The immediate period following psychiatric hospitalization is marked by increased risk for suicide behavior and rehospitalization. Because adolescents commonly return to school settings following hospital discharge, school-related stressors and supports are important considerations for psychiatric treatment and discharge planning. The current study aimed to inform recommendations provided by hospitals to schools to improve school reintegration practices by employing a concurrent, mixed-methods design. Specifically, we: (1) surveyed school professionals ( n = 133) in schools varying in resource availability and populations in one southeastern state of the United States about supports and services provided to returning students; and (2) conducted in-depth interviews with a subset of these professionals ( n = 19) regarding their perceptions of the hospital to school transition for youth recovering from suicide-related crises. Findings from survey responses indicated that, compared to schools located in urban and suburban areas, schools in rural areas were less likely to have school reintegration protocols for returning students. More generally, however, available interventions and modifications were relatively consistent across rural and urban/suburban schools, schools serving high and low poverty communities, and schools with predominantly white and predominantly ethnic and racial minoritized student bodies. Key themes across interviews signify the importance of communication between stakeholders, the type of information used to develop re-entry plans, available school-based services for returning youth, and the need to mitigate stigma associated with mental health crises. Findings inform recommendations that can be provided by hospitals to schools to support adolescent recovery as they return to school following psychiatric hospitalization. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11126-021-09942-7.

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Background Suicide rates among adolescents increased over the past few decades. Following psychiatric hospitalization, many adolescents return to school, a context that can influence recovery. Families can play an integral role in supporting adolescents through the hospitalization and school reentry process; however, little research has focused on family experiences during adolescent school reentry. Grounded in ecological systems theory, the aim of the present study was to explore the experiences of caregivers whose children were hospitalized for suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) and provide recommendations for the school reentry process. Methods In‐depth interviews were conducted with caregivers (n = 19) whose adolescents returned to school following hospitalization for suicide‐related crises. Researchers analyzed the transcribed interviews using applied thematic analysis. Results Themes emerged regarding academic difficulties during hospitalization; breakdowns in communication between schools, families, and hospitals; logistical challenges during the school reentry planning process; and challenges navigating peer relationships and academics following school reentry. Implications and Conclusions Few reentry recommendations account for the specific challenges faced by families. Recommendations informed by caregiver experiences are needed to ensure that families can effectively support the recoveries of their children. This study presents caregiver‐informed recommendations to facilitate an improved reentry process for caregivers and adolescents.

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