Suicide Prevention Begins Before the Crisis: A DBT-Informed Approach for Schools
September is Suicide Prevention month and in schools, every day carries the weight of prevention.
As educators, we often face the heartbreaking reality that students are struggling long before they ever say the words “I need help.” Sometimes, they never say them at all.
It’s not that students don’t want support; they don’t always have the language, the skills, or the sense of safety to ask for it.
That’s why suicide prevention in schools can’t just be reactive. Prevention is proactive and must be skill-based. Structured. Embedded. Visible.
That’s exactly what the DBT STEPS-A curriculum was created to do.
Why Skills Matter More Than Scripts
Many well-meaning awareness campaigns focus on encouraging students to “reach out” or “talk to someone.” Yet for students who have spent years in emotional distress or who’ve been punished for expressing big emotions, reaching out can feel impossible.
DBT teaches something different.
It gives students tools to:
Understand and name intense emotions
Reduce emotional vulnerability through self-care
Regulate distress without impulsive behavior
Advocate for what they need from others
Reconnect with meaning and long-term goals
In other words: skills that keep them tethered to life, to others, and to themselves.
Suicide Prevention in a DBT-Informed School
It doesn’t start with suicide prevention assemblies. It starts with moments like these:
A student realizing they can use Opposite Action to get through the weekend.
A teacher using DEAR MAN to help a student ask for support without shutting down.
A student quietly referring to their PLEASE poster before deciding to skip class.
A counselor asking, “Are you in Emotion Mind right now, or Wise Mind?” instead of “What’s wrong with you?”
These are not isolated interventions.
They are daily practices rooted in a shared language that helps students feel seen, capable, and safe.
Suicide prevention in schools is most effective when we:
✅ Teach DBT skills proactively instead of as a response to crisis.
✅ Use daily reminders like posters, exercises, and worksheets to reinforce skills.
✅ Train all adults, not just teachers and counselors, in emotional regulation strategies.
✅ Normalize students asking for help as a strength and not as a disruption.
✅ Create school-wide systems that support connection, validation, and boundaries.
When students feel empowered with tools, they don’t have to wait until they’re in crisis to be supported.
Students deserve more than awareness. They deserve access and educators deserve the training to offer it.
Let’s not wait until crisis. Let’s teach the skills that save lives. Starting now.
DBT STEPS-A: A Framework That Works
Our DBT STEPS-A Implementation Training is designed to equip educators with:
A clinically grounded curriculum
Classroom-tested lesson plans
Real-world strategies for group delivery
CE credits and full access to materials
Support from leaders in the field, including Dr. Lizz Dexter-Mazza
Whether you’re a school counselor, mental health lead, or classroom teacher, this training will help you implement DBT skills that prevent crisis and promote long-term wellness.
✨ Learn more or request a PO here →