1. health and fitness
2. addiction
3. substance abuse

NOW WE KNOW
HOW TO SAVE A LIFE
The Georgia Youth Suicide Prevention Plan
Developed in 2011 by The Georgia Suicide Prevention Coalition and The Georgia Department
of Behavioral Health and Development Disabilities, Suicide Prevention Program
We would like to thank the following groups for their contributions to this plan:
The State of Maine Department of Human Services, Bureau of Health, Division of Community
Health, Maine Injury and Youth Suicide Prevention Programs
The State of Oregon Department of Human Services, Health Division, Injury Prevention and
Epidemiology Program
The Cobb County Board of Education Injury and Prevention Center
The Johns Hopkins University Center for Injury Research and Policy
The Georgia Youth Suicide Prevention Plan
The long-term goal of the GYSPP is: To reduce the incidence of fatal and non-fatal suicidal
behavior among Georgians under the age of 21.
To attain this goal, a comprehensive and sustained approach is necessary. The twelve goals for
enhancing the GYSPP are in alignment with the Georgia Suicide Prevention Plan and the
National Strategy for Suicide Prevention:
Action Step: Awareness
GOAL 1: Increase public/private partnerships and coalitions dedicated to implementing
and sustaining the Georgia Youth Suicide Prevention Program.
GOAL 2: Increase public awareness and reduce stigma.
GOAL 3: Increase the number of Georgia schools and communities statewide that have
awareness, knowledge and interest in implementing effective youth suicide prevention
activities.
Action Step: Intervention
GOAL 4: Promote efforts to reduce access to lethal means of self-harm.
GOAL 5: Implement gatekeeper training for recognition of at-risk behavior and
appropriate response with a variety of audiences statewide.
GOAL 6: Improve access to and community linkages with affordable mental health,
substance abuse, and suicide prevention services.
GOAL 7: Develop and promote effective clinical and professional practices for working
with at-risk youth.
GOAL 8: Improve media reporting practices to reduce the potential of suicide contagion.
GOAL 9: Reduce harassment and bullying and increase tolerance in schools and
communities.
GOAL 10: Increase connectedness among youth and between youth and caring adults.
GOAL 11: Increase support for suicide survivors.
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Action Step: Methodology
GOAL 12: Improve the understanding of fatal and non-fatal suicidal behaviors among
Georgia youth through surveillance, research and evaluation.
Appendices
APPENDIX A: CDC-AAS MEDIA GUIDELINES
APPENDIX B: STATE AND LOCAL COMMUNITY DATA SOURCES
APPENDIX C: COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT
APPENDIX D: SCHOOL READINESS
APPENDIX E: PROJECT MANAGEMENT TOOLS
APPENDIX F: STATE AND NATIONAL RESOURCES
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The Georgia Youth Suicide Prevention Plan
GOAL 1: Increase public/private partnerships and coalitions dedicated to implementing and
sustaining the Georgia Youth Suicide Prevention Program.
OBJECTIVE
• Increase leadership, coordination and collaboration across disciplines and with public and
private stakeholders at the state, regional and community levels in order to enhance
support for, and implementation of, youth suicide prevention activities.
• Enhance collaborations and partnerships with groups and organizations that reach youth
populations at increased risk of suicidal behaviors.
• Annually, increase the number of youth-serving programs statewide, including statebased efforts, professional and voluntary organizations, and others, that integrate suicide
prevention and intervention activities into their programs.
RATIONALE AND EFFICACY
While several state agencies and private stakeholders are active in youth suicide prevention
efforts, improved collaboration and coordination is necessary to ensure that suicide is understood
as a statewide problem and that limited resources are used efficiently. The knowledge and
resources that each contributes has the potential to significantly enhance the prevention efforts of
individual agencies and the Georgia youth suicide prevention efforts. Consistent commitment
and enhanced collaboration among agencies will lead to increased integration of suicide
prevention efforts into each agency’s mandates, priorities and activities. Partnerships will help
establish momentum for the plan and will provide continuity over time, as well as legitimacy
through the involvement of key groups.
Some youth are at increased risk for suicidal behavior. Outreach to specific groups and
organizations that are in a unique position to assist high-risk youth is highly recommended.
Expanding partnerships is intended to increase awareness and extend the reach of suicide
prevention resources to high-risk youth. We suggest that collaborations be cultivated with these
specific groups, though this list is not exhaustive of all at-risk groups: faith communities,
providers and organizations serving lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgendered and questioning
(LGBT) youth, providers and organizations working with minority and immigrant populations
and agencies serving high risk youth.
Faith Communities
Faith communities offer support and guidance to their members and communities at large during
stressful times. Because of their unique position, faith leaders can also play an important role in
suicide prevention by de-stigmatizing mental illness, substance use problems, suicidal and other
related health risk behaviors. Preparation of members of the faith community in basic suicide
prevention knowledge and skills will increase the effectiveness of their response to persons at
risk of suicide and to the needs of survivors of suicide.
In particular, youth counselors and heads of youth ministries should have special training in
youth suicide prevention and adolescent mental health awareness.
Providers and Organizations Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgendered and
Questioning Youth (LGBTQ)
The evidence that LGBTQ youth disproportionately engage in suicidal behaviors is strong. The
public health, medical, and social science research literature is compelling in demonstrating an
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association between sexual orientation harassment and suicidal behaviors. According to the
Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC), a growing body of research concludes that LGBTQ
youth are six times more likely than heterosexual youth to contemplate and attempt suicide and
ten times more likely if they do not have family support. (REF)It is vital to reach out to sexual
minority youth with information and education by partnering with schools, health care providers
and other organizations serving these youth.
Providers and Organizations Working With Minority and Immigrant Populations
Recent studies have identified increasing rates of depression and suicidality in Latino and
African American youth. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the rates
of suicide for African American youth increased 233 percent in 10- to 14-year-olds from 1980 to
1995, while rates for whites rose by just 120 percent (NAMI, 2004). The nationally
representative Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), conducted by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, support the assertion that adolescents of Latino descent may be more
likely to suffer from prolonged periods of sadness.12 In the 2002 YRBS, Latino students-especially female Latino students--were more likely than African American and white students to
report feeling sad or hopeless, and to have attempted suicide. An analysis that combined the data
sets from the YRBS collected in 1991, 1993, 1995, and 1997 found that Asian American and
Pacific Islander youth are less likely than Latino adolescents to have attempted suicide in the
previous 12 months, but more likely than African American and white students to have done so.
Agencies Serving High Risk Youth
It is widely believed that from 60 percent to 90 percent of suicide victims meet the criteria for
some form of mental illness, most commonly severe depression or other mood disorders, and
anxiety or conduct disorders. These conditions often occur in combination with substance abuse.
According to the 2000 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, youths who reported use of
any illicit drug other than marijuana were three times more likely than youths who did not use
these substances to be at risk for suicide. Also at high risk are youth in the juvenile justice
system. Of the more than 11,000 incarcerated youth in the nation, over half suffer from
diagnosable, yet untreated mental illnesses. Within this group, more than 17,000 incidents of
suicidal behavior are recorded in juvenile facilities each year (SPRC). Efforts should be made to
engage agencies serving high risk youth.
Considering the known risk and protective factors for suicidal behaviors, a public health
approach implemented at multiple levels is necessary to prevent youth suicide. Violence
prevention depends upon the collaboration of government, business, civic, religious, and cultural
organizations. Georgia has many programs designed to build protective factors and/or address
various youth risk behaviors. These programs and systems help to reduce the possibility of
suicide. However, in order to identify and refer youth at risk for suicide, it is essential that
program staff, school personnel, peers, parents, service providers and others in local
communities who regularly interact with youth, acquire specific suicide prevention knowledge
and basic intervention skills. Though partnerships with schools, substance abuse prevention
programs, and mental health crisis agencies are expanding, a more systematic approach to
suicide prevention is needed within these and other agencies and systems. Connections must be
strengthened with the foster care system, correctional system, programs for youth in transition,
and programs for out of school youth.
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The Georgia Youth Suicide Prevention Plan
Agencies that support pregnant teens and new mothers should be trained in reducing child abuse
since it is a risk factor for suicidal behaviors and teen mothers have few resources and are at
increased risk of abusing their children.
Many programs attempt to address multiple issues simultaneously, but may not have considered
or included suicide prevention among them. As some risk factors place youth at risk for more
than one problem at the same time, utilizing an intervention that impacts one or more risk or
protective factors provides an opportunity for change in more than one identified problem. When
a program consciously integrates suicide prevention components (for example, encouraging
help-seeking for emotional distress), the program is likely to be even more effective overall in
reducing occurrences of multiple health or social problems
IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATIONS
Potential partners may include:
• Public Health
• Pediatricians and other adolescent health care providers
• Child and adolescent health provider guild organizations
• Visiting nurses
• Mental Health (local clinics, Dept. of MH, community MH center)
• Education
• Law Enforcement and other first responders
• Survivors (suicide survivors or family members of persons completing a suicide)
• Parents
• Champions (citizen activist)
• Faith-Based and Community Groups
• Alcohol and other substance abuse
• Domestic Violence
• Child abuse prevention agencies
• Day care centers
• Crisis Intervention
• Aging
• Coroner/medical examiner
• Juvenile Justice
• Mental health consumers
• Citizen advocates (youth, parents, other)
• Schools
• Department of Family and Children’s Services
• Hospitals and other healthcare entities
• Local and state government
• Local media
IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES
• Have trainings in suicide prevention and mental health crisis intervention.
• Develop or join a local suicide prevention coalition.
GOAL 2: Increase public awareness and reduce stigma
“I feel that we should also get the message out to elementary and middle school students as well
because these thoughts can become prevalent even in younger children…So if we get the word
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out there early enough students can help each other and know the signs of a friend in distress” –
Georgia High School Student
OBJECTIVE
Increase public awareness that suicide is a preventable public health problem and develop and
implement strategies to reduce the stigma associated with being a consumer of behavioral health
services for families and youth in order to increase help-seeking behaviors.
RATIONALE AND EFFICACY
Many adolescents report that embarrassment, stigma, and fear are the main reasons they do not
seek help for their problems. Studies show also that most adolescents do not seek help for
suicidal ideation even when it is identified as the most pressing problem they are experiencing.
Wider public understanding of the science of the brain and behavior can reduce the stigma
associated with seeking help for behavioral health problems, and consequently may contribute to
reducing the risk of suicidal behavior.
A community-wide public education campaign can be an effective way to provide useful
information on these subjects to all citizens.
IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATIONS
Greater public awareness and knowledge about youth suicide prevention may expand the need
for mental health and crisis intervention services. Providers should anticipate this possibility with
contingency plans for managing the increased demand.
Public education campaigns about suicide prevention must be sustained efforts in order to
maintain a necessary level of awareness.
IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES
• Secure agreements from television broadcast stations to air public service
announcements.
• Work with local print media to publish feature articles on adolescent depression and
youth suicide prevention.
• Create, produce, and disseminate information through a variety of sources, including:
grocery bags, book marks, slides at movie theaters, milk cartons, and local public access
televised media.
• Disseminate informational flyers, brochures, and other materials to identified groups.
• Organize a community-wide Youth Suicide Prevention Week.
• Create, produce, and post informational posters in youth centers, health centers,
employee assistance offices, and other places with high visibility to the general public.
• Create and distribute wallet cards to youth in and out of school, parents, and the general
public that contain information about warning signs, how to help, and local /state/national
resources.
• Mental health literacy and suicide prevention as a regular part of the curriculum in health
classes in elementary schools, middle schools, high schools and colleges.
• Suicide prevention programs (including screening, gatekeeper training and mental health
promotion) in elementary schools, middle schools, high schools and colleges.
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The Georgia Youth Suicide Prevention Plan
GOAL 3: Increase the number of Georgia schools and communities statewide that have
awareness, knowledge and interest in implementing effective youth suicide prevention activities.
“The goals to reach out to the entire community are a great idea and really needs to be followed
through with. Also, I definitely feel that the word needs to get out more efficiently to younger
students and also parents.” – Georgia High School Student
OBJECTIVE
Teen suicide is a real and serious threat and no school is immune from it. With efforts to update
school crisis response plans comes the realization that a school-based suicide prevention program
is an essential component. Such a program formally recognizes the school’s commitment to the
prevention of adolescent suicide and increases the likelihood that proactive measures will be
taken. DBHDD has developed comprehensive suicide prevention recommendations as a
cornerstone of school-based suicide prevention efforts.
RATIONALE AND EFFICACY
Comprehensive approaches in school and community settings have proven effective in suicide
prevention. Through a grant from SAMHSA, DBHDD has worked with 8 high schools and 4
middle schools to implement and evaluate the comprehensive school-based suicide prevention
plan. Preliminary evaluation results have demonstrated the desired outcomes. The program is
ongoing in the project schools, and youth in need of intervention continue to be identified and
referred by school staff members and peers. Youth seek help from trusted adults at higher than
previous rates. Planning for the aftermath of a death by suicide (postvention) helps school staff to
meet the significant challenges of managing the school environment after a suicide and to more
effectively handle other crises.
IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATIONS
Program implementation requires support from all levels of school administration. The stigma
that exists around suicide and mental health may interfere with school willingness to implement
program recommendations.
Educational programs for youth will require sustained implementation and resources to keep
pace with new developments in the field of suicide prevention and to adjust for the attrition of
school personnel. Additionally, annual training will be required for each incoming class of
students.
IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES
• Advocate for mandatory teacher training in suicide prevention for your county.
• Administrative guidelines/protocols to guide effective responses to suicidal expressions
or behavior, including postvention following a suicide attempt or death (See Appendix F:
SCHOOL RESOURCES).
• Participation on a local suicide prevention coalition (See Goal 1 – Partnership and
Coalition Development).
• Development of a resource directory for mental health referrals.
• Educational programs for all faculty and staff in the school community to include suicide
information, indicators of at-risk students and response and referral protocols (See Goal 5
– Gatekeeper Training).
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•
•
•
Development of a program to enhance coping and social support, and increase helpseeking behaviors of youth in order to reduce conditions that give rise to suicide and
other risk-taking behaviors. (See Goal 10 – Peer Leadership Programs).
Support development of effective classroom behavior management activities to reduce
risk.
Encourage schools to provide outreach and education to parents/caretakers of their
students.
GOAL 4: Promote efforts to reduce access to lethal means of self-harm.
OBJECTIVE
Energize Georgians to restrict youth access to means of suicide by educating them about such
vital issues as:
• the link between lethal means in the home and completed suicide
• safe firearm storage (locked and stored separately from ammunition)
• the importance of removing lethal means (firearms, poisons, medications, alcohol, etc.)
from homes with a youth at high risk of suicidal behavior
RATIONALE AND EFFICACY
Increased public awareness of the role of firearms in youth suicides and knowledge about safe
firearm storage can save young lives. Here are some pertinent facts:
• Firearms are used in two-thirds of suicides in Georgia.
• 85% of youths who die by firearm suicide obtained the gun from a family member,
usually a parent.
• The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that parents of depressed or suicidal
adolescents remove firearms and ammunition from the home.
• Education on the restriction of access to lethal means is seen as one of the most
promising and economical strategies for preventing youth suicide.
• Removing or restricting access is an effective suicide prevention strategy that can
decrease suicide.
• Among parents whose children visit an emergency department for a mental health
assessment or treatment, those who receive injury prevention education from hospital
staff are significantly more likely to limit access to lethal means of self-harm than are
families who do not receive such education.
• Surveys of psychiatrists (HICRC, unpublished), emergency dept nurses (Grossman J,
2003), ED patients (McManus B, 1997), ED child psychiatrists (Giggie 2007) confirm
that few clinicians are asking and few feel prepared to broach the topic.
IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATIONS
The safety of Georgia’s young people is a serious concern both of gun owners and of those who
do not own guns. Messages on restricting access to means of suicide should be crafted
collaboratively by both groups to achieve community-wide support. Public education campaigns
aimed at preventing youth suicide should incorporate messages on reducing access to lethal
means of self harm as well.
IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES
• Distribute copies of Reducing the Risk, a pamphlet about the role of firearms in youth
suicide, safe storage, and firearm disposal available from the Georgia Department of
Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilites.
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The Georgia Youth Suicide Prevention Plan
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Conduct a public information campaign(s) designed to reduce the accessibility of lethal
means of self harm (including firearms) in the home.
Solicit help from community gun owners and sellers to support campaigns for safe
storage.
Conduct public forums for parents, guardians, and media on strategies for securing
weapons (gun boxes, trigger locks, etc.) and medications, particularly prescription drugs
and those stored in large quantities.
Train professionals and other adults who provide services to youth at risk for suicide
about firearm access issues. Georgia currently has Counseling on Access to Lethal Means
(CALM) training available through the Department of Behavioral Health and
Developmental Disabilities.
Increase the proportion of primary care and other health care providers who routinely
assess the presence of lethal means (including firearms, drugs, and poisons) in the home
and educate patients about actions to reduce risks.
Train health and mental health providers in all emergency rooms about the importance of
evaluating and talking with parents about access to lethal means
Conduct a local community assessment to determine the extent to which firearms and
other lethal means are stored safely in homes with children and adolescents.
GOAL 5: Implement gatekeeper training for recognition of at-risk behavior and appropriate
response with a variety of audiences statewide.
“I believe that teachers should be trained as gatekeepers…In order to train them you need to
advertise the training to them as something that will better them as a teacher/mentor to their
students. It needs to be presented as an opportunity to do something amazing in the lives of
students.” – Georgia High School Student
OBJECTIVE
Establish a network of adults in every community who can recognize and respond to youth
exhibiting signs of suicide risk and can assist them in getting professional help. Gatekeeper
training should be provided to adults who have regular contact with youth and their families.
This includes but is not limited to: health care professionals, mental health providers, substance
abuse counselors, law enforcement officers, juvenile corrections workers, protective service
workers, family planning staff, school/college personnel (nurses, social workers, psychologists,
counselors, teachers, athletic coaches, resident assistants, housing personnel, administrators),
clergy, youth ministers, peer helpers, crisis line workers, emergency room personnel, and others
who have significant contact with youth.
RATIONALE AND EFFICACY
Gatekeeper training for adults who work with youth builds their competence and confidence to:
• recognize risk factors associated with youth suicide
• identify at risk youth
• communicate with youth at risk for suicide
• make referrals to connect at-risk youth with skill-building and/or crisis intervention
services
• implement policies to guide interventions with at-risk youth (e.g., never leave a suicidal
youth alone)
• serve on a school/community prevention team and/or crisis response team
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Adults who are community gatekeepers interact with youth in a variety of school and community
settings. Once trained, they’re in a position to recognize youth at high risk of suicide and to
intervene with them.
IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATIONS
A number of gatekeeper training methodologies are commercially available. One train-thetrainer model currently in use in the Georgia is Question Persuade and Refer (QPR) for Suicide
Prevention.
Adult gatekeeper training should take place before youth training to ensure that the trained youth
gatekeeper will have adult support and follow-up when reaching out for help for themselves or
friends.
Gatekeepers - should receive ongoing supervision, debriefing, and training to help ensure that
suicide intervention activities do not increase the risk of suicidal behavior by
gatekeepers themselves.
IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES
• Identify community members who are already trained gatekeepers.
• Assess the need for additional gatekeepers.
• Utilize trained gatekeepers to provide youth suicide awareness education and serve on
local prevention/crisis response teams.
• Conduct training to increase the number of gatekeepers.
• Provide support and ongoing training for current gatekeepers and for those seeking to
become gatekeepers.
GOAL 6: Improve access to and community linkages with affordable mental health, substance
abuse, and suicide prevention services.
