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Download the Suicide Prevention Plan: |
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Community Strategies for Preventing Youth Suicide |
When several Clark County youth took their lives between September 2000 and May 2001, the the Board of County Commissioners, with assistance from the Department of Community Services, convened a task force to develop a community-wide approach for preventing additional youth suicides.
Community representatives invited to take part in the task force included individuals from local school districts, faith-based organizations, neighborhood and community organizations, medical and health agencies, youth, parent-teacher associations, and County judicial, juvenile justice and social services departments. To provide support to the task force, the Department of Community Services requested assistance from a group of local agencies. Partnering agencies included the Department of Community Services, Southwest Washington Health District and Community Choices 2010.
The Clark County Youth Suicide Prevention Task Force reviewed the data regarding youth suicide, looked at the approaches the states of Oregon and Washington developed, researched national youth suicide prevention models, heard youths’ perspectives, and surveyed the local capacity to address the issue.
After carefully considering the background research, the Task Force developed a set of strategies to guide the community’s efforts to prevent youth suicides in the future. These strategies fall into three broad categories, namely public awareness and education, skill building, and access to services. The following strategies do not stand alone, but are linked and need to be implemented simultaneously:
Strategies
- Develop active community involvement in positive youth development.
- Educate the public about youth suicide.
- Establish media partnerships.
- Develop peer resources through school-based prevention programs.
- Conduct suicide prevention and intervention training for professionals and others who work with youth.
- Improve access to mental health and substance abuse intervention and treatment services.
The successful implementation of these strategies calls for the many organizations involved to work collaboratively. Each strategy has a lead organization designated to take responsibility for ensuring that work moves ahead. In addition, each strategy identifies 6 collaborating organizations that will assist in the implementation efforts. This approach will help to broaden the community involvement in youth suicide prevention. The Clark County Board of Commissioners, through the Department of Community Services, will oversee the implementation of the Clark County Youth Suicide Prevention Plan.
The Task Force recognizes that the strategies and collaborative efforts called for in the prevention plan can make a meaningful difference and prevent future tragedies of youth suicide. However, we would be remiss if we did not state that in order to be truly successful, the entire community must respond to the overwhelming needs of youth, which this day is manifesting itself through the tragic events of youth suicide. A caring community can only be created by more adults taking an active role in listening to the voices of our youth, demonstrating support, and participating in caring and supportive relationships. No amount of government funding or collaborative strategies can create what a caring community can accomplish.
For more information contact:
DeDe Sieler, Program Manager
Phone: 360-397-2130, ext 5229
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