SMYRNA — Starting this fall, several Delaware schools will launch a new, comprehensive School Safety and Wellness Suite that will alert administrations of serious situations while providing students with resources to prevent situations from escalating.
“In an emergency, the timeliness of help is critical. I’m excited this platform will make it easier and faster to access wellness resources and reach immediate support in a crisis,” Secretary of Education Mark Holodick said.
Part of the program is SAFE DE, an anonymous reporting app that includes crisis texting, mental health education and other resources. Available to all public and charter schools, SAFE DE enables students to communicate directly with a help center and school officials in times of need, including direct access to a “Crisis Text Line.”
The goal is to improve school safety by helping identify and intervene with those at risk of harming themselves or others. Students can come forward to voice a concern or ask for help for themselves or a friend in need without the stress of having to self-identify.
An additional part of the suite utilizes threat and suicide risk assessment models, accompanied with staff training. The state’s Comprehensive School Safety Program has chosen evidence-based models to provide students and staff with the same standardized process throughout the entire state.
The third component is a case management system that stores and tracks critical information as a student proceeds in their education. The goal is to ensure that no student fails to get the care and services they may need.
Of Delaware’s 19 school districts and charter schools, more than 83,000 students have onboarded as part of the implementation of the new program.
