"The application of the Zero Suicide Framework to youth suicide prevention in schools is brilliant! This book should be on every principal's book shelf."

Guy Diamond, Professor Emeritus, University of Pennsylvania

"This book is a must read for school personnel as it utilizes an innovative approach of integrating the Zero Suicide framework into all aspects of multi-tiered school systems. This book will help schools implement and develop programming to more effectively educate staff on suicide prevention strategies, identify youth of concern, care for those youth, and coordinate various systems of care to improve outcomes. The goal is zero suicides and this book is integral in providing strategies to go upstream to prevent future youth suicides and create lives worth living."

Terri Erbacher, School Psychologist, Erbacher Consulting Associates, PLLC

"Suicide prevention in schools requires a comprehensive approach that can’t be relegated to one person or team. The blending of multi-tiered systems of support, something with which schools are already familiar, with Zero Suicide provides the planning, leadership, and training with the preparedness to respond effectively to youth at risk. I especially like the information about re-entry to school after hospitalization, which provides practical guidance on how the school can best support the youth and their family. This book is a must read for all who support youth in schools, from superintendents to teachers to the counseling office, each of whom play an important role in suicide prevention."

Julie Goldstein Grumet, Suicide Prevention Strategy and Director, Zero Suicide Institute

"Stephen Sharp and Perri Rosen have created a crucial and comprehensive resource for school-based suicide prevention. This book is grounded in decades of research and practice, including an evidence-based and trauma-informed lens, has MTSS-alignment, and is rooted in culturally affirming practices rooted in relationships. It brings together recommendations across school, home, and community to address suicide prevention and intervention at the root. Thank you, Mr. Sharp and Dr. Rosen, for sharing your years of expertise and practice in this important book. It's a 'must read' for serving the K-12 youth of today."

Emily Goodman-Scott, PhD, LPC, NCC, NCSC, ACS, Director of the Holmes Scholars Program, Darden College of Education & Professional Studies, Department of Counseling and Human Services, Old Dominion University

“The authors' deep insight and unwavering dedication to student well-being are at the heart of this book’s mission—to empower and equip educators with the knowledge, tools, and strategies needed to foster safer, more supportive school environments. By drawing vital connections between historical safety reforms and the pressing need for comprehensive suicide prevention in schools, this framework not only highlights the urgency of the issue, but also provides clear, actionable steps for meaningful change. Through this work, the author paves the way for a future where every student is seen, supported, and given the opportunity to thrive—where no child is lost to suicide.”

Debra Paradowski, Administrator, Mukwonago High School, WI

"Lives Worth Living is a groundbreaking and essential resource for leaders and mental health professionals deeply committed to preventing suicide and fostering a culture of care. Rooted in compassion, lived experience, and systems change, this book offers more than a framework: It offers hope. With clarity and purpose, it challenges schools to treat suicide prevention as a life-saving responsibility and provides a powerful, evidence-informed roadmap to move beyond crisis response toward upstream, sustainable solutions. The Zero Suicide in Schools model has the power to transform school culture, protect lives, and ensure that no student is ever left behind."

Dr. Rebecca Pianta, Coordinator, College and Career Readiness, Santa Ana Unified School District, CA

“Suicide prevention is a must at every level of education, and this book explains how to do it based on MTSS, which most schools already have in place. But the underlying message of the book goes beyond suicide prevention, with the goal of helping students create Lives Worth Living, which is what every educator shows up at work to do every day. The lessons start in kindergarten on day one.”

Kim Watson, K-6 School Counselor, Constitution Elementary, Deer Valley Unified School District, AZ

"Lives Worth Living: Zero Suicide in Schools is a compelling and necessary call to action for school systems facing the ongoing realities of youth suicide and mental health challenges. Grounded in both research and humanity, this book exposes the limitations of current systems and offers a practical, hopeful roadmap for change. With clear strategies to strengthen protective factors, build cross-system collaboration, and prioritize compassionate, data-informed interventions; it empowers every educator, leader, and mental health professional committed to student well-being to take its call to action seriously."

Dr. Haley Wikoff, Assistant Professor, Western Illinois University