These have been difficult times for us all at Gunn. Many of you have asked what Gunn is doing to support students, staff and parents following the student suicides. Much has already been done and we will be adding yet more as the semester goes on. We want to share the list (see below) with you so that you are kept informed about our efforts.
Noreen Likins
Gunn's work and interventions post suicides
Efforts to support students
- District and Gunn staff met during summer months to create materials to help teachers better support students still struggling with spring suicides. Tips for talking with teens distributed to all staff on first day of school.
- Counselors, ACS personnel, School Administration, School Psychologist, District personnel available every day, all day, for students needing support.
- Protocol developed so that counselors, psychologists and admin team know what to do in the event of a crisis (suicide or accident).
- Access to outside therapists/support counselors encouraged by District's support of 3 free sessions with such personnel.
- PAMF has offered medical services for students dealing with depression and mental illness.
- Many parent and community volunteers present to support students at times of crisis
- Counselors go immediately to classes that are impacted by the loss of a classmate to support students and teachers. They stay as long as they are needed.
- Special support group formed for friends of Terman student. Still meets regularly.
- Gunn team of students, staff and parents attended Challenge Success conference/workshop at Stanford on September 25 and 26, 2009. This is a continuation of our work with Stanford's SOS program. (Gunn was among the first schools to be linked with Stanford in efforts to reduce student stress levels).
- Stanford Survey of Adolescent School Experiences will be administered to students early in 2010. Project Cornerstone's survey of Developmental Assets will be administered to students some time TBD during this school year. The results will provides us with baseline data on student social emotional health and well-being that will allow us to evaluate the effectiveness of programs and interventions.
- Meetings held with various groups that have programs to help students develop resilience (Project Cornerstone, Project Happiness, Social Emotional Learning). Project Cornerstone will conduct student workshops on Nov 24 and do 12 weekly sessions at the start of 2010. Project Happiness's curriculum is being used in Focus on Success classes.
- Living Skills curriculum adjusted to include more information and suggestions for dealing with pressures and building resilience.
- Dr. Fred Luskin (a Gunn parent and Stanford professor) addressed all seniors on Oct 14 on the topic of happiness and what makes students happy and resilient in the face of pressure. Students were involved in student-led small group discussions following his presentation.
- Students have organized peer support groups and taken action to build community spirit. (ROCK, "Talk to Me" T shirts, Anti-suicide Facebook groups). ROCK has presented its ideas to staff and students to publicize its existence and purpose.
- KARA will run student support groups at lunch, after school and in the evenings starting in November.
- Special support for the water polo community will be provided through KARA.
- Dr. Fred Ginsberg will run an assembly in March for students. He will talk about building resilience.
- In assemblies and one-on-one, students have been encouraged to support each other and to seek help from an adult if they are concerned about a friend. Many reports are being received.
- Assembly planned for December that will address living and coping with depression and bring in alumni who have offered to help to talk about their own experiences and how they developed coping skills in high school and college.
Please note: The first four points also appeared under support for students because they apply to staff as well as students.
- District and Gunn staff met during summer months to create materials to help teachers better support students still struggling with spring suicides. Tips for talking with teens distributed to all staff on first day of school.
- Counselors, ACS personnel, School Administrators, School Psychologist, District personnel available every day, all day, for staff needing support.
- Protocol developed so that counselors, psychologists and admin team know what to do in the event of such a crisis (suicide or accident)
- Access to outside therapists/support counselors encouraged by District's support of 3 free sessions with such personnel.
- KARA training on first day of fall semester 2009 for all Gunn staff on helping students and themselves deal with grief and loss.
- KARA facilitated peer support groups for Gunn staff members on and off campus.
- Administrators take over the classes of teachers unable to teach because they are struggling with their own feelings of loss and sadness when a student has been lost.
- Staff support groups led by Center for Living with Dying and KARA in spring and again this fall.
- Dr. Fred Luskin and Dr. Kenneth Pelletier's book "Stress Free for Good" has been purchased for every teacher and staff member that has regular contact with students.
- Dr. Luskin will address the staff at the December 10, staff meeting and discuss the book with staff.
- Dr. Ken Ginsbeg will address staff on the topic of building resilience in students on 25 March, 2010.
- Parent Ed. Meetings and expert panels set up to address parent fears and concerns regarding suicide at Gunn, District and community level last spring and again this fall.
- Dr. Ken Ginsberg will be the speaker at a parent ed. Night in March.
- Parent support groups already underway (as of Oct 29) at Gunn.
- Grade-level parent networks established to provide a forum for parents to meet and discuss concerns.
- Crisis resource list and articles posted on Gunn web site.
- Meetings between Caltrain, District, PAPD and City to discuss the problem and what might be done.
- Parents and community members have volunteered to patrol crossings (suicide "hot spots").
- CDC guidelines are being used to guide our actions and reactions following the latest suicide.
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