UMatter Schools Youth Suicide Prevention

CEUs: Vermont Board of Psychological Examiners; Allied Board of Mental Health Marriage and Family Therapists and Mental Health Counselors 5.45 hours.

Even though suicide is rare, it is still the second leading cause of death for Vermont youth between the ages of 11 and 23. In many cases it is preventable – if adults know the warning signs and the steps they can take to get help for a young person. In addition, we know that positive mental health and the cultivation of youth assets along with good physical health all have a profound effect on student performance and the quality of life within the school community. For these reasons, Vermont law H.630 requires the inclusion of youth suicide prevention in the health education curriculum for middle and high school students.

This two-day training is designed so that you can prepare your school community to respond to the mental health needs of students and prevent suicide. Once adults know suicidal warning signs and how to help, they will be ready to teach suicide prevention lessons using the Lifelines curriculum, an evidence based program of four lessons appropriate for Middle and High School students.

In order to ensure success, plan to bring a team from your school with members who can fill the roles of Administrative Sponsor, School Liaison, Health Educator, and Community Liaison. Please see below for a description of these roles. Schools that participate will receive a $500 grant to help them collect data about the incidence of suicide, conduct parent educational sessions about suicide, or implement other aspects of suicide prevention.

Day one of this training will focus on the risk factors, warning signs, and incidence of youth suicide as well as how to identify and refer students who may be suicidal. Day two will consist of an administrative track focused on the development of school protocols. Bring either a paper or electronic copy of any suicide prevention protocols your school may already have and leave with updated protocols for your school that are 80% to 90% complete. A parallel track on day two will enable health educators to focus on learning to teach the Lifelines curriculum. Become familiar with the curriculum, practice teaching a lesson, examine supplementary materials, and make a plan for integrating Lifelines with your other health education classes.

Your team should bring two laptop computers.

OUTCOMES
After this two-day workshop you will be able to…
• Describe the social factors that perpetuate the stigma against seeking help for mental health conditions and suicide
• List the warning signs, risk factors, and protective factors that impact the incidence of suicidal behavior
• Demonstrate a four-step process for intervention when someone is suicidal
• Describe your role and responsibilities for reporting data about the incidence of suicide or attempted suicide at your school
• Restate the basic concepts that underpin current theories about why people choose suicide
• Write and revise protocols for your school to follow when there is a suicide or attempted suicide
• Facilitate a workshop about suicide prevention and awareness for staff and parents of your school community
• Integrate a four-lesson suicide prevention curriculum into existing health education classes

A SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT THE LIFELINES CURRICULUM
Made possible by a statewide, federally-funded youth suicide prevention initiative, the Lifelines curriculum teaches middle and high school students that suicide is preventable and caring adults are available to help. Designed to fit easily into health class programming and lesson plans, Lifelines emphasizes the facts about suicide and the student’s role in suicide prevention. Training materials include practical information for faculty and staff on identifying and referring students who might be at risk for suicide as well as a presentation for parents and staff who have questions about youth suicide prevention and who desire to become involved in the school’s prevention activities.

COST:
$70 per person for two days. In addition, there is a $150 charge per school for the Lifelines curriculum (This is a $75 savings over the published price.).
IMPORTANT: Please include your name and the course title in the memo section of your check or purchase order. Thank you.

REGISTRATION:
Please remember to indicate your role in the Umatter (Lifelines) Program by checking the appropriate box in the Pre-Assessment Question.

IMPORTANT NOTE: To maximize the success of suicide prevention at your school, you must create a team by identifying various individuals who will be key to implementing the Umatter Suicide Prevention Program. In some smaller schools, one person may fill more than one role. The team should include:

Administrative Sponsor – Principal, Assistant Principal or other administrator who follows through on your school’s commitment to implement the Lifelines curriculum and establish protocols and a memorandum of understanding between schools and community mental health professionals.

School Liaison – School Counselor or Nurse who acts as the contact person at your school for information and training on youth suicide prevention. This person also provides information to the Vermont Youth Suicide Prevention Coalition about suicide interventions or attempts in your community.

Health Educator – Health Teacher, Counselor, Nurse, or other educator who will teach the Lifelines curriculum to students.

Community Liaison – Counselor or Therapist associated with a mental health center in your area who will maintain communication between your school and other community professionals.