Report 2019-125 Recommendation 4 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 #4 To: Education, Department of

To support the provision of suicide prevention education to students at LEAs operating through distance learning, Education should complete and issue to LEAs the resources and guidance it is developing on how to conduct suicide prevention education remotely.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2023

Education continues to develop a list of curated resources for LEAs related to distance learning; however, additional research is needed as distance learning is no longer being utilized and students have returned to in-classroom learning. In the interim, Education has updated the resources for youth suicide prevention on its website while working on determining next steps.

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

Education states that students have returned to in-classroom learning and distance learning is no longer being utilized. Thus, there is no longer a pressing need to provide guidance to LEAs on how to provide suicide prevention education in the distance learning environment. For this reason we assess this recommendation to be resolved. However, it is disappointing that Education failed to support LEAs during this challenging period by completing the development and distribution of the resources it claimed it was creating.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2022

As previously stated, Education was in the process of finalizing a list of curated resources available to LEAs; however, due to competing workload demands, the list approval was delayed and is now expected to be available to LEAs by the end of 2022.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: No Action Taken

Education's failure to implement this recommendation in a timely manner has likely diminished the value that it will provide. Nevertheless, we encourage Education to provide these resources for the benefit of any LEAs that still operate through distance learning.

1-Year Agency Response

Education collaborated with the HEARD Alliance and other partners to finalize the list of curated resources available to LEAs for use as part of their suicide prevention virtual programming; final internal approval is currently in progress and Education anticipates the list will be finalized, posted, and shared with LEAs by November 1, 2021.

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

6-Month Agency Response

Education is collaborating with the HEARD Alliance regarding guidance and resources for LEAs to use as part of their suicide prevention virtual programming. Final approval is currently in progress for the list of virtual programs that will be shared with LEAs. Education anticipates the list will be finalized, posted, and shared with the field by April 2021, pending final approval by the collaborative partners.

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

60-Day Agency Response

Education is continuing to develop guidance and resources for LEAs to use as part of their suicide prevention virtual programming, in collaboration with members of the Student Mental Health Policy Workgroup (SMHPW) Suicide Prevention Committee; existing virtual resources are currently being reviewed for future use. With the onset of the pandemic and the continuation of distance learning, many organizations are in the process of updating their in-person programs to a virtual platform. Education and the SMHPW will continue to review programs as they are updated with the goal of creating a list of viable options for LEAs. The list is anticipated to be finalized, posted, and shared with the field by January 2021.

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

All Recommendations in 2019-125

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.