School officials are combatting the most dangerous of student behaviors with more training, due to a new state mandate that addresses suicide prevention.

Dartmouth’s teachers will receive more training to help them identify and support students who are at risk for suicide, said Superintendent Bonny Gifford. The new training focuses more on kids who might fall through the cracks due to a lack of discipline problems, which could also be a warning sign, said Gifford.

“Those kids are not acting out, and are doing what they’re supposed to do,” Gifford said. “We look for what signs might be seen there.”

Staff members are also trained to recognize continued patterns of behavior that could point to something being amiss, Gifford explained. For example, a student who misses one homework assignment might not merit as much alert as a student who repeatedly misses homework assignments.

“It’s not something we often think about, but it does happen,” Gifford added.

Experts the Riverside Trauma Center gave the first of two presentations for faculty and staff, said Dartmouth High Principal John Gould.

The presentation covered causes – from mental illness, to major life stressors like the death of a family member – to signs and response methods for potential cases, including advice for staff members on how to approach the sensitive subject, and how to respond if a student needs help.

“The training really focused on prevention,” Gould said. “It’s a reminder for faculty and staff that we are on the front lines of this reality – that someone might take their own life.”

The presentation provided education on how to recognize and support students who show risk signs of suicide, such as giving away valuables, changes in personal appearance, and dramatic changes in personality – such as a student who is usually focused and involved in school suddenly becoming indifferent to it.

Teachers learned a lot from the presentation and asked intelligent questions, Gould said, adding that he is proud that his faculty is stepping up to support students in need.

A second presentation at the high school is scheduled for a later date, Gould said. Presentations are also scheduled for the middle and elementary schools in the coming months.