OBJECTIVE
Improve access to affordable behavioral health care for youth and young adults by:
• taking information and services (education, screening, treatment, consultation) to youth
in places where they gather (schools, youth centers, events, youth-serving agencies,
churches, athletics, shopping malls, etc)
• improving linkages and collaborative relationships between schools and community
providers of behavioral health services
• advocating for low-cost or no-cost services and more behavioral health treatment
insurance coverage
RATIONALE AND EFFICACY
Barriers to obtaining treatment for behavioral health conditions in adolescents include
availability, transportation, and cost – as well as the social stigma often associated with
behavioral health problems Access to treatment can be increased by providing affordable and
confidential services in schools, youth centers, shopping malls, churches, and other places in the
community frequented by youth. In addition, access may be facilitated by increasing parental
knowledge of mental health services assisting adolescents to initiate contact with a service
provider.
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There is ample evidence that many youth suffer from a mental, emotional, or behavioral
disorder, and many of them do not receive the care they need. Teens who abuse alcohol or drugs
are more likely to progress from suicidal ideation to suicide attempts. Mood disorders, conduct
disorder, and/or substance abuse are the conditions commonly linked to suicidal behaviors
among teenagers. Various therapies and medications have been shown to be effective in the
treatment of depression in children and adolescents. Increasing access to effective treatment
provides more opportunities for addressing the unmet behavioral health needs of children,
adolescents, and young adults.
IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATIONS
Implementation of other strategies in this plan, such as raising awareness and gatekeeper
education, are likely to increase the need for community behavioral health treatment resources. It
is important to anticipate this possibility so individuals with identified treatment needs can
access existing resources in a timely manner.
School and community providers should collaborate to coordinate delivery of behavioral health
care to youth and families.
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IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES
• Involve youth and families in planning improvements in access to care.
• Inform adolescents of their right to health care access and confidential health services
• Perform outreach to enroll adolescents eligible for Children’s Health Insurance Program
• Identify ways to decrease barriers and increase access to services and treatment.
• Create an outreach action plan for the delivery of behavioral health information and
services in places where young people gather.
• Conduct focus groups with youth and young adults to identify barriers to utilizing local
behavioral health services.
• Encourage development of telemedicine capabilities in rural areas with limited services.
GOAL 7: Develop and promote effective clinical and professional practices for working with atrisk youth.
OBJECTIVE
To ensure appropriate and effective identification and intervention for at risk individuals
including:
• Implementation of aftercare treatment programs for individuals who have exhibited
suicidal behavior
• Expansion of training and use of evidence based treatment models for persons with mood
and other associated disorders.
• Increasing the number of first responders and health professionals who receive best
practice training and support that addresses their own exposure to suicide
RATIONALE AND EFFICACY
Health care professionals, educators, and human service providers are in key positions to
identify, assess, intervene, and refer youth and young adults who are at risk of suicidal behavior.
Unfortunately, a number of studies indicate that many professionals are inadequately prepared in
these areas.
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Suicide prevention education programs for teachers increase their ability to recognize warning
signs for suicide, their knowledge of treatment resources and willingness to make a treatment
referral. Teachers who attended an in-service program on adolescent suicide, or who have
experience teaching about youth suicide, or who work on a school-based crisis intervention team
report a higher level of confidence in being able to recognize a student at risk for suicide
Suicide survivors, whether professional or personally connected to the victim, are at increased
risk of repeated trauma when exposed to further suicide. First responders who are routinely
exposed to suicide are likely to be in this position and yet are often conditioned to ignore their
own needs in responding to others. By supporting first responders with training that
acknowledges the increased stress they may experience and encouraging help-seeking for these
individuals, their effectiveness can be increased and burn-out can be reduced.
IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATIONS
Training for professional groups should be tailored to reflect the focus and service delivery
model of each profession. Champions in each discipline should be recruited to work within their
field to promote interest in and support for youth suicide prevention education.
Educational strategies for professionals and service providers will require sustained
implementation to keep pace with new developments in the field of suicide prevention and to
adjust for the attrition of personnel.
IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES
DBHDD currently offers training opportunities in the following areas:
Critical Issues Facing Special Needs and At-Risk Children and Youth: Annual Professional
Seminar Series: To provide individuals who work with special needs and at-risk children,
including professionals and family members, with an understanding of specific diagnoses and
their associated interventions. These may include pharmacological, behavioral and family
interventions. Each program will reference the risk of suicide in children with the particular
diagnosis being addressed and provide resources for suicide prevention. Each presentation will
include legal applications.
Suicide Prevention for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered and Questioning Youth:
Two trainings are available; a 90 min training that helps school personnel understand statistics,
risk factors and interventions that can be offered in school for LBGTQ youth and a 60 min
training on LGBTQ resources for mental health professionals.
Assessing and Managing Suicide Risk: This day-long training for mental health professionals
will teach participants competencies that are core to assessing and managing suicide risk and is a
collaboration of the American Association of Suicidology and the Suicide Prevention Resource
Center. The workshop is designed to meet the needs of care providers across the entire
professional spectrum. The course is equally useful whether you are a psychiatrist, a licensed
counselor, a social worker, a psychiatric nurse, an employee assistance professional-literally any
practicing behavioral health specialist.
Working with Those Bereaved by Suicide in the Professional Setting: Postvention
Strategies: This training will provide mental health professionals and other professionals who
work with people bereaved by suicide with an overview on how to work with “suicide survivors”
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in the professional setting. The training will also help participants understand common
experiences of those affected by the suicide death of a loved one (adult and youth suicide
survivors) and to identify effective strategies for working with survivors in professional settings
as well as overall postvention strategies for community intervention. The impact of suicide on
clinicians and other professionals will also be discussed.
Mental Health First Aid: An interactive 12 hour course that presents an overview of mental
illness and substance abuse disorders including depression, anxiety disorders, psychosis and
eating disorders in order to help individuals assist someone experiencing a mental health crisis. It
introduces participants to risk factors and warning signs, builds understanding of the impact of
mental illness and overviews common treatments. Mental Health First Aiders learn a 5-step
action plan encompassing the skills, resources and knowledge to help an individual in crisis
connect with appropriate professional, peer, social and self-help care.
Additional information about these programs can be found on the DBHDD website listed in
Appendix F.
GOAL 8: Improve media reporting practices to reduce the potential of suicide contagion.
OBJECTIVE
Reduce suicide contagion through communications media by providing editors with guidelines
for reporting youth suicide and suicide prevention resource information.
RATIONALE AND EFFICACY
There is persuasive evidence that outbreaks of suicide - i.e.,”suicide contagion” - occur, and
adolescents and young adults are particularly vulnerable. Studies show that mass media coverage
of the suicide of a youth can influence others to engage in suicidal behavior. The more networks
carry a story about suicide, the greater the increase in suicides thereafter. The manner of
reporting a suicide may increase or decrease the possibility of contagion. Media guidelines
recommend that excessive reporting of suicide, how-to descriptions, glorification of persons who
complete suicide, and simplistic explanations be avoided. When suicide is reported, prevention
information and community resources should also be provided. (See Appendix A)
IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATIONS
On an issue as sensitive as youth suicide, it is important that communities work with the media to
achieve a balance between the mission of the news media and the need for responsible coverage.
Media guidelines should be regularly updated, repeated, and reinforced to reflect new
developments in suicide reporting and to ensure that both new and experienced editors stay
informed.
IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES
• Collaborate with media representatives in developing youth suicide reporting guidelines
using the media guidelines recommended by the American Foundation for Suicide
Prevention (AFSP) as a model.
• Provide guidelines to local media personnel in a position to report youth suicide.
• Provide the guidelines to key partners in youth suicide prevention, such as mental health
professionals, community leaders, survivors, and gatekeepers.
• Present/distribute guidelines at media association meetings.
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•
Identify someone to collect and analyze local news articles, television/radio news
coverage, and other media on how youth suicide is reported and whether reports include
crisis lines and other local/ state/national resources for help.
GOAL 9: Reduce harassment and bullying and increase tolerance in schools and communities.
“No student -no matter the age-wants to listen to an adult tell them what to do, especially not to
bully…it’s just how we are. Therefore, if you want to inspire students USE OTHER STUDENTS”
– Georgia High School Student
OBJECTIVE
Reduce harassment in schools and communities through the creation and implementation of
inclusive anti-harassment school policies, staff training, and school curricula.
RATIONALE AND EFFICACY
Students must feel safe in school and other learning environments if they are to achieve their
maximum potential. Lack of physical and emotional safety can result in negative educational
outcomes linked to risk behaviors including suicide and school violence.
Students may be marginalized for a wide variety of reasons, including physical characteristics,
disability, medical conditions, religion, gender, race, ethnic/cultural identity, sexual orientation,
and gender identity.
Studies have established a link between victimization at school with an elevated risk of suicidal
ideation and behavior in adolescents.
• 40% of Georgia 6th graders responding to the 2009 Student Health Survey reported being
picked-on at school during the previous month.
• 25% of Georgia high school students responding to the 2009 Student Health Survey
reported not feeling safe at school.
After depressed mood, the greatest correlation to suicide risk is being a victim of sexual
harassment and abuse.
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IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATIONS
Communities differ in the extent to which they accept individual and group differences and
schools tend to reflect the attitudes of the community. It is important to work with all aspects of
the community in finding agreement about what constitutes safe and supportive learning
environments for all youth and young adults.
Staff training should clearly define inappropriate student behavior and empower staff to
intervene effectively.
Teaching tolerance is best done within the context of other risk and protective factors that affect
student health and safety.
Peers have the most influence in changing the climate of their schools and are essential partners.
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IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES
• Assess school district policy with regard to non-discrimination, student protection from
harassment and violence, user-friendly grievance procedures, and the existence of clearly
stated consequences that are consistently enforced.
• Work with school boards and school districts to identify gaps and address needs in school
policy language and enforcement to increase safety in school learning environments.
• Utilize local YRBS data or other student survey information to assess needs and
implement action plans to address needs.
• Train school staff to identify harassing behavior and effectively intervene.
• Train school staff to teach tolerance.
• Implement tolerance education in classroom curricula.
• Assist schools, particularly elementary and middle schools, where bullying is most
frequent, to identify and implement multiple effective and evidence based bullying
prevention programs.
GOAL 10: Increase connectedness among youth and between youth and caring adults.
“A huge part of growing up is having people to look up to. Some kids don’t have anyone to look
up to at home or at school.”
