Now available: 2025 Suicide Prevention & 988 Guide for Missouri’s Schools

The Missouri Suicide Prevention Network’s Suicide Prevention in Schools Committee is happy to share that the the 2025 edition of the Suicide Prevention & 988 Guide for Missouri Schools is now complete and available. This resource is intended to support schools in their ongoing efforts to prevent youth suicide, respond effectively and navigate a suicide crisis, and understand how to engage with Missouri’s behavioral health crisis services.

This updated edition includes:

• Strategies and resources available to help strengthen school or district-wide suicide prevention efforts and promote safe, supportive environments for students
• Information on how schools can utilize 988, mobile crisis response, and behavioral health crisis center services
• Updated, evidence-based suicide prevention programming
• New resources for parents and guardians explaining 988 and available supports
• Immediate steps schools can take in the aftermath of a suicide death

This guide complements the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s recently revised Youth Suicide Awareness and Prevention Model Policy and is intended to be used alongside it to strengthen school preparedness and response efforts.