Signs of Suicide Prevention Program
Rescheduled for Tuesday, February 20, 2018
GOCSD has partnered with the Community Partnership of the Ozarks to bring you this FREE learning event!
GOCSD is proud to join with the Community Partnership of the Ozarks in offering this FREE learning event in Mountain Grove.
- 9:00a.m. - 3:30p.m. Tuesday, February 20 at Mountain Grove School 207 East Fifth St Mountain Grove, MO
The SOS Signs of Suicide Prevention Program (SOS) is a universal, school-based depression awareness and suicide prevention program designed for middle-school (ages 11–13) or high-school (ages 13–17) students. The goals are to 1) decrease suicide and suicide attempts by increasing student knowledge and adaptive attitudes about depression, 2) encourage personal help-seeking and/or help-seeking on behalf of a friend, 3) reduce the stigma of mental illness and acknowledge the importance of seeking help or treatment, 4) engage parents and school staff as partners in prevention through trusted adult education, and 5) encourage schools to develop community-based partnerships to support student mental health.
The SOS curriculum includes lessons on raising awareness of depression and suicide, helping students identify the warning signs of depression in themselves and others, identifying risk factors associated with depression and suicidal ideation, and using a brief screening for depression and/or suicidal behavior. Students are taught to seek help using the ACT (Acknowledge, Care, Tell) technique. This technique teaches students to acknowledge when there are signs of a problem in themselves or a peer, show that you care and are concerned about getting help, and tell a trusted adult. Upon completion of the program, students are given response cards to indicate if they would like to speak to a trusted adult about themselves or a friend.
Both the middle and high school programs provide age-appropriate, educational DVDs for school staff to use with students and the partnership provides implementation of the curriculum along with follow up support for those schools in the Community Partnership of the Ozarks service area.
The middle school video, Time to ACT, informs students of the ACT message and includes vignettes that show 1) the right and wrong ways to help someone exhibiting signs of depression, 2) a group of students discussing various mental health topics, and 3) a student interview with a school counselor.
The high school video, Friends for Life, informs students of the ACT message and includes dramatizations of depressed or suicidal teens and the right and wrong ways to help them. The video also includes interviews with teens who are in treatment for depression and previous suicide attempts, showing them with their friends and family, and with school counselors. The program includes a video, Training Trusted Adults, to engage staff, parents, or community members in the program’s objectives and prevention efforts.
*Community Partnership has limited resources in regard to purchasing the curriculum kits and cannot guarantee the provision of them at the training.
Register for here by Friday, February 9 for the February 20 event.
The lunch break will not allow enough time to leave the site for lunch, therefore a $10 (Cash or Check ONLY payable at onsite sign-in) catered box lunch with both animal protein and vegetarian sandwich choices will be available to pre-order at registration or you may bring your lunch.
Important Reminder!
GOCSD Member Districts:
Ash Grove, Aurora, Ava, Bolivar, Branson, Cabool, Camdenton, Clever, Dadeville, Everton, Fair Grove, Fair Play, Fordland, Forsyth, Gainesville, Galena, Halfway, Hartville, Hermitage, Hickory Co. (Skyline), Hollister, Houston, Kirbyville, Laclede Co. (Conway), Lebanon, Logan-Rogersville, Macks Creek, Mansfield, Marion C. Early (Morrisville), Mark Twain, Marshfield, Mountain Grove, Mountain View-Birch Tree, Neosho, Nixa, Ozark, Plainview, Plato, Pleasant Hope, Reeds Spring, Republic, Shell Knob, Sparta, Springfield, Strafford, Summit Preparatory School, Taneyville, Thayer, Weaubleau, West Plains, Willard, & Willow Springs