OBJECTIVE
Enhance coping and social support, and increase help-seeking behaviors of youth in order to
reduce conditions that give rise to suicide and other risk-taking behaviors.
RATIONALE AND EFFICACY
Studies have shown that gatekeeper training for school staff is not enough to significantly reduce
youth suicide because:
•
Increased knowledge is not sufficient for most adults to increase suicide identification
behaviors (Wyman and colleagues 2008)
•
Students at highest risk of suicide are the least likely to communicate to adults at school
about problems
o 30% of 10th graders in Georgia responding the 2009 Student Health Survey report
that they can not name an adult at school they can talk with if they or a friend
need help.
•
In most teen suicides the peer group knows about warning signs, but don’t tell adults and
try to handle suicide situations by themselves, often very poorly
IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATIONS
Educational programs for youth will require sustained implementation and resources to keep
pace with new developments in the field of suicide prevention and to adjust for the attrition of
school personnel. Additionally, annual training will be required for each incoming class of
students.
IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES
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•
Establish school or organization wide comprehensive wellness programs such as Sources
of Strength that uses the combined power of peer and caring adult relationships to
improve social norms, enhance coping and social support, and increase help-seeking
behaviors in order to reduce conditions that give rise to suicide and other risk-taking
behaviors.
In the Sources of Strength program, trained teams of adult advisors and a diverse group
of peer leaders attempt to impact their local teen and young adult cultures through
conversations within their friendship groups and by delivering a series of “Hope, Help,
and Strength” messages via classroom presentations, public service announcements,
posters, videos, the internet, and text messaging. The program is strength-based and
promotes eight critical protective factors that are linked to overall psychological wellness
and reduced suicide risk.
Program implementation follows six phases: (1) engage key local stakeholders, (2)
identify and train a small team of adult advisors that will mentor the peer leader team, (3)
review and update suicide intervention protocol for the school or agency, (4) train school
staff or other adult staff on Sources of Strength core elements, (5) recruit and train a team
of diverse peer leaders with local adult advisors, and (6) the peer team engages in a twoto-four month team action step process.
GOAL 11: Increase support for suicide survivors.
OBJECTIVE
Foster the development of bereavement support groups for youth and adult survivors of suicide
(those who have lost someone by suicide).
RATIONALE AND EFFICACY
Each year, close to 1000 Georgians die by suicide. It has been estimated that six to eight people
are directly affected by each suicide death, suggesting that at least 6,000 Georgians each year
face the emotional pain of losing a loved one or friend to suicide. A survivor’s own risk of
suicide can increase as a result of cultural taboos and stigmatization, leading to criticism or
condemnation of the survivor, social isolation, and loss of social support. Young people who
have lost a friend or acquaintance to suicide may be at increased risk of depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and suicidal ideation and behavior.
Social support should be provided for these potentially bereaved and depressed youth.
IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATIONS
The stigma often associated with suicide inhibits some survivors from risking public visibility;
care should be taken in outreach efforts to protect their privacy. Collaboration with established
survivor networks and/or local survivor leadership is recommended.
Suicide survivors
Bereaved youth and their families may need crisis intervention services, individual counseling,
or participation in a peer support group or community-based bereavement support group. Parents
of and adults working with bereaved youth should be knowledgeable about local services and
should assist youth in getting the support they need.
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IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES
• Conduct outreach to suicide survivors and invite them to participate in implementing
suicide prevention strategies.
• Assist survivors in organizing local bereavement support networks.
• Assist survivors in connecting with state, regional, and national organizations working to
support survivor advocacy in preventing suicide.
• Support efforts to create community and regional events that increase survivor
networking and involvement in suicide prevention activities.
• Use evidence based practices in schools to support grieving students.
GOAL 12: Improve the understanding of fatal and non-fatal suicidal behaviors among Georgia
youth through surveillance, research and evaluation
Surveillance – It is necessary to work with epidemiologists at public agencies to track suicidal
behaviors in children and adolescents with input from multiple sources (emergency rooms,
hospitals, child fatality review boards, coroners, etc.)
The Georgia Board of Regents and private college and university administrators should work
with the state suicide prevention program to track suicides and attempts in their schools.
Research – Institutes of higher education should partner with state agencies to increase the
research being done in the area of suicide prevention.
Evaluation - Evaluation is critical in determining what components of a project or plan are
working correctly and which ones are not. It provides information on how and why particular
program components are performing the way they are, and if a project it successful, evaluation
can determine which program components are responsible for that success (the same can apply to
program components that are holding a project back).
Program evaluation also provides the information used in developing strategies to improve
program components.
There are three primary types of program evaluation: Process, Impact and Outcome.
Process evaluation is designed to document the degree to which program procedures were
conducted according to a written program plan. It answers the question, “How much of the
intervention was provided, to whom, when, and by whom?” In clinical terms, process evaluation
can be called a quality assurance review (QAR). A possible process evaluation question for the
purposes of youth suicide prevention might be: “Did suicide prevention training participants
attend all of the required sessions, and were all of the objectives in each training session
covered?”
Impact evaluation (often called summative evaluation) is used to measure short term impacts of
program components. The primary domains measured here are changes in knowledge, attitude
and behavioral intentions among the targeted population. A possible impact evaluation question
could be “As a result of our program, do the participants have a greater knowledge of the
warning signs of suicide in youth?”
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The Georgia Youth Suicide Prevention Plan
Outcome evaluation is designed to assess the effectiveness of an intervention in producing longterm changes. A possible outcome evaluation question could be “Are local mental health
providers seeing an increase in the number of adolescent clients?” or “Have the rates of suicides
and suicide attempts gone down?” Outcome evaluation typically takes several years to conduct,
particularly in the area of youth suicide due to the fact that any one particular location may have
a very sporadic suicide completion rate to begin with. Nevertheless, a solid system of data
collection can provide this data, and can provide it on the county and state level, allowing
comparisons between rural and urban settings, gender, age, etc.
Finally, a logic model evaluation plan helps to put an entire program or plan into perspective. It
categorizes each program component according to the type of evaluation (process, impact, or
outcome) that is used to measure its completion, and then connects them according to how they
effect other components (i.e. if one component needs to be completed before another one can be
addressed). This helps to identify exactly which program components are affecting which
outcomes, and it helps to identify the status of components in terms of progress toward
completion.
It is helpful to think of a logic model like a road map that helps one identify where he/she is in
terms of reaching an end point, and which roads will lead to which outcomes.
APPENDIX A: AFSP MEDIA GUIDELINES
The Role of the Media in Preventing Suicide
Between 1984 and 1987, journalists in Vienna covered the deaths of individuals who jumped in
front of trains in the subway system. The coverage was extensive and dramatic. In 1987, a
campaign alerted reporters to the possible negative effects of such reporting, and suggested
alternate strategies for coverage. In the first six months after the campaign began, subway
suicides and non-fatal attempts dropped by more than 80 percent. The total number of suicides
in Vienna declined as well. (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Association
of Suicidology, & Annenberg Public Policy Center, 2001)
The Role of the Media in Preventing Suicide
In a perfect world, the media’s role of reporting the truth and its job of serving the public good
would not conflict. In the real world, however, these two roles can clash—and one of the areas in
which this clash occurs is the media’s reporting on suicide. The suicide of an “ordinary” person
can become news in his or her own community, and the suicide of a prominent person or
celebrity can become national, and even international, news. For better or worse, violent deaths
are always news—and the drama of death by a person’s own hand adds to the public interest in
such incidents.
Unfortunately, the very service of reporting a suicide can encourage some people to attempt
suicide themselves. A task force commissioned to create recommendations for the media about
reporting suicide concluded that the research on suicide has established that suicides can increase
with media attention to suicide (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American
Association of Suicidology, & Annenberg Public Policy Center, 2001). While these suicides are
not caused by media attention itself, there is a danger that people who are depressed or who
perceive their personal problems as insurmountable may find in these reports a model of
resolving their problems. People who feel lonely or undervalued may crave the attention given to
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The Georgia Youth Suicide Prevention Plan
those who have killed themselves. This is especially true when the suicide victim featured in the
media is like them, for example, in age, ethnic background, race, and gender. Adolescents and
the elderly seem particularly susceptible to this type of “suicide contagion” (Schmidtke &
Shaller, 2000; Stack, 1991).
Fortunately, as shown in the Vienna example above, reporting on suicide can be accomplished in
ways that serve both the truth and the public health. There are steps the media can take to
minimize the possibility that its coverage of suicide will contribute to additional suicides. There
are also steps the media can take to proactively contribute to preventing suicide.
How the Media Can Help
There are several ways that the media can help prevent suicide.
Report Responsibly
Suicides and other forms of violent death are news. Your audience wants to know how and why
such tragedies occur, and you have a responsibility to provide them with this information. Yet
you also have a responsibility to minimize the effect that your report may have on other
vulnerable individuals. And you have an ethical obligation to the friends and families of the
deceased to minimize the emotional pain caused by media attention to the suicide.
Recommendations on reporting on suicide were developed by a consensus panel, including
representatives from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the Office of the Surgeon
General, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institute of Mental
Health, among others (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Association of
Suicidology, & Annenberg Public Policy Center, 2001). This panel recommended that the media
do the following:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Avoid romanticizing suicide, which can have a profound effect on at-risk teens.
Refrain from detailed descriptions of the method of death. While you may need to
provide a description of the cause of death, you should not provide a “how to” guide for
dying by suicide.
Do not portray suicide as an inexplicable act. Suicide has causes, even if these causes are
not immediately obvious.
Do not rely on immediate accounts of a suicide from shocked and grieving friends and
relatives (such as statements that there were no warnings before the act).
Be aware of the implications of language about suicide. For example, avoid using the
term “failed suicide attempt,” as it implies that a person who has survived such an
attempt is a failure.
Do not let the glamour of celebrity suicides obscure the reality of the act. A celebrity’s
suicide should be reported as a tragedy, not as a model for others.
Information on how you can obtain these recommendations, supporting materials, and other
recommendations for the media can be found under Resources, below.
Report Proactively on Suicide Prevention
Suicide, like cancer, HIV, and avian flu, is a public health problem. And, as with many public
health problems, suicide is preventable. The media can play a valuable role in preventing suicide.
