Suicide Awareness | Capital High School

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Suicide Awareness

Suicide Prevention and Awareness is a community issue. In the schools, the HHS and CHS counseling departments have worked hard to help develop a comprehensive suicide prevention and mental health awareness program with the assistance of administration and our Health teachers.

YAM (Youth Aware of Mental health)– Freshman year program run through the Frosh PE courses presented by outside mental health professionals. Some completed in the fall, the rest are finishing this month. For more info on YAM, please contact Mr. Murgel or Josyln Davidson at jdavidson@helenaschools.org

QPR (Question, Persuade, Respond)– Sophomore program run through the Health classes by health teachers. The focus of this program is for students to learn how to engage with a classmate who may be having suicidal thoughts and to understand the importance of asking for help from an adult if they feel their friend is at risk.

SOS (Signs of Suicide)– Junior year program, presented in US History classes by counselors. SOS is specifically designed to teach students how to recognize the signs of suicide and mental health struggles in themselves or peers and to encourage students to reach out for help. Students learned ACT (Acknowledge, Care, Tell)

Additional Activities and Projects to Promote Prevention:

Recognition of Suicide Prevention Week (first week of September)

School counselors read daily messages to students on the PA System
Coping skills bookmark with resources distributed to all students

Staff training in best practice models

Teachers trained in QPR
School counselors and Administration trained in ASIST

Mailing to Families:

Parents as Partners provided by administration and DPHHS
Newsletters

Resources displayed in classrooms, hallways, and bathrooms

Crisis Text Line Posters
Crisis Hotline Posters with tear-away numbers as well as SQR Code
Collective group of administrators, school counselors, Intermountain CSCT, school psychologist, special education coordinator and school nurse. The purpose of this group is to identify students in need and to implement interventions for support.

Mental Health Screener

RBHI Mental Health Screener- completed two times per year (Fall/Spring)

Worried about a friend AND at school? Go immediately to your school counselor.

Worried about a friend AND out of school? Call that friend’s parents. Not sure how to contact the parents? Call 911 in emergency situations.

Call 911 in emergency situations.