There have been at least two suicides in Anchorage schools over the past three weeks and an attempted suicide by a student who had dropped out. Death from suicide is a loss that school counselors work hard to prevent. Heather Coulehan is a social and emotional learning specialist and Eric Viste is a coordinator within the special education department of ASD.
I sat down with them to ask how suicide prevention is being addressed within Anchorage schools. Viste says, when a suicide happens, everyone who will be affected needs to be identified.
- National Association of School Psychologists: Preventing Youth Suicide - Tips for Parents and Educators
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: Coping with Suicide Loss
- Anchorage School District: STEP Center Lending Library
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