Please let us know if your son has ever made a reference to committing suicide, no matter how trivial it may seem. Use direct quotes if possible and let us know how serious the matter was by using a scale of 1 through 10, 10 being the most severe.
Changes in medication can greatly affect the mood, behavior and thinking of your son. If your son has started, stopped or consistently missed taking his medication, it's important for us to know that and what possible side effects may exist as a result.
Appetite is linked with mood and energy. If your son has experienced a sudden change in diet in the recent past, he may also be experiencing a crisis. Please document any changes in food and in eating.
The most significant behavior linked to risk of self-harm is impulsivity. If your son has or does continue to struggle to control his impulses he may be an increased risk of suicide.
It’s important to establish and maintain an awareness of your son's baseline normal behavior and then document significant departures from baseline behavior (lack of hygiene, poor grooming etc.) which can be indicators of mental/emotional disturbances that need to be addressed and discussed
Any and all inappropriate aggression or violent behavior needs to be well documented.
Any relapse into behavior that your son has been working to change as outlined by a mental health professional (therapist / doctor / psychiatrist) which has had a significant impact on his mental and emotional health, needs to be well documented.
Any student who has experienced a triggering event, which can be anything from watching a video game on youtube, to being around alcohol or drugs (for those who have struggled with alcohol or drug abuse in the past for instance) or reminders of past trauma, are at a higher risk of behavioral relapse, anger/aggressiveness, suicide, etc.
