Dear Parent / Guardian,
During this challenging year and in compliance with New Hampshire SB282, school staff are working on teaching students about mental health and how to seek help if they are worried about themselves or a friend. We are again using a program called SOS Signs of Suicide. The program teaches students about this difficult topic and encourages them to seek help.
We understand last year was extremely difficult for many students at Stevens because of a death by suicide, and this may be a sensitive topic for many. Thousands of schools have used SOS over the past few decades. 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 they identify depression and potential suicide risk 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 response 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.
Students will also complete a brief depression screening tool. This tool cannot provide a diagnosis of depression but does indicate whether a young person should be referred for evaluation by a mental health professional.
We encourage you to visit www.sossignsofsuicide.org/parent for information on warning signs for youth suicide, useful resources, and some of the key messages students will learn.
We include the following:
An infographic for you to reinforce the ACT message at home
An info sheet with resources
A Google Slides presentation specifically for parents
If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s participation in this program, don't hesitate to get in touch with me at cpratt@sau6.org, or any of our school counselors.
Sincerely,
Christopher Pratt, Principal