Intersection of Disciplinary Practices, Mental Health, and Suicide Prevention for Black Youth: School Professionals’ Perspectives

• In Event: Preparing and Supporting School Counselors to Meet Equity Challenges

Abstract

Purpose of Paper
Black youth are subjected to exclusionary and punitive disciplinary policies practices at a higher rate than their peers, often resulting in reduced educational opportunities. With Black youth being less likely to be referred for mental health concerns (Barksdale et al., 2010), implementation of exclusionary disciplinary practices can further exacerbate existing mental health disparities (Anderson & Ritter, 2017; Authors, 2023; Bryan et al., 2018; Butler-Barnes & Inniss-Thompson, 2020). Therefore, the objective of this study is to explore school counselor (n=10) and administrator (n=3) perspectives on how school system practices around mental health and exclusionary discipline can inform suicide prevention by answering the questions: “How do school counselors and school administrators in K-12 schools perceive and implement their disciplinary and mental health referral policies and practices?” and “In what ways do these approaches support or hinder suicide prevention efforts for Black students?”
Theoretical Frameworks
This research utilizes two theoretical frameworks: Trauma and JEDI-Informed Suicide Prevention Model in Schools and Biopsychosocial Ecological Model. The former is based on trauma-informed approaches and a Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion lens (Authors, 2023). This model emphasizes the impact of racial trauma on Black youth and supports suicide prevention by fostering a culturally inclusive environment and reinforcing protective factors. The latter framework examines how an individual’s race and mental health intersect in an educational setting to inform prevention and intervention models that the complex and individual needs of students (Bronfenbrenner, 1979; Kranzler et al., 2020).
Methods
This paper analyzes qualitative interviews with school professionals conducted as part of a larger study examining school-based influences of suicidal ideations and behaviors among Black youth. Participants were recruited using a snowball sampling approach, and included three administrators (elementary school, n = 1; middle school, n = 1; high school, n = 1) and 10 counselors (K-12, n = 3; elementary school, n = 2; middle school, n = 2; high school, n = 3). Participants completed one of three focus groups following a semi-structured interview agenda that included 12 questions addressing the areas of discipline, mental health, suicide, inequity, with a focus on how these areas were enacted or considered for Black students. A thematic analysis was conducted independently by two researchers, with themes applied in Dedoose.
Results
Eight themes related to how school-based factors influence suicidal ideations among Black youth emerged from the transcripts: Balancing Restorative Justice and Accountability; Systemic Challenges in Mental Health Support; Intersection of Discipline and Mental Health; Cultural and Societal Influences at the Intersection of Race and Mental Health; Community and Family Dynamics; Fostering School Belonging using Student-Centered Approaches; Proactive Mental Health Strategies; and Complexity of Suicide Identification, Awareness, and Prevention.
Significance of Work
Findings reveal the persistent and pernicious presence of internalized norms related to race, colorblind ideology, and institutional denial that falls within the macrosystem, indicating a need to develop specific and nuanced policies and practices that are trauma-informed, include meaningful school-family-community partnerships, address the role of SROs, and include a path towards addressing implicit and systemic bias in schools.

Authors

• Dana Griffin, Pennsylvania State University

• Constance A. Lindsay, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

• Marisa Marraccini, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

• Jay Mathis, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

• Telieha Middleton, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill