Joplin R-8 Board Committee to review suicide prevention policy

The Joplin R-8 Board of Education's Policy Committee will review a suicide assessment and prevention policy during a 2 p.m. meeting Monday in the Memorial Administration Building.

All Missouri school districts are required by state statute to have such a policy in place by July 1, but the importance of such a policy has been evident with the district losing a number of students to suicide in recent months.

The policy will address strategies to identify at-risk students, strategies and protocols to help those students, and protocols to help other students deal with suicides.

The proposed policy, which can be found at this link, includes the creation of a crisis response team at each building. The teams will include administrators, counselors and the school nurse and can also include school social workers, resource officers, teachers and community members.

The district policy also includes a requirement for age-appropriate suicide education beginning at fifth grade.

The remainder of the committee's agenda is printed below:

A. Call to Order

B. Review Policies for Second Reading by BOE on May 22, 2018:

1. Policy DJF: Purchasing

2. Policy GCBA: Professional Staff Compensation

3. Policy GCBDA: Professional Staff Short-Term Leaves

4. Policy GCI: Professional Staff Assignments

5. Policy GDBDA: Support Staff Leaves

6. Policy GDI: Support Staff Assignments and Transfers

7. Policy IGBD: At-Risk Students

C. Policies for First Review:

1. Policy JHDF: Suicide Awareness and Prevention

2. Policy GBBDAA: Staff Sick Leave Pool

D. Other Items:

E. Adjourn