On April 25, 2018, Washington Unified continued its staff training on Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Awareness. Provided by the Fresno office of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the training focused on ways that teachers can support students.
According to Educational Support Services Director, Derek Cruz, the presentation focused on four key objectives:
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Increasing the level of knowledge regarding mental illness and helping staff recognize the early warning signs and the importance of early intervention.
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Raising awareness about suicide prevention processes available to staff at the district, site, and community levels.
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Continuing the process of developing the district’s Suicide Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention Plan.
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Setting the stage for additional suicide prevention and mental health educational opportunities.
Washington Unified is committed to meeting the social-emotional needs of all students. To that end, specially trained staff, such as, school psychologists, on-site counselors, and school social workers are employed by the district to support students who have been identified as having social-emotional needs. This training was designed, in part, to ensure that all staff, including teachers and classified staff members, know how to identify a child who may need more specialized support.
The district hopes to continue too provide training to staff on this and other important topics effecting the social-emotional health of students.