March 22, 2023
Dear Parent/Guardian,
During this challenging year, school staff is working on teaching students about mental health and how to seek help if they are worried about themselves or a friend. We are using a program called SOS Signs of Suicide. The program teaches students about this challenging topic and encourages them to seek help. SHS will be presenting the SOS Signs of Suicide curriculum to all students during Advisory from April 3, 2023 - April 13, 2023.
Thousands of schools have used SOS for over 20 years. Studies have shown that it effectively teaches students about depression and suicide while reducing the number of students who self-reported suicide attempts.
Through the program, students learn: that depression is treatable, so they are encouraged to seek help how to identify depression and potential suicide risks in themselves or a friend
to ACT (Acknowledge, Care, and Tell a trusted adult) if concerned about themselves or a friend who they can turn to at school for help if they need it Students will watch age-appropriate video clips and participate in a guided discussion about depression, suicide, and what to do if they are concerned about a friend. Following the video, students will complete a brief depression screening tool. This tool cannot diagnose depression but does indicate whether a young person should be referred for evaluation by a mental health professional. At the end of class, students will complete an exit slip that asks whether they would like to talk to an adult about any concerns. School staff will conduct brief meetings with any student asking to talk.
We encourage you to visit www.mindwise.org/parents for information on warning signs for youth suicide, valuable resources, and some of the critical messages students will learn.
We are including the following:
An infographic for you to reinforce the ACT message at home A parent handout
If you have any questions or concerns about your child's participation in this program, please contact our School Social Worker, Courtney Porter; cporter@sau6.org
Sincerely,
Chris Pratt, SHS Principal
