Youth Suicide Prevention

Chapter Eight

GOAL 1: Reduce Suicides in Youth ages 0 up to 24 By Developing Effective Suicide

Prevention, Intervention and Postvention Programs.

STRATEGIES State Government:

1  Policy:

2  Program/Services:

3 o Support/partner with youth and community stakeholders to plan, implement and e valuate culturally

4 competent, promising and evidence-based youth suicide education programs and services.

5  Infrastructure: 6 o Data 7 o Alignment of services statewide 8 a. Create additional funding for schools and community partnerships for shared work in programs that 9 reduce risk factors and increase resiliency in youth. 10 b. Develop collaboration among area organizations, faith community and youth organizations, schools and 11 businesses to coordinate and launch statewide suicide prevention programming and services. 12 c. Improve and expand surveillance and data collection/interpretation systems, including child fatality 13 review. 14 d. Promote educational efforts to reduce access to lethal means and methods of self-harm for families. 15 Create protocol for clinicians and law enforcement to asses the presence of lethal means in the home. 16 e. Implement training for recognition of at-risk behavior and delivery of effective treatment. 17 f. Increase the proportion of clinical social work, counseling, and psychology graduate programs that 18 include training in assessment and management of suicide risk, and the identification and promotion of 19 protective factors. 20 1 21 g. Create regional suicide prevention coalitions.

22 h. Partner with the New Mexico Family Practice Association and the New Mexico Pediatrics Society and

23 other state entities to offer training for providers on evidence-based approaches in reducing self-harming

24 behaviors.

25 i. Improve access to community mental health and substance abuse services by addressing issues of

26 barriers to access, and creating linkages between various community agencies that provide services.

27 j. Work with the entertainment industry and news media to improve reporting and portrayals of suicidal

28 behavior, mental illness, and substance abuse.

29 k. Promote and support research on suicide and suicide prevention.

30 l. Target high risk youth and create culturally competent strategies to reduce self harm behavior.

31 m. Promote comprehensive integration of behavioral and primary health services by developing a system

32 for communication and documentation.

33 n. Create collaboration between behavioral and primary health statewide entities that respond to suicides in

34 the state.

35 o. Increase access to behavioral health services.

36 p. Implement evidence based youth suicide prevention education programs to targeted youth.

37 q. Create a network of crisis lines and educate adolescents on the availability of both local and national

help lines. Tribal Government

1 a. Develop and implement strategies for the Native community, including social marketing and outreach

2 campaigns, to reduce the code of silence associated with being a consumer of mental health, substance

3 abuse and suicide prevention services.

4 b. Implement training to reduce service disparities in Native American communities and to develop,

5 advocate and implement related legislative mandates.

6 c. Facilitate trainings to non-Native American agencies and providers to increase cultural competence.

7 d. Increase suicide prevention, education and outreach to at risk families.

2 8 e. Facilitate discussion with Native American Communities on the issues of youth suicide.

9 f. Build community capacity and community-driven models.

10 g. Increase collaboration between behavioral and primary health statewide entities to effectively respond

11 to suicides in the state.

12 h. Increase tele-health services in rural communities by finding funding sources.

13 i. Support research of “practice-based evidence” (such as traditional healing models) to move them into

14 “evidence-based practices”.

15 j. Increase number of intergovernmental agreements with tribes and pueblos to refer youth for behavioral

16 health intervention to prevent youth suicide.

17 k. Promote efforts to reduce access to lethal means and methods of self-harm. Local Government/Communities

1 Recommended Structure within which strategies should be placed:

2  Policy:

3 o Faith communities

4 o Linkages back to school systems, including universities 5  Program/Services: 6 o Youth engagement 7  Infrastructure- concepts to include are bulleted below: 8 o Local BH collaboratives 9 o Community-based organizations 10 a. Include youth participation and involvement in planning and implementation of youth suicide 11 prevention programs. 12 b. Develop outreach programs that acquaint the public with the early warning signs of suicide and provide 13 information on how best to respond to at risk individuals and seek assistance. 14 c. Participate in the New Mexico Suicide Prevention Coalition. 15

3 16 d. Create survivor support and postvention services for those affected by suicide.

17 e. Create regional suicide prevention coalitions.

18 f. Increase tele-health services in rural communities by creating funding sources.

19 g. Create a local resources guide for survivors of suicide.

