The learner says they want to die or hurt themselves

• Suicidal statements

The situation

A learner — of any age — says, writes, signs or otherwise communicates that they want to die, that they wish they were dead, or that they plan to hurt themselves. It may be said calmly or in distress, and it may be the first time or one of many.

Contact now

• Immediate: Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (988)
• Immediate: Emergency services (911)
• Your supervising BCBA
• Parent or guardian
• Your site supervisor

Right now

Take it seriously every time. Stay with the learner, listen without arguing or minimizing, and do not leave them alone. In the US, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline can be called or texted for guidance in the moment, and emergency services if there is immediate danger. Your organization's crisis procedure says who to call and in what order.

Write down

• Record what the learner communicated, in their own words as closely as you can, with the time.
• Record what was happening before, who was present, and how the learner seemed.
• Record who you contacted, when, and what they told you to do.
• Complete your organization's incident or critical-event report the same day.

Assessing risk is outside a technician's scope and outside this app's. The supervising analyst, the family, and where needed a qualified mental-health professional decide what happens next. Your employer's policy governs the steps you take.

Terms used here

• Scope of Practice
• Objective Language