NCJ Number
149487
Journal
Juvenile and Family Court Journal Volume: 45 Issue: 2 Dated: (1994) Pages: 65-75
Date Published
1994
Length
11 pages
Annotation
Following a review of an assessment of the District of Columbia's suicide prevention measures for juveniles in custody, the proposed suicide prevention plan designed to remedy identified deficiencies is presented.
Abstract
The plan's goal is to describe suicide prevention protocols for youths in the institutional facilities of the Youth Services Administration (District of Columbia), while providing staff with the necessary information, training, and procedures to recognize the warning signals of suicidal behavior and prevent it. The core of the plan consists of three integrated components: staff training, intake assessment, and continuous identification of youth at-risk. "Greenline Status" is the classification process for youth who manifest potential or actual suicidal behavior. It is a code that signals staff that a youth should be closely observed and receive appropriate treatment services. All information on placement of Greenline Status youth and suicide incidents are maintained in the official records of the institution and in the resident's medical file. All youth on Greenline Status are referred for further mental health assessment. Mental health staff are primarily responsible for determining the types of treatment and intervention necessary for Greenline Status residents. Each facility has individual rooms designated for Greenline "Watch" and "Alert" youth. To assist staff in responding to suicide attempts, a CPR pocket mask is located in the staff office of each housing unit to facilitate mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Other types of rescue equipment are also available. The plan also contains protocols for reporting suicide attempts and actual suicides, for containment of future suicide attempts following a completed suicide, and for suicide prevention plan review. 8 references