Suicide has touched every life in our county in some way, whether that be because of a close friend, family member, neighbor; or maybe even third-hand. The Cherokee County Suicide Prevention coalition is a group that spans across 18 organizations and also includes community members who have been directly impacted. There are over 40 diverse members involved in this movement towards change for our county.
While many have been impacted by the tragedy of suicide and the implications are wide-spread, there is still hope as individuals committed to making change come together regularly to strategically solve complex issues and remove barriers that stand in the way of accessing the necessary care that creates opportunities for healing and resilience.
The latest challenge that has been addressed by this coalition is the response and support that occurs pre and post suicide in the school setting. When a recent death by suicide occurred in the Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn-Remsen-Union (MMCRU) school districts, many great responses happened within the school system. However, it became evident that there were no true protocols on how to appropriately and respectfully handle death announcements, memorials, or funerals of those who have died while attending school within the district. Additionally, there was no guidance on what to do if there was a warning sign given by a student during or outside of school hours other than it was registered through school monitoring systems.
In response to this growing and urgent concern within the MMCRU school districts, the Cherokee County Suicide Prevention Coalition was quick to band together and act. It began with simple conversation between Cherokee County Public Health and the MMCRU administrative and counseling teams. Through the research conducted through this partnership, it was identified that there are no other schools in Northwest Iowa currently with a formal procedure on matters related to a student death within the district. This began the work of the greater coalition to dive into outlining a procedure that would give guidance on an evidence-based response of how to move forward with more clarity. It would also create an environment where suicide contagion is minimized. A suicide contagion is when learning about a suicide—through friends, family, school, work, or the media—leads to an increase in suicidal thoughts or behaviors in other people. Together with the MMCRU team, Cherokee County Public Health, Plains Area Mental Health, and local Law Enforcement an updated Crisis Manual was drafted. The proposed modifications included:
Plans for how to respond to a suicide or self-harm threat within and outside of school hours to include the mobile crisis response team along with local law enforcement as needed.
Updated recommendations on allowable memorial activities which includes; not selling items with an individuals name through school programs or on school property but instead directing these type of memorials towards a larger cause such as suicide or drunk driving prevention and memorials on school grounds being temporary and removeable.
Revised guidance on funeral attendance, emphasizing school staying in session if possible but still allowing students to attend the funeral with parental permission along with a desire for funerals not to be held in the school building.
● Structured and templated messaging for school administration to utilize when making a death notification to the community along with outlines for how to proceed with hosting parent, student, and staff meetings.
These proposed modifications to the MMCRU Crisis Manual were presented and approved unanimously by the MMC and RU School boards at the November 17, 2025, school board meeting.
“It is our hope that these procedural updates will ultimately provide protective factors for those more removed from the situation, reduce especially risky suicide contagion opportunities, and improve clarity and direction for all staff when a high stress crisis occurs within the district”, says Superintendent Dan Barkel.
It is important to note that the gaps that were displayed through the most recent crisis response at MMCRU are not unique to this district. They are challenges that schools face every time a critical incident occurs in their district, which is why planning and preparedness are essential to appropriate responses. The collaborative effort to address this issue demonstrates the Cherokee County Suicide Prevention Coalition’s strong commitment to improving outcomes for students and families in our community. Procedural changes are an essential foundation for creating meaningful, system-wide impact. We are hopeful that this progress will set the stage for broader change across Northwest Iowa, beginning with other schools in our own county, and ultimately strengthening response efforts and improving outcomes for all.
If you would like more information about the Cherokee County Suicide Prevention Coalition please contact Cherokee County Public Health at 712.225.2129.