MTSS for Suicide Prevention and Intervention: Considerations for School Counseling Preparation

Abstract

Youth mental health concerns have reached crisis-level with the American Academy of Pediatrics (2021) reporting a 51% increase for reported suicide attempts for 12-17 year old youth. School counselors play a pivotal role within the conversation on mental health and suicide specifically (ASCA, 2016; ASCA, 2020). In this article we outline how school counselors can organize their suicide prevention and intervention efforts with Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), grounded in a model by Dr. Rebecca Pianta, as well as prioritizing culturally sustaining, antiracist practices, data, prevention, and screening in all tiers. Specifically, at Tier 1, school counselors educate stakeholders, including students, on the warning signs. While at Tiers 2 and 3, school counselors identify and support students at risk of suicide. We highlight ethical considerations throughout, in the context of the article Suicide Intervention in Schools: If Not School Counselors, Then Who?

Supporting All Students: Multitiered Systems of Support from an Antiracist and Critical Race Theory Lens

“…Amidst the myriad societal and school-based inequities facing BIPOC students, school counselors have a unique and essential role in interrupting the systems that perpetuate continued white supremacist oppression and mistreatment of BIPOC students (ASCA, 2019; Goodman-Scott et al, 2020; Mayes, 2021). The continued discriminatory practices, procedures, and disproportionalities in K–12 schools emphasize the need for school counselors to ensure that their engagement in MTSS implementation addresses systemic barriers.…”

“…As a result, the social ills within the broader societal context are also apparent within the education system (Garibaldi & Josias, 2015). Considering the myriad societal and school-based inequities facing students who identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC), school counselors have a unique and crucial role in interrupting the systems that perpetuate the continued oppression and mistreatment of BIPOC (American School Counselor Association [ASCA], 2019; Goodman-Scott et al, 2020; Mayes, 2021). Multitiered systems of support (MTSS), a K–12 framework for prevention and intervention, is widely implemented throughout the United States to support the success of every student (Goodman-Scott et al, 2020).…”

“…Considering the myriad societal and school-based inequities facing students who identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC), school counselors have a unique and crucial role in interrupting the systems that perpetuate the continued oppression and mistreatment of BIPOC (American School Counselor Association [ASCA], 2019; Goodman-Scott et al, 2020; Mayes, 2021). Multitiered systems of support (MTSS), a K–12 framework for prevention and intervention, is widely implemented throughout the United States to support the success of every student (Goodman-Scott et al, 2020). Given the continued discriminatory practices, procedures, and disparities in K–12 schools, school counselors must ensure their MTSS implementation addresses these systemic barriers.…”

“…Given the continued discriminatory practices, procedures, and disparities in K–12 schools, school counselors must ensure their MTSS implementation addresses these systemic barriers. Although MTSS historically has lacked cultural relevancy and has even perpetuated racist practices in education (Bal, 2018), in more recent years, scholars have prioritized how MTSS influences school culture and can be culturally responsive and culturally sustaining (e.g., Bal, 2018; Goodman-Scott et al, 2020; Leverson et al, 2021). Despite efforts toward incorporating culture into MTSS, only limited discussion has addressed MTSS from an antiracist lens.…”

What’s COVID-19 Got to Do With It? Implementing the 2020 Connecticut Comprehensive School Counseling Framework

“…Student achievement is a shared goal among educators; recognizing barriers to student achievement and working within a multitiered system of supports (MTSS) approach—that is, making data-informed decisions about integrating academic and behavioral interventions—are hallmarks of a school counselor’s training ( ASCA, 2019a ; Goodman-Scott et al, 2020 ). Through collaborative efforts, school counselors work with principals to ensure equity and positively impact student learning; both benefit from learning more about each other’s roles and responsibilities ( DeSimone & Roberts, 2016 ; Lowery et al., 2018 ).…”