Preventing Youth Suicide in Schools is designed for K–12 school settings.

This interactive course is designed to help you understand key concepts and terms in suicide prevention, how school communities can support youth suicide prevention, how to effectively identify and respond to youth in crisis, and resources available to help support suicide prevention and youth wellness.

This course consists of 4 lessons and can be completed in approximately 1 hour. 

The 4 lessons are:

1. Understanding Youth Suicide
2. Your Role in Suicide Prevention
3. Responding to Youth Behavioral Health Emergencies
4. Reducing Suicide Risk Using Protective Factors

You do not have to complete the course in one sitting. You can exit the course at any time and return later to the place where you left off. 

This course is designed for school-based professionals but is open to anyone.

The course is especially relevant for educators, school-based behavioral health professionals, and school support staff.

At the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Define commonly used terms related to suicide and suicide prevention
• Describe basic statistical terms, youth suicide trends, and prevalence of youth suicide
• Recognize risk and protective factors for youth suicide
• Describe three roles of school staff in youth suicide prevention and identify responsibilities based on their role and school policies
• Demonstrate basic skills and strategies for responding to and supporting youth experiencing a behavioral health emergency
• Describe two common Tier 1 strategies and identify ways to apply these strategies to reduce youth suicide risk

To receive a certificate of completion, you must do the following:

• Complete each lesson
• Pass the post-test (passing score is 80% or higher
• Answer the feedback survey questions

You can earn a certificate of completion once per year for each course. This course does not offer continuing education credits.

Accommodations

EDC is committed to providing an accessible and inclusive learning experience. If you need accommodation to participate in this course, please contact [email protected] as early as possible, preferably before registering. We will work with you to understand your needs and determine reasonable accommodations. Accommodation requests are handled confidentially whenever possible.

Contact information 

For questions about course access, registration, refunds, accommodations, technology, or continuing education requirements, contact [email protected].

Required Technology

To complete this course, participants need: 

• A reliable internet connection. 
• A computer or compatible device capable of accessing the online course. 
• A supported web browser with cookies and JavaScript enabled. 
• Audio capability, such as speakers or headphones. 
• The ability to view videos, download or open PDF materials, and complete online activities and quizzes, as required by the course.

An active email address to receive course and account-related communications. 

For the best experience, we recommend using a current version of Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari on a desktop or laptop computer. 

Conflict of Interest/Commercial Bias

No conflict or commercial support: EDC has no commercial support for this continuing education program, and the course instructors and other individuals who control course content have no relevant financial or other relationships that could reasonably be viewed as a conflict of interest or commercial bias.