Youth Suicide Awareness and Prevention Training
South Dakota Codified Law 13-42-71 requires employed, certified educators to complete at least one hour of approved youth suicide awareness and prevention training every five years. Verification that this requirement is met will be conducted through accreditation review.
House Bill 1020 effective July 1, 2024, moved the verification of the youth suicide awareness and prevention training requirement from certification to accreditation. This means that educators are still required to complete an approved youth suicide awareness and prevention training; however, verifying training completion will be conducted within district accreditation reviews rather than educators' initial and/or renewal certification.
Approved trainings listed on the DOE Youth Suicide Awareness and Prevention Training page may be used to meet the training requirement.
The online training options provided by the following organizations have been approved by the South Dakota Board of Education Standards as meeting the guidelines for online training.
The Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide
The Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide is a non-profit community organization founded in 2005 by two fathers who each experienced a devastating loss of a teenage child by suicide. The organization is dedicated to increasing awareness and reducing the stigma of suicide through specialized training programs and outreach resources that empower teens, parents, and educational leaders with the guidance and skills needed to help those at-risk of suicide build a life of resiliency.
| Type | Name of Training | Cost | Certificate of Completion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Making Educators Partners in Youth Suicide Prevention: Act on FACTS (60 min) | Free | Yes |
The Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment
The Child & Adult Advocacy Studies (CAASt) Training Series provides professionals with tools to successfully advocate for children and adults in need, while learning how to work in interprofessional teams to provide wraparound services and overcome problems associated with rurality, funding, and lack of services. The CAASt programming will create advocates who can use critical thinking skills to help align services and recovery to people in need. Training attendees will better understand suicide prevention strategies for students in South Dakota, will learn the process and importance of mandatory reporting, and will gain knowledge in trauma-informed, multidisciplinary approaches. It is essential for people working within the education system to identify trauma and adversity in students, respond in a manner that allows the student to begin the healing process while continuing to function within a classroom or school setting, and promote access to services through utilization of a multidisciplinary team.
| Type | Name of Training | Cost | Certificate of Completion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online | The Child & Adult Advocacy Studies (CAASt) Training | Free | Yes |
The in-person training options provided by the following organizations have been approved by the South Dakota Board of Education Standards as meeting the guidelines for training.
| Type | Training | Cost | Completion Certificate | Training Request Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) QPR has three simple steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide: Question, Persuade, and Refer. People trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help. QPR can be learned in as little as one hour. |
SD Suicide Prevention Request Training page | |||
| ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) ASIST is a two-day, interactive workshop in suicide first aid. ASIST teaches participants to recognize when someone may have thoughts of suicide and work with them to create a plan that will support their immediate safety. Anyone 16 or older can learn and use the ASIST model. |
SD Suicide Prevention Request Training page | |||
| Youth Mental Health First Aid is an eight-hour public education program which introduces participants to the unique risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems in adolescents, builds understanding of the importance of early intervention, and teaches individuals how to help an adolescent in crisis or experiencing a mental health challenge. Learn more. | SD Suicide Prevention Request Training page | |||
| Child & Adult Advocacy Studies (CAASt) Training Series The Child & Adult Advocacy Studies (CAASt) Training Series provides professionals with tools to successfully advocate for children and adults in need, while learning how to work in interprofessional teams to provide wraparound services and overcome problems associated with rurality, funding, and lack of services. The CAASt programming will create advocates who can use critical thinking skills to help align services and recovery to people in need. Training attendees will better understand suicide prevention strategies for students in South Dakota, will learn the process and importance of mandatory reporting, and will gain knowledge in trauma-informed, multidisciplinary approaches. It is essential for people working within the education system to identify trauma and adversity in students, respond in a manner that allows the student to begin the healing process while continuing to function within a classroom or school setting, and promote access to services through utilization of a multidisciplinary team. |
Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment CAASt Training page | |||
| CALM Conversations on Access to Lethal Means
CALM is a practical intervention to increase the time and distance between individuals at risk of suicide and the most common and lethal methods of suicide, particularly firearms. The oldest and most widely-used training on lethal means safety, CALM teaches why means matter and equips individuals with tools to intervene effectively with those at risk for suicide both upstream - before a crisis hits - as well as in times of crisis. |
Lana Loken, Lost & Found |
The Board of Education Standards approves youth suicide awareness and prevention trainings. These trainings are posted on the Youth Suicide Awareness and Prevention page and open to any South Dakota educator and district to utilize.
Approved trainings meet the following criteria:
- Are a minimum of 1-hour duration
- Are evidence-based
- Include information on youth suicide risk indicators
- Include appropriate educator responses and referral sources
- Certificate of completion is provided to participants who complete the training that contains the name of the training, name of the individual who completed the training, length of the training, and date on which the training was completed
Approved trainings shall be approved for a period of five years.
To become approved:
- The training provider completes the Youth Suicide Awareness and Prevention Training Application by December 1. Submit any additional information to Andrea Effling including: Viewing of the training, a syllabus, or documentation of the training to determine the training meets the approval criteria.
- Applications are reviewed annually after December 1.
SD DOE staff will review the training using an evaluation and determine if it meets the approval criteria. If the training meets the approval criteria, SD DOE staff will present to the South Dakota Board of Education Standards in a following spring meeting for approval. If the training does not meet the approval criteria, SD DOE staff will provide feedback to the provider outlining why the training does not meet the requirements. - Trainings approved by the South Dakota Board of Education Standards will be made available by July 1 of the year they are approved and posted on the Youth Suicide Awareness and Prevention Training page.
For questions related to the approval of suicide prevention trainings, contact Andrea Effling at (605) 220-3813.
For questions related to accreditation, visit the Accreditation page or contact doeaccred@state.sd.us.