It is critical that schools recognize the importance of their students’ emotional well-being and make suicide prevention a priority. Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among college students alone. It will take a collective effort to reduce these numbers and enhance the health and well-being of our young people. Below, you’ll find resources that can help you learn how to promote the mental health and emotional well-being of your students and take action to save lives.
THE JED FOUNDATION
As the nation’s leading organization working to promote emotional health and prevent suicide among college students, The Jed Foundation is protecting the mental health of students across the country. They provide a comprehensive list of programs and tools for schools and campus professionals.
JED AND CLINTON HEALTH MATTERS CAMPUS PROGRAM
This is a voluntary program that helps colleges explore and enhance their emotional health and suicide prevention programming by providing a confidential assessment and recommendations regarding their mental health programming. Schools with comprehensive programming in place will receive a Jed and Clinton Health Matters Campus Program Seal, recognizing the institution’s commitment to the emotional well-being of students.
INTERACTIVE SCREENING PROGRAM
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s signature prevention program, the Interactive Screening Program (ISP) is a web-based method for anonymously connecting people at risk for suicide to a counselor who provides information and support for help-seeking.Bring the ISP to your college or university.
*The Jordan Porco Foundation provided funding to the AFSP to design a mobile platform for the ISP. Since the launch of the mobile platform in Fall 2012, the ISP has connected thousands of people at-risk to a mental health professional.
AFTER A SUICIDE: A TOOLKIT FOR SCHOOLS
“In collaboration with the Suicide Prevention Resource Center, AFSP offers After a Suicide: A Toolkit for Schools to help schools respond in the aftermath of a suicide death.
This newly revised resource (2018) provides information for school administrators and other school staff who wish to implement a coordinated response to the suicide. The toolkit provides information on how best to communicate and support the school community and manage the crisis response. Also found in the toolkit is information on helping students cope, communicating with parents, working with the community, and engaging external resources for support.
While designed primarily for school personnel, the toolkit also contains useful guidance for parents and communities.”
QPR TRAINING
QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer: 3 simple steps that anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. This 1 hour suicide gatekeeper training can be made available to anyone, including students, staff, and teachers and faculty members.
SCHOOL SUICIDE PREVENTION ACCREDITATION PROGRAM
Who is the Suicide Prevention Specialist in your school? Don’t have one? This program of the American Association of Suicidology is for school psychologists, social workers, counselors, nurses, and all others dedicated to or responsible for reducing the incidence of suicide and suicidal behaviors among today’s school-age youth.
www.suicidology.org/web/guest/certification-programs/school-professionals
Preventing Suicide: A Toolkit for High Schools
This high school toolkit is arecently-released document from SAMHSA, providing a comprehensiveoverview on how to prevent and respond to suicides in a school setting.
The Independent School Health Check
A 45-minute, 105-question survey answered by students on school computers that creates a comprehensive report of student behavior, emphasizing factors that protect and factors that pose a risk. It is the only comprehensive health survey that provides you with comparative data from over 50,000 students in other independent schools, as well as state and national results acquired by the Youth Risk Behavior Survey.
SUICIDE PREVENTION RESOURCE CENTER
This online learning lab consists of different modules that can assist colleges and universities with setting goals, planning, and implementing effective suicide prevention programs and trainings. Each module consists of step-by-step guidance, activities, worksheets, and examples to help campuses move forward, overcome challenges, and prevent suicide at their institutions. Learn more, here.
MENTAL HEALTH GLOBAL NETWORK
Mental Health Global Network provides mental health educational courses with the mission to help others prioritize mental health on the same level as physical health. Our most noted service is an annual certification course called “Mental Health Intervention Training,” to corporate spaces, universities, and organizations. The course teaches participants how to identify mental health issues, assist in a crisis, recognize the warning signs of sucide and help a suicidal person, connect individuals to treatment, and learn to utilize self help and coping strategies. It’s like CPR, but for mental health! This evidence informed course is a bystander intervention training where participants learn to assist and keep a person in a crisis safe until professional help arrives. Self help tools taught in the course will leave participants better equipped to cope with their own mental health issues. Check out our website for other services and products, such as our Mental Health First Aid Kit! www.mhgn.org