The media can demystify suicide, assist people at risk in making informed decisions about how
they can help themselves, and assist both laypeople and professionals in identifying and helping
people who may be at risk of suicide. A high-profile suicide can provide an opportunity for
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The Georgia Youth Suicide Prevention Plan
public education on suicide prevention, just as a high-profile automobile collision can provide an
opportunity to educate the public about the importance of safety belts.
But why wait? Every year, more than 30,000 Americans take their own lives. Almost a quartermillion Americans are treated at hospitals after suicide attempts. Responsible and informed
media attention to suicide can contribute to reducing this toll, just as informed media attention is
currently helping people prevent cancer by eating healthy foods, prevent heart disease by
exercising and not smoking, and prevent motor vehicle-related injuries by using seat belts.
Keep Abreast of the Research
Inaccurate information abounds. For example, a study by the Annenberg Public Policy Center
found that two-thirds of the end-of-the-year newspaper stories about suicide reported incorrectly
that suicides increase during the holiday period (Romer, Jamieson, Holtschlag, Mebrathu, &
Jamieson, 2003). Friends and family of people who have died by suicide, local law enforcement
and medical personnel, and even therapists and psychologists may not be familiar with the
research on suicide and suicide prevention—particularly how their words and views can affect
those at risk.
Whether you are reporting on a suicide or proactively reporting on suicide prevention, accurate
information is essential. There is a wealth of research on suicide and suicide prevention
available—much of it current and available online. Informed suicide prevention practitioners are
also available in many areas. These experts can always be useful and provide an important
context to any coverage of suicide.
Recognizing and Responding to the Warning Signs
On November 15, 2004, Mohamed Alanssi, a Virginia resident who worked as an FBI informant,
set himself on fire in front of the White House. In the weeks prior to his suicide attempt, Mr.
Alanssi had given a series of interviews to a newspaper reporter in which he revealed he was
despondent because he was not allowed to visit his family in Yemeni. The reporter said that he
also had talked about suicide, but that she had not taken this threat seriously until he called her
just prior to setting himself ablaze (Block, 2004).
Journalists may find themselves speaking with people at risk of suicide. The question of when a
reporter should intervene is a difficult one, especially since it is difficult for even trained
clinicians to accurately assess an individual’s risk of suicide. Still, most reporters would take
action if they believed they could stop a murder. These same criteria should apply to situations in
which reporters believe they could stop a suicide.
You should be especially alert for imminent warning signs that a person may be in danger of
suicide, for example:
•
•
•
•
Talking about suicide or death
Giving direct verbal cues, such as “I wish I were dead” and “I’m going to end it all”
Giving less direct verbal cues, such as “What’s the point of living?”, “Soon you won’t
have to worry about me,” and “Who cares if I’m dead, anyway?”
Expressing the belief that life is meaningless or hopeless
These signs are especially critical if the person has a history or current diagnosis of a psychiatric
disorder or serious psychological problems, is abusing alcohol or other drugs, has attempted
suicide in the past, or has had a suicide in his or her family. Young people who have experienced
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the suicide (or violent or sudden death) of a friend, peer, or celebrity role model should also be
taken very seriously if they display warning signs of suicide.
In a sense, responding to these warning signs is easier for people with an active, ongoing, and
concerned role in a person’s life (like parents, friends, teachers, or physicians) than it is for
reporters, who have been trained to stay objective. However, when reporters note warning signs
that a person they have been interviewing may be suicidal, they may have to involve themselves
until friends, family, or professionals can arrive.
If you have concerns that someone is in danger—in particular, imminent danger—you should
seek immediate assistance. If no help is available on-site, call an emergency hotline (such as
[800] 273-TALK or 911) to obtain assistance.
You should also:
•
•
Tell the person at risk why the call is important and have him or her talk with the crisis
worker
Stay with the person until assistance arrives
It may be useful to advocate with the media outlet that employs you for a policy on how to
handle potential suicides.
References
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Association of Suicidology, &
Annenberg Public Policy Center. (2001). Reporting on suicide: Recommendations for the media.
Retrieved March 21, 2005, from http://www.afsp.org/education/newrecommendations.htm
Block, M. (2004, November 16). Yemeni protestor claimed to be FBI informant [Radio series
episode]. In A. Silverman (Senior Producer), All Things Considered. Washington, DC: National
Public Radio. Retrieved March 21, 2005, from
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4173194
Etzersdorfer, E., & Sonneck, G. (1998). Preventing suicide by influencing mass-media reporting.
The Viennese experience, 1980–1996. Archives of Suicide Research, 4, 67–74.
Romer, D., Jamieson, P., Holtschlag, N. J., Mebrathu, H., & Jamieson, K. (2003). Suicide and
the media: Annenberg study finds that the print press inaccurately suggests suicides rise during
the holidays. Retrieved March 21, 2005, from
http://www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/07_adolescent_risk/suicide/dec14%20suicide%20r
eport.htm
Schmidtke, A., & Schaller, S. (2000). The role of mass media in suicide prevention. In
International handbook of suicide and attempted suicide. (pp. 675–697). Chichester, UK: John
Wiley and Sons.
Sonneck, G., Etzersdorfer, E., & Nagel-Kuess, S. (1994). Imitative suicide on the Viennese
subway. Social Science and Medicine, 38, 453–457.
Stack, S. (1991). Social correlates of suicide by age: Media impacts. In A. Leenaars
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(Ed.), Life span perspectives of suicide: Timelines in the suicide process (pp. 187–213). New
York: Plenum Press.
Resources for the Media
Reporting on Suicide: Recommendations for the Media
(http://www.afsp.org/education/recommendations/). This section of the American Foundation for
Suicide Prevention’s website includes the recommendations themselves as well as supporting
materials. Especially useful is a collection of recent news articles demonstrating both
problematic and responsible coverage of suicide.
Suicide and the Media (http://www.presswise.org.uk/display_page.php?id=166). A valuable
collection of resources from the PressWide Trust, a nonprofit organization located in the United
Kingdom concerned with journalism and ethics. The resources that can be found on this website
include:
•
•
•
•
a review of the research on the impact of the media and journalism on suicide
guidelines for reporting on suicide
a suicide reporting awareness training program for journalists
several articles and case studies on the media’s coverage of suicide and its consequences
Suicide Contagion and the Reporting of Suicide: Recommendations from a National
Workshop (http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00031539.htm). Published in
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (April 22, 1994), 43(RR-6). These recommendations are
from a workshop convened by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to address
concerns about, and develop recommendations for, reducing the possibility of media-related
suicide contagion.
APPENDIX B: STATE AND LOCAL COMMUNITY DATA SOURCES
Data can assist in the selection and implementation of local suicide prevention activities and
assessment of their impact on local youth. Community-wide issues that impact the quality of life,
such as poverty, crime, discrimination, limited access to services, and isolation, are also
important considerations in planning for local suicide prevention efforts. The following data
sources provide information on morbidity, mortality, and risk and protective factors among
Georgia youth.
Websites
Georgia Department of Education Student Health Survey
(http://public.doe.k12.ga.us/sia_titleiv.aspx?folderID=35333&m=links&ft=Resources)
WISQARSTM (Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System)
(http://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/): an interactive database system that provides customized
reports of injury related data.
Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS)
(http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/yrbs/index.htm): monitors priority health-risk behaviors and
the prevalence of obesity and asthma among youth and young adults. The YRBSS includes a
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national school-based survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) and state, territorial, tribal, and district surveys conducted by state, territorial, and local
education and health agencies and tribal governments.
Georgia Violent Death Reporting System (GVDRS)
(http://health.state.ga.us/epi/cdiee/gvdrs.asp): Since 2002, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) has funded select states to collect information on violent deaths as part of the
National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS). Violent deaths include homicides, suicides,
accidental deaths from firearms, deaths related to terrorism, deaths from legal intervention, and
those of undetermined intent.
National Center for Suicide Prevention Training (http://training.sprc.org) NCSPT is a joint
project of the Harvard Injury Control Research Center and the Suicide Prevention Resource
Center. Our mission is to provide educational resources to help public officials, service
providers, and community-based coalitions develop effective suicide prevention programs
and policies. They have a training on Locating, Understanding and Presenting youth Suicide
Data.
OASIS (http://oasis.state.ga.us/oasis/index.aspx): OASIS is a suite of interactive tools used to
access the Georgia Department of Community Health, Division of Public Health's
standardized health data repository. OASIS and the Repository are designed, built and
maintained by the Office of Health Information and Policy (OHIP). The Mapping Tool, designed
by OHIP, is developed and maintained by the University of Georgia's Carl Vinson Institute of
Government, ITOS Division.
How to Use OASIS To Access Statistics About Suicide and Suicide Attempts
OASIS is a suite of interactive tools used to access the Georgia Department of Human
Resources, Division of Public Health's standardized health data repository. OASIS and the
Repository are designed, built and maintained by the Office of Health Information and Policy
(OHIP). The Mapping Tool, designed by OHIP, is developed and maintained by the University
of Georgia's Carl Vinson Institute of Government, ITOS Division. The website may be found
at http://oasis.state.ga.us You can access a great deal of data about suicide (mortality) and
suicide attempts (morbidity) on this website.
Indicators in each tool are selectable by a variety of population, disease, and survey
characteristics. Where applicable, you can choose data by age groups, race, ethnicity, sex
(person), census tract, county, health district, legislative district, state (place), and year (time).
All tables and maps pertain to place of residence, not occurrence. For instance, a person who
lived in Macon but died by suicide in Atlanta would be recorded in the statistics of Bibb County.
OASIS plays an integral role in program planning, which includes determining target population
areas, formulating financial plans, monitoring program effectiveness, program evaluation and
reporting program outcomes. Use OASIS cutting-edge data querying tools to:
•
•
•
Develop profiles and report cards for counties or districts,
Assess community health needs, prioritize health problems, and evaluate programs,
Assemble data for grant writing, health analysis, special projects or state legislative
reporting,
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•
•
•
•
•
•
Examine data by census tract to identify high risk populations, and allocate resources, or
Identify areas that contribute a disproportionate share of a health issue,
Target problem areas to analyze specific health problems and outcomes,
Create a basis for health communications or health advocacy,
Apply GIS to analyze varied environmental risks focused on disease process, economic
status and other environmental variables that influence health outcomes, and
Map several geographic areas to compare varied health outcomes.
