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BOT 04-30-13

Suicide Prevention Policy and Procedures

Policy:

It shall be the policy of Oglala Lakota College (OLC) to increase awareness of suicide prevention among students, staff, and faculty.

Procedures/Protocol:

Suicide Attempt:Medical Emergency

Any attempted suicide shall be treated as a medical emergency. A suicide attempt is defined as any life threatening behavior or gesture on the part of the person with the intent of taking one’s own life. The attempt may not be lethal but any attempt shall be considered serious and requiring action.

  1. Call emergency 911
  2. Notify the administrator of the building or college center and, the crisis response team member.

a. The contact list of the crisis response plan and the crisis response team members will be posted at the entrance of all the buildings and at the entrance of the college center Director and Counselor offices.

  1. Stay calm, listen and don’t offer advice to the student. Do not leave the student unattended.
  2. Stay with the student till law enforcement/Emergency Medical Personnel responds

Suicide Threat: Immediate Danger

A suicide threat is defined as any spoken, written, or behavioral indication of self-destructive tendencies: threatening to hurt or kill his or herself, seeking access to firearms, pills, ropes, cords, talking about death, dying, or suicide especially when these actions are out of the ordinary for the person.

  1. Call 911 immediately
  2. Contact Crisis Response Team member in his or hers building or center.
  3. While waiting for law enforcement/Emergency Medical Personnel to respond, encourage the student call the South Dakota Help Line at 211 or National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273- TALK (8255) or ask the student “will you let me get help for you” and offer to dial the hotline number.
  4. Stay calm. Listen and don’t offer advice to the person. Do not leave person unattended.
  5. Complete the incident report form and make referral of student to Student Assistance Coordinator regarding suicide threat. The incident report form is in a pocket folder next to the crisis response plan at the entrance of the building or college center.
  6. Stay with the person till law enforcement/Emergency Medical Personnel responds.

Distressed Individual: No Immediate Danger

A distressed individual is defined as any person exhibiting the signs of anxiety, sadness, confusion, expression of suicidal thoughts, feelings of hopelessness, feelings of rage or uncontrolled anger, feeling trapped, withdrawing from friends and family, feelings of agitation, and/or sees no reason to live or appears intoxicated. Notify any team member either in writing or by phone.

  1. Notify the administrator of the building or college center immediately.
  2. Encourage the person to call the South Dakota Help Line at 211 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1- 800-273-TALK (8255) or ask the student “will you let me get help for you?” and offer to dial the hotline number. Complete the incident report form.

Crisis ResponseTeam includes the following:

The Crisis Response Team consists of the following members: EAP Director, Suicide Prevention Director, Social Work Department Chair, and College Center Directors.

Complete the incident report form and return to Student Assistance Coordinator and/or Suicide Prevention Director regarding the incident. The incident report form can be obtained from any of the team members.