Report 2019-125 Recommendation 17 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 #17 To: San Francisco Unified School District

To ensure that their teachers and staff have the knowledge necessary to identify and assist students at risk of self-harm and suicide, the six LEAs we reviewed should do the following:

- Revise their suicide prevention training materials by June 2021 to align with state law and incorporate the best practices in Education's model policy.

-LEAs that provide suicide prevention training should conduct it at the beginning of the school year.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2023

Please see previous explanation submitted in September 2022.

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

In its 1-year response submitted in September 2021, SFUSD demonstrated that it had revised its suicide prevention training materials to align with state law and the best practices in Education's model policy. However, SFUSD has not yet submitted documentation demonstrating that it conducted those trainings at the beginning of the school year in either 2021-2022 or 2022-2023. For this reason, we continue to consider this recommendation to be only partially implemented.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From November 2022

The District did amend its training materials as recommended in the auditor's report, and will continue to provide the annual suicide prevention training as early as practicable in the first semester, to give a refresher to existing staff and to inform new staff. The District will not implement the recommendation to the extent that it requires the training to be completed by a particular date in fall semester.

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

During our last evaluation of San Francisco Unified School District's implementation of this recommendation, we found that the district's training included the elements recommended by the California Department of Education. San Francisco Unified appears to be confused as it states that it will not implement the recommendation to the extent that it requires the training to be completed by a particular date; however, our recommendation did not require that it do so. We look forward to reviewing documentation from San Francisco Unified in its next response showing that it provided the training at the beginning of the 2022-23 school year, as we recommended.

1-Year Agency Response

The suicide prevention training materials were revised as recommended, as indicated in an earlier submission. During the academic year 2020-2021, the district provided suicide prevention training during the first semester but plans to offer these trainings in October during the 2021-2022 school year.

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

San Francisco Unified School District's training includes the elements recommended by the California Department of Education. We look forward to reviewing documentation after the 2021-22 school year begins showing that San Francisco Unified offered the training at the beginning of the school year.

6-Month Agency Response

San Francisco Unified School District did not submit a response to this recommendation.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: No Action Taken

60-Day Agency Response

The suicide prevention training materials have been revised to include protective factors.

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

San Francisco Unified addressed the missing element in its suicide prevention training, a discussion of all three elements of suicide identification: risk factors, warning factors, and protective factors. However, San Francisco Unified's response did not establish that it provided the suicide prevention training at the beginning of the school year.

All Recommendations in 2019-125

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.