Lives Worth Living : Applying Zero Suicide as a Prevention Approach for Schools

Protect lives by building safer, stronger school communities

Suicide among our youth, especially the most vulnerable ones, is a growing yet preventable crisis. We can and must create a meaningful, systemic change by creating school environments where every student feels safe, seen, and supported.

Lives Worth Living offers a comprehensive, actionable framework that empowers school leaders, counselors, psychologists, and others to address this critical issue head-on. Drawing from the Zero Suicide framework as well as decades of research and practice, the authors, experts in school counseling, school psychology, and mental health, integrate a proactive and comprehensive suicide prevention approach with multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) to help schools move upstream in their prevention efforts. Inside you will find:

• Seven foundational components of the Zero Suicide framework adapted for schools—lead, educate, identify, engage, care, connect, improve—to elevate your prevention strategies
• Proactive approaches that reduce risk while enhancing protective factors for all students
• Real-world examples and voices from the field, centering on lived experiences of students, to inspire practical, compassionate implementation
• Reflection questions and planning tools that guide school leaders and teams in creating sustainable, data-driven change

This hands-on guide blends leadership, education, engagement, and care into a unified approach that strengthens not only suicide prevention but also the entire school system. By taking action, educators can build safer school climates and empower students to lead lives worth living.

Protect lives by building safer, stronger school communities

Suicide among our youth, especially the most vulnerable ones, is a growing yet preventable crisis. We can and must create a meaningful, systemic change by creating school environments where every student feels safe, seen, and supported.

Lives Worth Living offers a comprehensive, actionable framework that empowers school leaders, counselors, psychologists, and others to address this critical issue head-on. Drawing from the Zero Suicide framework as well as decades of research and practice, the authors, experts in school counseling, school psychology, and mental health, integrate a proactive and comprehensive suicide prevention approach with multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) to help schools move upstream in their prevention efforts. Inside you will find:

• Seven foundational components of the Zero Suicide framework adapted for schools—lead, educate, identify, engage, care, connect, improve—to elevate your prevention strategies
• Proactive approaches that reduce risk while enhancing protective factors for all students
• Real-world examples and voices from the field, centering on lived experiences of students, to inspire practical, compassionate implementation
• Reflection questions and planning tools that guide school leaders and teams in creating sustainable, data-driven change

This hands-on guide blends leadership, education, engagement, and care into a unified approach that strengthens not only suicide prevention but also the entire school system. By taking action, educators can build safer school climates and empower students to lead lives worth living.