The Universal Screening Toolkit is a comprehensive resource designed to aid educational institutions in systematically assessing students risk of poor learning outcomes, including academic, behavioral, social, emotional, school completion, and college and career readiness and suicide. The current version of this Universal Screening Toolkit specifically focuses on assessing suicide risk among students and provides procedural guidance in the areas of suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention. The toolkit ensures that supports are available for all students, including LGBTQ2SIA+ youth, BIPOC, tribal communities/members/students, youth in out-of-home settings, youth with disabilities, and historically underserved youth. The toolkit is designed to be used by school personnel, including administrators and staff, and serves as an information resource hub to equip, empower, and educate schools in conducting a universal screening process. It outlines the Process and Work Flow, Legal Considerations for Addressing Liability, and provides evidence-based validation from scientific literature for this effort. Additionally, the toolkit includes guidance on Data Collection Processes and Best Practices, Equity Considerations, and presents various Universal Screening Models for schools to choose from. By utilizing this Universal Screening Toolkit, schools can proactively identify risk among students, fostering a safer and more supportive learning environment for all.

Benefits:

  • Assess current risk/ Identify students at risk for poor outcomes as well as indicators of well-being and positive mental health

  • Identify students who may need monitoring or intervention (i.e., secondary or tertiary)

  • Identify concerns specific to certain grades or classrooms

  • Matching students and families to resources

  • Inform decisions about needed services

  • Allows for a snapshot view of student wellness

  • Asks the question

  • Safety planning

  • Can integrate into larger needs assessments

  • Assess the effectiveness of the universal social/emotional/behavioral curriculum

Important to Note:

  • May not be predictive of future risk

  • Relies on student self-report

  • Time and resource intensive

  • Should NOT be used as a data gathering strategy without action

  • Cultural considerations are important to center

Where School Universal Screenings have taken place in the State of Oregon.