Suicide death data on OASIS is from death certificate data. Suicide attempt date is from hospital
intake data.
OASIS has already played a vital role in developing profiles for public health districts that are
developing suicide prevention coalitions.
USING OASIS TO ACCESS DATA ON COMPLETED AND ATTEMPTED SUICIDES
1. Beginning on the OASIS Home Page http://oasis.state.ga.us go to OASIS Web Query
Tool, the first box on the left hand side of the screen and click on Mortality/Morbidity.
2. You will now be on the site of the OASIS MORTALITY/MORBIDITY WEB QUERY
TOOL. In this user-friendly tool, you choose which statistics to display in your data
tables. All rates are per 100,000 population. Multiple selections can be made for Year,
State/Counties, Race, and Age by holding down the Control or Shift keys and clicking on
each selection.
3. Go to the Measures box in the upper left of the page, click on the arrow, and click on
Mortality Measures in the drop down box. Another drop box will appear. Click on
Deaths and Death Rate or Deaths and Age-Adjusted Death Rate (preferable).
4. Go to the box beneath titled Age and click on the arrow to bring down the drop box.
Click on Detailed Age Groups. This gives you a wider selection of age groups from
which to choose. You can click on one age group or hold down the Control or Shift keys
to make multiple selections.
5. Move to the right to the Time box. The years from 1994 to the present appear on the
screen. Click on the year or the combination of years you want. Statisticians often use
three year clusters to stabilize the data in suicide prevention.
6. Move to the right to the Geography box. In the drop down box click on Public Health
Districts. The tables that are made with this choice will also contain statistics about each
county in the public health district. If you choose Georgia you will get all suicide death
statistics with no detail. Click on the public health district(s) for which you wish data.
7. Move down to the Cause box and click on the arrow to bring down the drop box. Click
on External Causes (the last entry). Another box will appear. Scroll down to Suicide
and highlight and click on Suicide.
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8. Move to the left to the Race, Ethnicity, and Sex boxes and make your choices.
9. Move to the right and click on the red GET DATA! Button. The default Display Results
gives you a table of the data you have requested. The Download Results button gives
you the data in file format. Download as Text File option will create a tab-delimited
ASCII text file which can be imported into any spreadsheet, word processing, database or
analysis software (Excel, Lotus123, Word, SPSS, etc).
To get data on suicide attempts follow steps 1-2. In step 3 go to the Measures box and click
on Morbidity in the drop down box and then highlight and click on Morbidity and Morbidity
Rate. Follow steps 4-9 in the directions above.
SUGGESTED CITATION
Online Analytical Statistical Information System (OASIS) Georgia Department of Human
Resources, Division of Public Health, Office of Health Information and Policy. <Date data
accessed> http://oasis.state.ga.us/
APPENDIX C: COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT
Communities are in the best position to assess local needs and resources, identify gaps, and make
decisions about suicide prevention activities. The following questions can be used to identify
local resources and to assess the gaps in services that should be addressed.
What public education has occurred in the community to increase awareness of youth suicide
warning signs, intervention approaches, and local resources for help?
Do youth and young adults in and out of school receive any suicide prevention education in
school and community settings? If so, when, where, what?
What percentage of community members understand the role of firearms in youth suicide?
What percentage of community members own firearms? What percentage of community
members store them safely?
Have all schools and school districts in the community created and implemented a safe schools
plan that protects students from harassment and violence through the establishment and
enforcement of school norms of tolerance and mutual respect?
Have the local media been educated about the appropriate reporting of suicide? If so, who, by
whom, when, what education?
Is training on suicide awareness, prevention, and intervention provided to educate professionals
who work with youth and families? If so, who, what, when?
How many community members are trained in youth suicide intervention skills (gatekeeper
training) and prepared to intervene with youth at high risk for suicidal behavior?
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Is there any kind of identification, screening, and referral of high-risk youth for suicidal ideation
or behavior? Where is this done? Who does the screening? What screening tools are used?
Where are the youth referred? What is the community’s capacity for serving referred youth
(hospitals, schools, mental health centers, private mental health practitioners, doctors, etc.)?
How do youth and young adults get information about access to the community 24-hour crisis
line? How is the crisis line accessed? What is the response time? hours of operation? gaps in
service?
Are crisis service providers in the community trained in suicide prevention? Are they integrated
into community-wide suicide prevention efforts? Do crisis services meet American Association
of Suicidology certification?
Does your community have a crisis response team with school and community professionals
that coordinates the utilization of local resources in response to youth suicide? If so, what is the
membership of this team?
46
Are individuals or groups working to increase access to behavioral health care services in your
community? If so, who are they? If not, who may be interested? Are schools and providers
linked?
Are there any skill building support groups available to identified high-risk youth in school and
community settings? If so, where, when, who supports?
Is there an organized network of survivors of suicide that provides support to those who lose a
loved one or friend to suicide? Who are the network representatives and how are they contacted?
Is your community aware of the sources of data on youth risk behaviors, suicide attempts, and
completions? Are these data used to understand and plan for reducing youth risk behaviors and
increasing protective factors?
How do local emergency rooms respond to youth suicide attempts? Are referrals made, and
what kind of follow-up is provided? Are ERs reporting attempts to Health Division?
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APPENDIX D: SCHOOL READINESS
Is Your School Prepared to Manage Suicidal Behavior?
Suicidal behavior (fatal and non-fatal) is one of the most traumatic occurrences with which
school personnel may be faced. Advanced planning to prevent youth suicide and to intervene in
a crisis can significantly improve the ability of school personnel to respond quickly and
effectively and with the least disruption to school routines when suicidal behavior becomes an
issue.
While the following is not an exhaustive list, these questions will help guide you to develop
necessary school protocols suggested to address suicide prevention, intervention and postvention.
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The Georgia Youth Suicide Prevention Plan
Administrative Questions:
Prevention
1. Does your school have an up-to-date
crisis response plan?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
2. Does the crisis response plan have solid
administrative support?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
3. Does the crisis plan have written
protocols on how to manage suicidal (student
and/or staff) behavior? Attempt on campus?
Attempt off campus?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
4. Have crisis team members been
identified? Are individuals from both the
school and the community involved on the
crisis team?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
5. Are crisis team members provided with
training?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
6. Are substitute crisis team members
identified in case regular members are not
available due to absence, conference
attendance, vacation, etc.?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
7. Would the crisis team be able to support
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
multiple schools in the event of a
Comments:
murder/suicide situation? (i.e. father murders
all siblings attending several schools and
then takes his own life)
8. Do crisis team members have copies of
school floor plans for their use and/or to
provide to local law enforcement, if needed?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
9. Does the crisis team meet and practice on
a regular basis?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
10. Are copies of the school crisis plan
readily accessible to all school personnel?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
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The Georgia Youth Suicide Prevention Plan
11. Is there an established method for
disseminating protocols that includes who
should receive them? Is there a plan for
providing new staff with protocols?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
12. Has school administration provided clear Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
direction about legal rights and obligations of Comments:
administrators, faculty, and staff in assisting
with a suicidal student?
13. Is someone designated to track the
number of suicides, suicide attempts, and/or
referrals for suicidal behavior?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
14. Has a policy for maintaining
confidentiality of sensitive student
information been created and disseminated to
all school personnel?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
15. Does the school have a formal
Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the
local crisis service provider(s) outlining the
services to be provided to the school system
such as risk assessments, crisis management,
and/or debriefing school staff in the
aftermath of a crisis? Does the agreement
include debriefing parents and community
members in the event of a suicide?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
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The Georgia Youth Suicide Prevention Plan
16. Does the MOA include guidelines for
how the school receives feedback on the
outcome of the referrals that are made?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
17. Have school administrators, faculty and
staff received education and training in
suicide prevention?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
18. Has an effective student suicide
prevention education program been
incorporated into the Comprehensive Health
Education Program? Does the program focus
on building help seeking skills? (Note: The
student component should only be introduced
after protocols have been established, MOAs
are in place, staff education has occurred and
key staff identified as those who can help
with suicidal behavior.)
19. Has a discussion with law enforcement
occurred so that you know what to expect
from the local law enforcement agency in the
event of a crisis in school buildings or on
school grounds?
20. Has the traffic pattern to and from the
school been reviewed with emergency
response personnel?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
21. Has a communication plan been
developed in the event that all incoming
phone lines are jammed by parents calling
about the safety of their children?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
Intervention
22. Are key people identified within each
building as contacts to help when suicidal
behavior occurs?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
23. Has someone been designated to contact
the parent/guardian when suicide risk is
suspected?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
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The Georgia Youth Suicide Prevention Plan
24. Have procedures been developed if the
parent/guardian is unreachable?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
25. Have steps been developed to encourage
parents to get help for their children including
the removal of lethal means? If the parent
refuses?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
26. Does the school have a system to alert
staff of an emergency while school is in
session?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
27. Are there protocols concerning how to
help a student re-enter school after an absence
or hospitalization for mental illness including
suicidal behavior?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
28. Have procedures been developed to
support/address the needs of students who are
exhibiting high risk behaviors such as
substance abuse, depression, deliberate selfharm, etc.?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
Postvention
29. Do the protocols include a section about
working with the media? Has a spokesperson
been designated?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
30. In the event of suicide, are there
established methods for identifying close
friends/other vulnerable students and plans to
support them? Does this include students at
other buildings?
31. Has a plan been developed that explicitly
details what to do following a suicidal crisis
to avoid copycat behaviors?