20 h. Create collaboration between behavioral and primary health statewide entities that respond to suicides

in the state. Education Systems

1  Policy:

2  Program/Services:

3 o Culturally competent providers 4 o Services for youth in detention/long term residential centers 5  Infrastructure- concepts to include are bulleted below: 6 o Higher education. 7 o Increase on-site services. 8 a. Increase peer to peer programs. 9 b. Encourage schools to participate in statewide resiliency surveillance surveys like the Youth Resiliency 10 Report Survey (YRRS). 11 c. Educate diversity, sensitivity, understanding and respect for all youth regardless of race, ethnicity, 12 gender identity and sexual orientation. 13 d. Create community/school district suicide response through safe schools plans. 14 e. Include evidence-based curriculum to enhance suicide awareness among staff and students in the 15 school’s health and wellness policy. 16 f. Require higher education to enhance professional competency for school staff in training on self 17 harming behavior. 18 g. Create and implement programs that address bullying and create a positive school environment. 19 4 20 h. Include youth participation and involvement in planning and implementation of youth suicide

prevention programs.

22 i. Promote and conduct research on suicide and suicide prevention.

23 j. Educate students and parents on the resiliency model.

24 k. Develop suicide intervention and postvention protocols.

25 l. Provide a coordinated system of school mental health and primary health care services in schools.

26 m. Develop and implement strategies, including social marketing and outreach campaigns, to reduce the

27 stigma associated with being a consumer of mental health, substance abuse and suicide prevention

28 services.

29 n. Train primary health care providers on self-harm behavior.

30 o. Increase self help seeking behaviors.

31 p. Implement use of suicide screening tool voluntarily for all students.

32 q. Provide educational opportunities for parents to understand youth behavioral and primary health issues.

r. Create infant- preschool early intervention programs for healthy and resilient families. Health Care Providers/Organizations

1  Self Awareness

2 o Strengths-based approach to youth

3 o Awareness of adolescent development 4  Protocols/Policies 5 o Health plans – behavioral health services parity 6  Collaboration/Communication 7 a. Educate diversity, sensitivity, understanding and respect for all youth regardless of race, ethnicity, 8 gender identity and sexual orientation. 9 b. Develop and implement an evaluation plan to evaluate suicide programs. 10 c. Promote comprehensive integration of behavioral and primary health services. 11 d. Ensure mental health providers utilize evidence-based treatment practices. 5 12 e. Ensure access to appropriate, culturally competent behavioral health services regardless of payment

13 source.

14 f. Create community educational awareness on self harm for parents and providers.

15 g. Develop and implement strategies, including social marketing and outreach campaigns, to reduce the

16 stigma associated with being a consumer of mental health, substance abuse and suicide prevention

17 services.

18 h. Improve access to and community linkages with mental health and substance abuse services by ensuing

19 that individuals who are at high risk due to mental health and substance use problems can receive

20 prevention and treatment services.

21 i. Create and support wrap around services to enhance comprehensive health.

22 j. Enhance and maintain a current list of community referral of behavioral health care resources for a

23 continuum of care.

24 k. Create collaboration between behavioral and primary health and other statewide entities that respond to

25 suicides in the state.

26 l. Increase tele-health services in rural communities.

27 m. Improve access to community mental health and substance abuse services.

28 n. Promote and support research on suicide and suicide prevention.

29 o. Support training and implementation of early identification and evidence-based screening resources.

30 p. Educate providers about self-harm behavior. Business /worksites

1 a. Provide service learning and mentoring programs for youth.

2 b. Promote community and legislative efforts to reduce access to lethal means and methods of self-harm.

3 c. Collaborate/communicate with entities providing youth suicide prevention services.

4 d. Create a quality, culturally competent workforce by educating employees about youth behavioral health

5 issues, especially as they relate to youth suicide prevention.

6 e. Reduce the stigma associated with seeking mental health services by providing Employee Assistance

6 7 Programs for employees and their families, insurance for employees that includes behavioral services,

8 and education to employees about behavioral health problems.

9 f. Promote and support research on suicide and suicide prevention.

Families / Individuals

1  Actively engage, involve and partner with youth in planning, implementation and community

2 activities, including peer to peer, to prevent youth suicide, bullying and to respect diversity.

3  Participate in programs that address community and family violence and harm reduction.

4  Promote awareness in oneself, one’s family and friends regarding behavioral health and the trauma of

5 stigma.

6  Promote awareness in oneself, one’s family and friends regarding the warning signs of depression,

7 mental illness, and suicide and know where to get help.

8  Promote community awareness efforts to reduce access to lethal means and methods of self-harm.