Report 2019-125 Recommendation 9 Responses

Report 2019-125: Youth Suicide Prevention: Local Educational Agencies Lack the Resources and Policies Necessary to Effectively Address Rising Rates of Youth Suicide and Self‑Harm (Release Date: September 2020)

Recommendation #9 To: Heartland Charter Schools

To ensure that their teachers and staff have the information necessary to respond consistently, promptly, and appropriately to reduce suicide risk, the six LEAs we reviewed should revise their policies by March 2021 to comply with state law and incorporate the best practices in Education's model policy.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2022

Heartland Charter School has fully implemented suggestion 9. We have a new board-approved Suicide Prevention Policy. We have a new flowchart for staff, and an intervention website for staff to have all mental health support in one location. We have also provided resources to teachers in their Handbook. Our goal was to make sure all staff had quick easy access to the policy and the knowledge that is included in their training at the click of a button.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Fully Implemented

Heartland Charter School's suicide prevention policy now complies with state law and incorporates the best practices in Education's model policy.

1-Year Agency Response

Although we contacted Heartland to remind it to submit responses to our recommendations, it did not provide an update regarding this recommendation.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Partially Implemented

As we stated in our assessment of Heartland's 60-day response, Heartland Charter's guidelines for post suicide-attempt school reentry and suicide postvention does not include a provision describing how this and related information will be shared with parents, guardians, and caregivers; nor does it describe how suicide prevention education will be provided to students. Until Heartland Charter addresses these elements this recommendation is not considered fully implemented.

6-Month Agency Response

No additional information

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Partially Implemented

As we stated in our assessment of Heartland's 60-day response, Heartland Charter provided a document describing guidelines for post suicide-attempt school reentry and suicide postvention; however, the document still lacks some elements of a robust suicide prevention policy. Specifically, Heartland's document does not include a provision describing how this and related information will be shared with parents, guardians, and caregivers; nor does it describe how suicide prevention education will be provided to students. Until Heartland Charter addresses these elements this recommendation is not considered fully implemented.

60-Day Agency Response

We have implemented additional suicide prevention training for our staff now implementing local resources and taking into consideration our regions' data points.

We have sought local health care professionals (via Kern County Health Department) as well as reaching out to the San Luis Obispo suicide hotline in the creation of our training.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Partially Implemented

Heartland Charter provided a document describing guidelines for post suicide-attempt school reentry and suicide postvention; however, the document still lacks some elements of a robust suicide prevention policy. Specifically, Heartland's document does not include a provision describing how this and related information will be shared with parents, guardians, and caregivers; nor does it describe how suicide prevention education will be provided to students. Until Heartland Charter addresses these elements we do not consider the recommendation to be fully implemented.

All Recommendations in 2019-125

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.