SCHOOLS
Department of Public Instruction Resources
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instructions has developed a variety of trainings and resources for schools considering implementing suicide prevention activities.
Safe Schools for LGBTQ Students: DPI resources and recommendations on creating a safe and supportive school environment for all youth, including those in the LGBTQ community. Recommends school non-discrimination and anti-bullying policies that enumerate or specifically include actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity or expression; training for teachers on effective intervention strategies, and how to establish and run a school-based Gay-Straight Alliance group.
Wisconsin Office of Children's Mental Health: The Office of Children’s Mental Health (OCMH) supports Wisconsin’s children in achieving their optimal social and emotional well-being. Our charge is to study, recommend strategies, and coordinate initiatives to improve integration of children’s mental health services across state agencies. One strategic focus is School Mental Health and they offer a variety of resources for universal screening, mental health literacy, classroom lessons, and WISE resource modules.
Wisconsin Office of Children's Mental Health Factsheets
National Best Practices Registry for Suicide Prevention (BPR) The purpose of the BPR is to identify, review, and disseminate information about best practices that address specific objectives of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. This page helps you find sources of programs and practices, and how to use them effectively.
AFSP's Model School District Policy on Suicide Prevention More than half of all states in the U.S. currently require that educators receive training to prevent suicide. With recommendations rooted in best practices, the Model School District Policy on Suicide Prevention can complement state law requirements and help schools achieve an inclusive, comprehensive suicide prevention plan. Click link for more info and to download the resource.
School Based Peer-to-Peer Programs
Sources of Strength A best practice youth suicide prevention project designed to harness the power of peer social networks to change unhealthy norms and culture, ultimately preventing suicide, bullying, and substance abuse. The mission of Sources of Strength is to prevent suicide by increasing help seeking behaviors and promoting connections between peers and caring adults. Sources of Strength moves beyond a singular focus on risk factors by utilizing an upstream approach for youth suicide prevention.
Hope Squad The Hope Squad program is a school-based peer support team that partners with local mental health agencies. Peers select students who are trustworthy and caring individuals to join the Hope Squad. Squad members are trained to watch for at-risk students, provide friendship, identify suicide-warning signs, and seek help from adults. HOPE Squad members are NOT taught to act as counselors, but are educated on recognizing suicide warning signs and how to properly and respectfully report concerns to an adult. Once invited to be a HOPE Squad member, students must get a permission form signed by their parents and go through training.
NAMI Raise Your Voice: NAMI Wisconsin Raise Your Voice clubs are extracurricular high school and middle school clubs dedicated to increasing mental illness awareness, inspiring advocacy and promoting acceptance. This program empowers teens to create a new conversation about mental health through education, leadership development and civic advocacy. Raise Your Voice is not a support or therapy group, a place to get diagnosed, or about identifying or labeling others who may or may not have a mental illness.
REDgen: REDgen’s school based initiative (Roots of Resilience) seeks to improve youth mental health and well-being, prevent crisis and reduce the stigma around mental health. Our model leverages the power of peer-to-peer influence, which research has proven to be the most impactful for fostering help seeking behavior, as well as a pathway to building strong and healthy relationships. In partnership with behavioral psychology researchers from Boston College, they have recently completed a comprehensive update to our Roots of Resilience curriculum—ensuring it reflects the most current, evidence-based practices in youth mental health and resilience education.
SPRC Resources
YOUTH
Data and Reports
The Wisconsin Youth Risk Behavior Survey The YRBS is conducted as part of a national effort by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to monitor health-risk behaviors of the nation's high school students. These behaviors, in turn, result in the most significant causes of both mortality and morbidity during youth and adulthood.
Child Death Review Teams In Wisconsin, child death review (CDR) teams primarily review deaths of infants and children, ages 0 to 18, which are reportable to the medical examiner or coroner. The purpose of CDR is to better understand the risk factors and circumstances surrounding a child’s death and to develop policy and program recommendations to prevent future deaths.
NCFRP Webinar - Reviewing Youth Suicides (password NCFRP need to access)
Trevor Project 2024 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health
The Trevor Project’s 2024 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People amplifies the experiences of more than 18,000 LGBTQ+ young people ages 13 to 24 across the United States.
Here are just some of the insights from this year’s survey:
- 39% of LGBTQ+ young people seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year — including 46% of transgender and nonbinary young people. LGBTQ+ youth of color reported higher rates than White peers.
- More than half (54%) of transgender and nonbinary young people found their school to be gender-affirming, and those who did reported lower rates of attempting suicide.
- 90% of LGBTQ+ young people said their well-being was negatively impacted due to recent politics.
- 45% of transgender and nonbinary young people reported that they or their family have considered moving to a different state because of LGBTQ+-related politics and laws.
- Nearly half (49%) of LGBTQ+ young people ages 13-17 experienced bullying in the past year, and those who did reported significantly higher rates attempting suicide in the past year than those who did not experience bullying.
- LGBTQ+ young people who reported living in very accepting communities attempted suicide at less than half the rate of those who reported living in very unaccepting communities.
Prevention Resources - For Youth
988 Lifeline for Youth: Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people between 10 and 24. Sometimes it feels as though your struggle is being underestimated because of your age. But we hear you, and help is available.
Oregon Youth Line is a teen-to-teen crisis and mental health support line. Based out of Oregon but youth living any where can use it! Available by call, text, email, and chat.
Seize the Awkward Campaign on the importance of talking to friends about mental health and/or suicide. Features tips on how to handle awkward conversations with friends.
Prevention Resources - For Caregivers
Teen Counseling Online Platform Teen Counseling is an online platform where teens from ages 13-19 can get help from a licensed therapist online. TeenCounseling.com makes affordable, discreet, professional counseling available through a computer, tablet, or smartphone. Counseling on TeenCounseling,com is based on a flat membership fee that covers both the use of the platform and unlimited counseling for both parent and child. While face-to-face counseling can cost $150 to $250 for a single session (or about $1,000 per month), the cost of counseling through Teen Counseling ranges from $40 to $70 per week (billed monthly) and includes messaging, chats, phone, and video sessions.
Understanding Child Suicide for Military Parents: A Factsheet This guide from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network offers military parents information about military youth suicide. This fact sheet includes information about suicide and military youth, how to talk to your child about suicide, warning signs that your child may be experiencing suicidal thoughts and helpful responses by age group, as well as evidence-based treatments for suicidal youth, and how to address your needs as a parent.
Bullying/Cyberbullying Risk Factors
Clinical Report - The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families from the American Academy of Pediatrics, 2011
Cyberbullying linked with suicidal thoughts and attempts in young adolescents: Report from the National Institutes of Health (July, 2022)
The effect of bullying and cyberbullying on predicting suicide risk in adolescent females: The mediating role of depression: Psychiatric Research (July, 2024)
LGBTQ
Support for Transgender Youth is More Important than Ever from NYACyouth.org
College Guide for LGBTQ Students A comprehensive guide to help LGBTQ students make an informed decision on where to pursue a college degree. Includes expert input on common issues faced by LGBTQ college students and what to look for in an LGBTQ-affirming campus environment.
See the LGBTQ+ Resources Page for More>>
African American Youth