Youth/SChools Subcommittee

Engaging Youth Voices

• SPEAK UP Cortland is looking for ways to engage local youth in suicide prevention efforts. Important considerations as we pursue this goal:

  • Providing youth and parents training ahead of these discussions so they’re prepared for these conversations.

  • Collaborating with each school to determine what works best for their students (ex: collaborating with a health teacher or other interest adult at the school)

  • Reaching out to the youth bureau to see if they have additional insight

The Model School District Policy on Suicide Prevention

• Created by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, this provides a thorough plan for school districts to implement suicide prevention policies in their community.

Click below to download the PDF.

Download Model School Policy

Click Here for a full Catalog of all AFSP Programs

Recommended Trainings for Teachers, Admin, and Staff

• Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)

  • ASIST is a two-day practice-dominated course to help caregivers learn to recognize and review risk, and to intervene to prevent imminent risk of suicide. Fifteen contact hours are available for Social Workers, Licensed Mental Health Counselors, and Credentialed Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselors (CASACs).

• More Than Sad: Suicide Prevention Education for Teachers and Other School Personnel

  • A 2-hour program that teaches educators to recognize signs of mental health distress in students and refer them for help. This suicide prevention program complies with the requirements for teacher education training in many states. This program focuses on high school teachers and other school personnel.

• Suicide Alertness For Everyone-Tell Ask Listen Keepsafe (SafeTALK)

  • SafeTALK is a half-day alertness training that prepares anyone 15 or older, regardless of prior experience or training, to recognize warning signs, effectively communicate with individuals who are thinking about suicide, and connect them with life-saving intervention resources. Three contact hours are available for Social Workers, Licensed Mental Health Counselors, and Credentialed Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselors (CASACs).

• Suicide Safety for Teachers and School Staff

  • This 60 to 90-minute training is designed to meet the basic needs of school administration, faculty, and staff. Emphasis is on recognizing warning signs, clarifying the referral process in place at school, and making a warm handoff.

• Talk Saves Lives by AFSP

  • Talk Saves Lives: An Introduction to Suicide Prevention is a community-based presentation that covers the general scope of suicide, the research on prevention, and what people can do to fight suicide. The training last approximately one hour.

Trainings/Education for Students

• Gizmo 4 Mental Health

  • Gizmo’s Pawesome Guide to Mental Health Guide takes an upstream approach to support the mental health and wellness of youth.

• More Than Sad: Teen Depression

  • A 75-minute program that teaches teens to recognize the signs of depression in themselves and others; challenges existing stigma surrounding depression; and demystifies the treatment process. This program focuses on high school students.

• It’s Real: Teens and Mental Health

  • Intended for high school classes or community settings with groups of teens, ages from 14 to 18, It’s Real: Teens and Mental Health is a 45-minute program that provides young people with mental health education and resources.