32. Are there clear parameters around the
school’s role following any student/staff death
(for any reason) that take into consideration
the fact that following a suicide, whole-school
and/or permanent memorials are NOT
recommended?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
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The Georgia Youth Suicide Prevention Plan
Staff Related Questions
1. Has ALL staff received training about
suicide prevention?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
2. Has ALL staff been provided with the
school protocols?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
3. Have individuals (and back-ups) been
identified as contacts for when suicidal
behavior occurs? Does everyone in the
building know who the contact people are?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
4. Does staff know what to do in the event
that they are first responder (anyone who
comes upon or hears about a suicide event)?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
5. Have the confidentiality guidelines been
provided and discussed with ALL staff?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
6. Has staff been taught to pay attention to
student work/messages that focus on death or
suicide? (i.e. artwork, doodling, homework,
term papers, journal entries, notes, etc.)
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
7. Will teachers receive feedback on students
whom they refer for an evaluation of suicidal
risk?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
8. Do school personnel understand that it is
not their responsibility to assess the
seriousness of a situation but that all suicidal
behavior must be taken seriously and reported
using the school protocols?
9. Has staff been informed about what to do
if there is any reason to suspect a weapon is
present/readily available?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
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The Georgia Youth Suicide Prevention Plan
10. Are procedures in place to brief and
debrief staff in the event of a crisis?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
Parent Related Questions
1. Are opportunities provided for parents to
learn about suicide prevention?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
2. Are there efforts to actively communicate
with parents about risk factors, warning signs,
and the importance of restricting access to
lethal means?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
3. Have parents been told what the school is
doing to prevent and address the issue of
suicide, what will be done if their son or
daughter is thought to be at risk of suicide,
and what will be expected of them?
4. Have crisis team members been identified?
Are individuals from both the school and the
community involved on the crisis team?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
Student Related Questions
1. Are students educated about suicide and
how to help a troubled friend? Does the
education including practicing an
intervention?
2. Do students know whom to go to in the
school if they are worried about a suicidal
friend?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
3. Are behavioral health services readily
available to youth?
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
Yes □ No □ Need to consider □
Comments:
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The Georgia Youth Suicide Prevention Plan
APPENDIX E: PROJECT MANAGEMENT TOOLS
Goal Statement: Reduce Suicide Morbidity and Mortality in ____________ County, GA
Goal Statement: Reduce Suicide Morbidity and Mortality in ____________ County, GA
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The Georgia Youth Suicide Prevention Plan
The Intervention Decision Matrix
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The Georgia Youth Suicide Prevention Plan
APPENDIX F: STATE AND NATIONAL RESOURCES
CRISIS INTERVENTION
Georgia Crisis and Access Line 1-800-715-4225 www.mygcal.com
The Georgia Crisis & Access Line is staffed with professional social workers and counselors 24
hours per day, every day. to assist those with urgent and emergency needs. Those callers who
need more routine services are directly connected with the agency of their choice and given a
scheduled appointment.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
A free, 24-hour hotline available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Your call will
be routed to the nearest crisis center to you.
EN ESPANOL - Red Nacional de Prevención del Suicidio 1-888-628-9454:
Cuando usted llama al número 1-888-628-9454, su llamada se dirige al centro de ayuda de
nuestra red disponible más cercano. Tenemos actualmente 132 centros en la red y usted hablará
probablemente con uno situado en su zona. Cada centro funciona en forma independiente y tiene
su propio personal calificado.
FOR YOUTH
To Write Love On Her Arms www.twloha.com
To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding
help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. TWLOHA exists
to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery.
Reach Out www.reachout.com
Comprehensive resources and support is offered through the media youth use. With this support,
lives can be saved and young people’s mental health and well-being can be improved. The Reach
Out website was founded in 1998 in response to the escalating rates of youth suicide.
FOR PARENTS
The Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide (SPTS) http://www.sptsnj.org/parents/
Georgia Parent Support Network (www.gpsn.org)
Dedicated to providing support, education, and advocacy for children and their families with
mental illness, emotional disturbances, and behavioral differences.
ParentsMedGuide.org- http://www.parentsmedguide.org/index.htm
A website that contains information for parents and physicians on the use of medication in
treating childhood and adolescent depression, including information on the FDA "black-box"
warnings.
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The Georgia Youth Suicide Prevention Plan
LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER RESOURCES
The Trevor Project www.thetrevorproject.org
The Trevor Project is determined to end suicide among LGBTQ youth by providing life-saving
and life-affirming resources including our nationwide, 24/7 crisis intervention lifeline, digital
community and advocacy/educational programs that create a safe, supportive and positive
environment for everyone.
It Gets Better www.ItGetsBetterProject.com
A place where young people who are gay, lesbian, bi, or trans can see with their own eyes how
love and happiness can be a reality in their future. It’s a place where LGBT adults can share the
stories of their lives, and straight allies can add their names in solidarity and help spread our
message of hope.
GENERAL AWARENESS AND EDUCATION
The Link National Resource Center for Suicide Prevention and Aftercare
http://www.thelink.org/national_resource_center.htm
The Link’s NRC is a leading resource in the country for suicide prevention and aftercare. It is
dedicated to reaching out to those whose lives have been impacted by suicide and connecting
them to available resources.
The Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) (www.sprc.org)
Funded by the Substance Abuse, Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), supports
suicide prevention using the best of science, skills and practice. The Center provides prevention
support, training, and informational materials to strengthen suicide prevention networks and
advance the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. The site has links to many additional
resources for suicide and suicide prevention.
Suicide Prevention Action Network www.spanusa.org
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) www.afsp.org
The leading national not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to understanding and
preventing suicide through research, education and advocacy, and to reaching out to people with
mental disorders and those impacted by suicide.
American Association of Suicidology (AAS) www.suicidology.org
Through better research, education, prevention programs, and treatment the American
Association of Suicidology has pledged itself to a mission of understanding and preventing
suicide as a means of promoting human well-being.
CDC Recommendations for a Community Plan for the Prevention and Containment of
Suicide Clusters
http://wonder.cdc.gov/wonder/prevguid/p0000214/p0000214.asp
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The Georgia Youth Suicide Prevention Plan
LOCAL SUICIDE PREVENTION INFORMATION
Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, Division of
Mental Health, Suicide Prevention Program
http://dbhdd.georgia.gov/portal/site/DBHDD/menuitem.890e8533f215bcb59da1df8dda1010a0/?
vgnextoid=b0ee2ad627eb6210VgnVCM100000bf01010aRCRD
Georgia Suicide Prevention Information Network www.gspin.org: GSPIN
Your community web site for suicide prevention, intervention and aftercare information. This
web site has been created to address the specific problems of lack of centralized information,
communication, sharing of resources, and need for support for regional/local coalition building,
creating a linked network of resources and activities.
The Suicide Prevention Coalition of Georgia (SPCGA) www.spcgeorgia.org
A cooperative and representative group of non-profit organizations, businesses, state agency
representatives, advocacy groups, survivors, faith and community based organizations. The
group's mission is to address the problem of suicide in Georgia through collaborative efforts that
promote, support, and increase awareness, prevention, intervention and aftercare. They meet
monthly at the Link’s National Resource Center for Suicide Prevention. Membership is open to
all interested persons. Contact Marti Vogt, 678-405-2277.
Suicide Prevention Action Network – Georgia www.span-ga.org
A 501C(3) organization created in 2003 to reduce completed and attempted suicide in Georgia.
Its focus is on creating public awareness and public/political will to provide resources to
implement the Georgia State Suicide Prevention Plan. SPAN-GA empowers survivors of
completed suicides, attempters of suicide, and supporters of suicide prevention to become
actively involved in educating private and public citizens to the emotional and financial costs of
suicide in Georgia.
Local Suicide Prevention Coalitions
http://www.gspin.org/index.php?module=Content&func=view&pid=28
There are Suicide Prevention Coalitions that are continuing to be established around the state.
Feel free to contact the coalitions in your area and become active in these efforts. If you do not
see a coalition in your area, and would like to begin one, contact [email protected].
POSTVENTION AND SURVIVOR SERVICES
Services for Families Who Have Survived a Suicide Loss
http://www.gspin.org/index.php?module=Content&func=view&pid=62
Peer led Survivors of Suicide (SOS) groups are available in many areas throughout Georgia.
Survivors of Suicide group meetings are open to anyone who has lost a loved one through
suicide or who is helping someone who has lost a loved one. SOS groups are often organized by
survivors and held in donated spaces. Before attending a meeting please call the facilitator to
confirm the details.
Frameworks Youth Suicide Prevention Project: Postvention Community Response to
Suicide
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http://www.helppromotehope.com/documents/CommunityResponsetoSuicideNAMI.pdf
Frameworks is a copy written project by NAMI New Hampshire that provides a framework of
specific steps to be taken in response to a youth suicide event by specific stakeholders. It is a
collaborative approach between multiple systems. The document is 110 pages in total. There is a
section regarding cultural competence with excellent, easy to review guidelines on this topic on
pp. 14-19. The rest of the document is organized by specific protocol recommendation by
community stakeholder group. They include:
• Law Enforcement
• Medical Examiner
• Gatekeepers
• Immediate Family
• Student/Teen/Young Adult
• Clergy
• Funeral Directors
• Mental Health/Substance Abuse Provider
• Mental Health/Substance Abuse Private Provider
• Education
• Social Service Agency/Youth Program
• Community Coordinator
SCHOOL RESOURCES
The Youth Suicide Prevention School-Based Guide http://theguide.fmhi.usf.edu/
Designed to provide accurate, user-friendly information. The Guide is not a program but a tool
that provides a framework for schools to assess their existing or proposed suicide prevention
efforts (through a series of checklists) and provides resources and information that school
administrators can use to enhance or add to their existing program. First, checklists can be
completed to help evaluate the adequacy of the schools' suicide prevention programs. Second,
information is offered in a series of issue briefs corresponding to a specific checklist. Each brief
offers a rationale for the importance of the specific topic together with a brief overview of the
key points. The briefs also offer specific strategies that have proven to work in reducing the
incidence of suicide, with references that schools may then explore in greater detail. A resource
section with helpful links is also included. The Guide will help to provide information to schools
to assist them in the development of a framework to work in partnership with community
resources and families.
Cobb County Schools Protocol For Addressing Suicidal/Homicidal Ideations Or Attempts
http://www.cobbk12.org/preventionintervention/forms/SuicidalHomicidalIdeationsProtocol%2009.pdf
This protocol is designed for the protection of students in crisis and the school employees who
serve them.
