How to conduct a suicide risk assessment

• Student’s identifying information
• Reason for referral and referral source
• Date of the assessment
• Team members who participated
• Identified case manager
• Assessed risk level/team determination
• Person who notified the parent/guardian and when
• Safety plan
• Where the student was referred for crisis or mental health treatment
• Resources given to the family

Follow these steps to assess a student’s suicide risk.

A student at-risk may be referred to the suicide risk assessment team by any of the following sources:

• Teacher or other staff member
• Parent/guardian or other family members
• Another student
• School nurse
• Administrator
• Community member
• Student self-referral
• Suicide screening process

Each school division should have a policy in place to address referrals received after school hours. If no policy is in place, school staff should contact the parent/guardian. If staff are concerned about the student’s immediate safety and the parent/guardian cannot be reached, then local law enforcement should be notified.

Once a student has been identified, the following steps should be followed. 

• When a student is identified as potentially suicidal, the student must be seen by a mental health professional as soon as possible.
• The mental health professional, such as a school psychologist, school counselor, school social worker, or community mental health provider, should conduct an assessment within the same school day to assess risk and facilitate referrals.
• Obtain as much information as possible about the nature of the concern and any information about immediate risks to safety.
• The student should be escorted to a safe and private location where a mental health professional should conduct the interview (see below). 
• If a mental health professional is not immediately available, the student should remain supervised until the interview can begin.

Mental health professionals have the primary responsibility for the direct assessment of and intervention with the student.

Ideally, the interview is a collaborative conversation. The mental health professional should help the student participate in the dialogue, better understand their own thoughts of suicide, and contribute to safety planning. As a result, the student may uncover uncertainty about dying, connections to life, and reasons to plan for safety. These key strategies increase the likelihood that a student will feel personally invested in staying safe. 

Conduct the interview in a safe and private location.

• School administration should be notified that a risk assessment has begun, but they should not be directly involved in or present during the student interview.
• When staffing allows, it’s preferable for two mental health professionals to conduct the interview. If two professionals aren’t available, consultation by phone is appropriate.
• The person conducting the interview should be sensitive to the student’s cultural and religious beliefs.

• Contact the parent/guardian the day the interview is conducted, regardless of the outcome of the assessment.
• If parental abuse or neglect is indicated as a reason that the student is at risk, do not notify the parent/guardian. Instead, local social services should be notified.
• Interview the parent/guardian to gather background information, observations, family history, and other pertinent information. Gauge the parent/guardian’s ability and intention to follow safety recommendations.
• Document the parent/guardian notification and interview. View a sample parent notification form.

• A copy of the parent/guardian notification form should be given to the parent and the original should be maintained in a confidential location outside of the student’s cumulative record.
• Be thoughtful when considering end-of-day transportation for the student. If the student is at risk of suicide, they should not be sent home until contact is made with a parent/guardian to ensure they can be supervised.

• Team consultation is necessary to review the information collected and make a determination of risk level.
• It’s best practice to consult the team on the same day as the student interview.
• The team should determine which member of the team will serve as the case manager. This person will ensure all necessary assessment components are completed and will serve as the liaison between the student/family and school staff. The case manager should be someone available to the student in the school setting and trained in suicide risk assessment, such as a counselor, psychologist, or social worker.

• Evaluate the information gathered to determine whether the student poses a risk of harm.

• Schools may choose a different model of risk assessment than these example risk (or priority) levels. Whatever framework is used, staff should be well trained in its use and apply it consistently.
• Always err on the side of safety and prevention.
• When in doubt, choose the higher risk level.

During the assessment process, if it becomes clear the student may also pose a risk to others, the threat assessment team should conduct an assessment process that encompasses both threats:

• The student also appears to intend or pose a threat to others.
• The student has engaged in behaviors (e.g., planning or preparation) that would place others at risk of harm, whether intended or not.

In situations where a student is simultaneously posing a threat to others as well as a threat to self, mental health staff as well as administrators and law enforcement must collaborate in the threat assessment process.