may incorporate such curriculum into its existing instructional program pursuant to the school entity's youth suicide awareness and prevention policy.