Cobb County Schools Emergency Procedures and Checklist for the death of a student or
staff member including sample letter to parents
http://www.cobbk12.org/preventionintervention/forms/EMERGENCY%20PROCEDURES%20
AND%20CHECK%20LIST.doc
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Cobb County Schools Crisis Response Resource Manual
http://www.cobbk12.org/preventionintervention/forms/CRISIS%20RESPONSE%20RESOURC
E%20MANUAL.doc
This manual was developed to assist schools in both planning ahead for a crisis, and responding
during a crisis. It can assist in providing a consistent framework for responding to the emotional
needs of children and faculty at schools to complement physical safety protocols.
Lifeline Manual for Managing Social Media Post-suicide
http://library.sprc.org/item.php?id=807&catid=40
The recommendations in this manual detail how to safely memorialize someone who has died by
suicide. These guidelines can be applied to online memorials and online messages about the
deceased
CULTURAL COMPETENCY
Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations http://theguide.fmhi.usf.edu/pdf/CL-9.pdf
A checklist from the Florida School Based Youth Suicide Prevention Manual
Preventing Suicide: a resource series
http://www.who.int/mental_health/resources/preventingsuicide/en/index.html
World Health Organization website with multiple language translations of many documents on
suicide prevention for many different audience groups.
Cultural Competency: A Practical Guide for Mental Health Service Providers
http://www.hogg.utexas.edu/uploads/documents/cultural_competency_guide.pdf
National Organization for People of Color Against Suicide (NOPCAS)
http://www.nopcas.com/articles/defining-a-culturally-competent-program.php
Defining A Culturally Competent Program
EVALUATION
SPRC Evaluation Resource List http://library.sprc.org/item.php?id=181&catid=39
A list of resources related to program evaluation. The list includes book titles, online courses,
toolkits, and online evaluator locators
Suicide Prevention: Prevention Effectiveness and Evaluation
http://library.sprc.org/item.php?id=5&catid=39
A booklet by the Suicide Prevention Action Network (SPAN) that explains important prevention
and evaluation concepts in the context of suicide prevention.
Measuring and Assessing Prevention Efforts Factsheet
http://www.cobbk12.org/preventionintervention/forms/Measuringprevention.doc Prepared by the
Cobb County Schools Prevention and Intervention Center
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FAITH COMMUNITIES
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America http://www.elca.org/Our-Faith-In-Action/LifeTransitions/Youth-Issues/Youth-Violence-and-Suicide.aspx
After a Suicide: Recommendations for Religious Services and Other Public Memorial
Observances http://library.sprc.org/item.php?id=187&catid=40
This publication is a guide to help community and faith leaders who plan memorial observances
and provide support for individuals after the loss of a loved one to suicide.
PRIMARY CARE
Suicide Prevention Toolkit for Rural Primary Care http://www.sprc.org/pctoolkit/index.asp
Web-based Toolkit contains information and tools to implement state of the art suicide
prevention practices and overcome the significant hurdles this life-saving work faces in primary
care practices. The Toolkit offers the support necessary to establish the primary care provider as
one member of a team, fully equipped to reduce suicide risk among their patients. For instance,
the tools will help you engage your patients and those around them in managing their own
suicide risk. You’ll find tools for developing partnerships with mental health providers—
regardless of how far away they may be—and a guide to developing telemental health services, a
promising solution for many rural areas. There are also posters for display in your office,
schools, and churches, and wallet cards listing warning signs for suicide and the number of the
national crisis line.
LETHAL MEANS RESTRICTION
Means Matter www.hsph.harvard.edu/means-matter
The mission of the Means Matter Campaign is to increase the proportion of suicide prevention
groups who promote activities that reduce a suicidal person's access to lethal means of suicide
National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (NSSP): Goal 5
http://store.samhsa.gov/product/SMA01-3517
Goal 5 in the NSSP discusses means restriction in-depth on pages 71-77 (73-80 of the PDF). The
definition of means and means restriction can be found in the NSSP glossary (page 201 of the
PDF). Example ideas for means restriction are provided throughout the objectives section.
Lethal Means Restriction: Its value and its problems
http://www.sprc.org/featured_resources/trainingandevents/conferences/co/pdf/lethalmeans.pdf
A paper resented at the SPRC Regions 7 and 8 Conference on 28-30 October 2003. The paper
reviews different types of means restriction, discussing such topics as policy and legislation (e.g.,
changes in gun laws), and presents examples and effects of unrestricted and restricted access to
lethal means (e.g., safety barriers on bridges, incorporation of questions related to guns in the
home into physician intake).
Recent firearms research http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/research/hicrc/firearms-research/gunsand-death/index.html
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The Georgia Youth Suicide Prevention Plan
Listing of current research on firearms with a section on guns and death which includes research
on firearms and suicide. Contains citations as well as major findings.
MEDIA GUIDELINES AND SAFE MESSAGING
At-A-Glance: Safe Reporting on Suicide http://www.sprc.org/library/at_a_glance.pdf
SPRC's two page summary of the 2001 publication "Reporting on Suicide:
Recommendations for the Media," by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National
Institute of Mental Health, Office of the Surgeon General, Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Association of
Suicidology and Annenberg Public Policy Center.
Safe and effective messaging for suicide prevention
http://library.sprc.org/item.php?id=257&catid=4
A 2-page document that offers evidence-based recommendations for creating safe and effective
messages to raise public awareness that suicide is a serious and preventable public health
problem is now available. Contains Do’s and Don’ts for creating public messages for suicide
prevention.
OTHER LOCAL AND NATIONAL RESOURCES
Question, Persuade and Refer (QPR) www.qprinstitute.com
The QPR Institute is a multidisciplinary training organization whose primary goal is to provide
suicide prevention educational services and materials to professionals and the general public. We
offer state-of-the-art programs to institutions that want to increase their standard of care and
reduce the suicide rate.
Sources of Strength (SOS) www.sourcesofstrength.com:
Sources of Strength is a comprehensive wellness program that works to use peer leaders to
change norms around codes of silence and help seeking. The program is designed to increase
help seeking behaviors and connections between peers and caring adults. Sources of Strength has
a true preventative aim in building multiple sources of support around individuals so that when
times get hard they have strengths to rely on.
Mental Health America of Georgia
http://ciclt.net/sn/adm/editpage.aspx?ClientCode=nmhag&FileName=default2 (formerly known
as the National Mental Health Association of Georgia)
Georgia's leading nonprofit dedicated to helping all Georgians live mentally healthier lives. With
our state-wide affiliates, we represent a growing movement of Americans who promote mental
wellness for the health and well-being of everyone in our state, emphasizing mental health as a
critical component of a healthy lifestyle.
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) www.namiga.org
The nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to improving the lives of
persons living with serious mental illness and their families. Founded in 1979, NAMI has
become the nation’s voice on mental illness, a national organization including NAMI
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organizations in every state and in over 1100 local communities across the country who join
together to meet the NAMI mission through support, education, and advocacy.
Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network, Inc. www.gmhcn.org
Our mission is to promote recovery through advocacy, education, employment, empowerment,
peer support and self help, and to unite as one voice to support the priorities set each year at the
annual convention.
Paginas En Español
Centro de Información Nacional de la Salud Mental de SAMHSA
P.O. BOX 42557
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20015
800-789-2647
Lunes-Viernes
8:30 a.m.-12:00 a.m., hora del este
Several featured publications – all at no charge – in Spanish
http://nmhicstore.samhsa.gov/espanol/default.aspx
ParentsMedGuide.org- Spanish Language Version
http://www.parentsmedguide.org/indexespanol.htm
A website that contains information for parents and physicians on the use of medication in
treating childhood and adolescent depression, including information on the FDA "black-box"
warnings. The English version of the website is at: http://www.parentsmedguide.org/index.htm
NIMH Publications in Spanish
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/spanish/index-publication-all-es.shtml A variety of
Spanish-language brochures, fact sheets, and booklets on mental health issues such as depression
and anxiety.
AAS suicide fact sheets: Spanish Fact Sheets
http://www.suicidology.org/web/guest/stats-and-tools/fact-sheets
A collection of fact sheets in Spanish on: warning signs; understanding and helping the suicidal
person; major sources of help for suicidal people; depression and suicide; and surviving after
suicide.
Hacia La Recuperación Después del Suicidio de Mi Hijo
Toward Healing After My Child’s Suicide
http://www.heartbeatsurvivorsaftersuicide.org/docs/toward_healing_translation.doc
Para el sobreviviente de un suicidio reciente
To the Newly Bereaved After Suicide
http://www.heartbeatsurvivorsaftersuicide.org/docs/to_the_newly_bereaved_after_suicide_transl
ation.doc
Cuando alguien se quita la vida
When Someone Takes His Own Life
http://www.heartbeatsurvivorsaftersuicide.org/docs/when_someone_takes_his_own_life_translat
ion.doc
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Si, los hombres lloran
Yes Men Do Cry
http://www.heartbeatsurvivorsaftersuicide.org/docs/mencry_translation.doc
Suicidio :Cuidandose a si mismo y a su familia despues de un intento :Una guía familiar
para su pariente en la sala de emergencias
Suicide: Taking care of yourself & your family after an attempt: Family guide for your relative in
the emergency department
http://library.sprc.org/item.php?id=280 Brochure intended as a guide for families of suicide
attempt survivors on what to expect in the emergency department and after release from the
hospital.
Entiendo y Ayudando al individio suicida: Este atento a las sintomes
Understanding and helping the suicidal individual: Be aware of the warning signs
http://www.suicidology.org/c/document_library/get_file?folderId=232&name=DLFE-87.pdf
Common warning signs of suicide, along with recommendations for action are given.
Ninos sobrevivientes al suicide: Una guia para aquellos y los cuidan
Child Survivors of Suicide: A Guidebook for Those Who Care for Them
http://www.afsp.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=shop.productDetails&product_id=B157BA8B-E4F7BBE9-EA7A81D1FA6268D4
By Rebecca Parkin, M.P.H., Ph.D., and Karen Dunne-Maxim, M.S., R.N.
This paperback guide offers guidance for family members, educators and others who interact
with young survivors.
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