Suicide Awareness | Helena 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. Five lessons are presented by outside mental health professionals. For more info on YAM, please contact Mr. Murgel or Josyln Davidson at jdavidson@helenaschools.org

QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) – 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)
- Coping skills bookmark with resources distributed to all students
- School counselors read daily messages to students on the PA System
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
Montana Behavior Initiative at HHS
- School wide universal expectation
- Social/emotional classroom lessons taught by School Counselors
- Interventions such as Freshmen Teams, Transitions, Team Meetings and referrals to School Counselors, and check in/check out.
- Bengal Pounds, Postcards Home and MBI Students of the Month
Assistance Team
- 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.
Intermountain in the Schools
- One CSCT Team (Comprehensive School and Community Treatment). The team includes a licensed therapist and behavioral specialist.
- SBOT (School Based Outpatient Therapist)
Mental Health Screener
- This is a free, optional service. Letters were distributed in October explaining this opportunity for students and families. Contact the counseling center for more information of click on the following link:
- Behavior Health and Wellness Letter 2020
- Behavior Health and Wellness Screening Parent-Guardian Consent Form