Suicide Prevention Strategies for School Counselors

In this important episode of the Counselor Accents Podcast, we sit down with Angela Avery, a seasoned middle school counselor from Maine, to discuss one of the most challenging and critical topics facing schools today: suicide prevention.Angela shares practical, proactive strategies school counselors can use to address suicide in developmentally appropriate, ethical, and trauma-informed ways. This conversation focuses on prevention over reaction, highlighting everyday practices that quietly save lives long before a crisis occurs.Listeners will gain insight into:How to talk about suicide safely and responsibly with studentsProactive suicide prevention strategies School counseling protocols and response planningProtective factors counselors may already be strengthening without realizing itWays to build a school culture of connection, trust, and emotional safetyAngela also reassures counselors who worry they’re “doing it wrong” that many effective prevention efforts are already happening through relationship-building, SEL lessons, and consistent check-ins. This episode emphasizes that suicide prevention is not one program or lesson — it’s a system of care woven into daily school counseling practice.Whether you are a school counselor, administrator, or mental health professional, this episode offers grounded guidance, encouragement, and realistic tools for navigating an incredibly sensitive topic with confidence and compassion.