How can building collaborative networks with public health and mental health systems help to resolve this issue?
Dr. Silverman: I don’t think schools are in a position to “do it all” nor should they have to do it all. It’s not their role to conduct interventions or provide treatment. A school’s role in suicide prevention is to educate students about suicide and self-destructive behaviors, look for early signs of difficulty, and, when students exhibit warning signs, to guide them to community resources and support networks where they can get help. But to do this, schools need to be connected to the community networks that are designed to support people and help them when they have problems. GC: Why should today’s schools make suicide prevention a priority? Dr. Silverman: I think schools are a reflection of our societal values. We need to ask ourselves, “Do we care about each other and do we care about the overall level of mental well-being in our society and in our children?” If we do, then we have to take the steps to ensure that school programs are in place to identify those who may be at risk a
