SUICIDE PREVENTION HOTLINE (212) 673-3000 The Samaritans in the Community The Samaritans has provided talks, workshops, trainings and consultations to over 25,000 lay and professional New Yorkers over the last 18 years through groups and organizations that include:

Besides hundreds of public and private schools, colleges and universities, hospitals and health clinics, non-profit and government agencies, Samaritans' Public Education Program has worked with NYC AIDS Task Forces, Emergency Medical Services, NYC Department of Education, NYC Department of Mental Health & Hygiene, NYC Police & Fire Departments, Gay Men's Health Crisis, Gay & Lesbian Switchboard, Salvation Army, U.S. Coast Guard, Shalom Task Force, F.E.G.S., Safe Horizon, Lutheran Family Health Centers, WTC Health Registry, St. Vincent's Rape Crisis and many others. If your staff, support group, student body or any population with which you work is at risk for suicide or works with at-risk populations and is in need of either a suicide awareness presentation or suicide prevention training, Samaritans' Public Education Program (funded in part by the NYC Council) can provide it. Please call the hotline at (212) 673-3000. Over the course of the call you will be able to leave your name, address and phone number and briefly describe the nature of your call and someone from our business office will get back to you. Suicide Prevention Plan For Schools, Agencies & Other Sites The following guidelines are provided to sites as a possible first step in setting up and establishing a comprehensive approach to responding to all manner of crises and potentially suicidal situations. It is not intended to fulfill professional or legally mandated requirements nor is it meant to take the place of any school or site policy or protocol. A comprehensive suicide prevention plan should consist of all the components described below: An on-site mechanism for those in crisis who need to talk to someone in confidence. Specific rooms and staff as well as times available should be identified so students/clients know where they can go and who they can turn to when they are in need of confidential feedback, help and support. The plan should also include procedure(s) students/clients should follow to access that help (whether it is a slip to get out of class, which room to go to, the phone number to call, etc.). A crisis response protocol to ensure a consistent quality approach by all staff members. Some form of user-friendly flowchart outlining the procedures that should be followed in every interaction with a student/client who may be in crisis. The protocol should include: greeting the person, establishing rapport, exploring the person's current emotional and mental state of mind, identifying the warning signs the person is exhibiting and determining the individual's degree of risk. Issues to be addressed should include but are not limited to: the school/sites' intervention-response policy/protocol what to do when a student/client tells you he or she is suicidal what to do when a student/client tells you about another person who is depressed or exhibiting warning signs what to do when you have determined that the student/client is high risk, potentially suicidal and should not be left alone the staff member's options and responsibilities when responding to someone in crisis, including mandatory reporting procedures. An individual pre-tested community resource list. Possibly the most significant element of the plan, these resources are often examined after a crisis or tragedy instead of before. A comprehensive resource list should not be taken from other sources but compiled individually with the person compiling the list making direct contact with the site, police precinct, hotline, hospital, etc. The list should provide resources, if not answers, to any scenario that can be imagined. Once compiled, these lists should be distributed to every teacher, counselor and staff member. It is suggested that a comprehensive list include site, contact person's full name, direct phone number, beeper number, hours available, etc. This should include but is not limited to: Local/county hospital (24-hour direct phone number) For medical and psychological emergencies, support services and community health issues including ambulance service. Local police precinct (24-hour direct phone number) For crimes including assault, child abuse, domestic violence, sexual abuse, and for emergencies and support services. Precinct captain Public liaison officer Special duty officer(s) Community affairs officer Crisis/trauma team leader Emergency medical services Local fire department station (24-hour direct phone number) For immediate response to emergencies and other potentially dangerous situations such as someone on a window ledge. Station captain Head of crisis/trauma team Head of emergency services Community affairs officer Community health agencies and organizations Agencies and non-profits that respond to those problems most frequently faced by students and clients including but not limited to: Child abuse Teen alcoholism Crime Victims AIDS information Incest Domestic violence Gay and lesbian issues Drug abuse and treatment Child welfare Mental health information & referral Sexual abuse Immigration services Social services Victim's service

Local 24-hour suicide prevention hotlines and support services Those 24-hour hotlines that respond to those problems most frequently faced by students and clients including but not limited to:

Other names and numbers that may be helpful Community advocacy groups Community social groups Local community and district leaders Local religious leaders (every denomination) School and district union representative(s)

City health and mental health departments