Episode 148: Lives Worth Living with Steve Sharp and Perri Rosen

In this episode, I’m joined by Steve Sharp (a middle school counselor in Pennsylvania) and Dr. Perri Rosen (a nationally certified school psychologist and former special educator) to talk about their new book, Lives Worth Living: Applying the Zero Suicide Approach in Schools.

We have an honest, practical conversation about how suicide prevention in schools has often been treated as “crisis response only”—and why the work we do before a crisis (SEL, belonging, school climate, connection) is a critical part of prevention too.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

1. Why suicide prevention is often seen as “its own box” in schools—and how to broaden that mindset
2. What the Zero Suicide framework is and why it can be adapted for school systems
3. How SEL, belonging, and school climate function as real protective factors
4. What school counselors may need to unlearn about suicide prevention
5. Why “refer out and hope it resolves” isn’t the full picture—and how schools still play a role in recovery
6. Why re-entry and connection matter so much after a suicide-related crisis
7. How data and continuous improvement can strengthen a school-wide prevention system over time

“You don’t have to layer on all of these other things… it’s many of the things you’re already doing. It’s just making those connections.”
Key Takeaway:

Suicide prevention isn’t just a training or a risk assessment—it’s the systems we build, the connections we create, and the culture of belonging we protect, so students can truly live lives worth living.

If this episode encouraged you, I’d love for you to follow the podcast and leave a review—it helps other school counselors find support, resources, and reminders that they’re not alone in this work.

Resources Mentioned:

Lives Worth Living

Mentioned in this episode:

Perks Membership