The Appleton Area School District will seek means to help students who are considered at risk for suicide and provide support for staff and peers affected by student suicide. A youth suicide prevention program shall be used by District staff.
District staff
are in positions to recognize students who are at risk for suicide; under no circumstances should this be kept confidential. State Statute provides immunity from civil liability for staff members who work to prevent suicide.
The District believes that suicide prevention is a responsibility shared by the various segments of the community including family, community agencies, related medical services, and the schools.
Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR)
The AASD offers QPR Gatekeeper Training, a community-wide initiative, in partnership with Lawrence University and J.J. Keller, to all staff.
What is QPR?
- Question – learning how to see the signs of suicidal thoughts and learning to ask the important question – “Are you thinking about killing yourself?” and listening to the answer without bias or alarm
- Persuade – offering the person hope and an alternative solution. Suicide itself is not the problem – it is a perceived only solution by a person in crisis to what they see as an insurmountable problem
- Refer – having the knowledge of how and where to go to help the person get help
District staff also serve on the Community-Wide 'Zero Suicide' Initiative as well as on the Community-Wide 'Question, Persuade, Refer--QPR' Suicide Prevention Initiative in the Valley.