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Understanding Youth Suicide and Effective Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention Strategies: 4th Annual Central Valley Convening

Date: March 11, 2021

REL West and the California School-Based Health Alliance hosted a free virtual event to provide Central Valley educators and health and mental health practitioners with skills and guidance to prevent suicide among children and youth in the region.

In response to recent increases in depression and suicidal ideation among young people in the Central Valley, this event was designed to support youth-serving adults as they work in the context of an ongoing pandemic, social unrest, and isolation. Participants learned from state and local leaders about practical information and resources for understanding, responding to, and preventing youth suicide.

Goals for the event included:

  • Presenting research on the causes, consequences, and rates of youth suicide
  • Teaching practical, evidence-based strategies for youth suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention
  • Sharing resources on youth suicide prevention

The event was the fourth annual convening of its kind in the Central Valley related to addressing trauma and mental health supports for children and youth in school and school-based health settings. All topics in this event series are prioritized through the work of REL West’s Central Valley Rural Education and Health Alliance, which focuses on evidence-based, cross-sector approaches for supporting students and families in the region.

Resources

Video: Postvention is Prevention: Considerations for Responding to Youth Suicide

This video shares highlights from the keynote presentation by Stan Collins, an expert in suicide prevention and consultant for state and national efforts to address and prevent youth suicide. The video includes concrete strategies for postvention, which are actions taken after a student’s death by suicide, and emphasizes the importance of planning for school- and community-wide responses before such an event occurs.  

Audience

Educators and health and mental health practitioners, including student support services staff, school mental health services providers, school and School-Based Health Center (SBHC) nurses, and school staff in California’s Central Valley.

Details

Date
March 11, 2021

Location
Virtual

Contact Information
BethAnn Berliner, bberlin@wested.org

Area
Trauma-Informed Practices (Supporting the Whole Child)

Speakers

  • Central High School-East National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) On-Campus Club
  • Stan Collins, Directing Change Program and Film Content
  • Fresno Cares Suicide Prevention Coalition
  • Sidra Goldman-Mellor, UC Merced
  • Ashley Mills, California Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission
  • Monica Nepomuceno, California Department of Education
  • Candice Wilkins, Center for Grief and Healing at Hinds Hospice