• A health communication campaign focused on reducing suicide among 19-24 year olds who are not in any academic setting
• Coordination and support of a Train-the-Trainers Program to improve statewide access to gatekeeper trainers and trainers in the new clinical core competencies workshop for behavioral health professionals
• Convening of a Work Group to include members from child and youth support programs in other departments to provide oversight and expert input for the Program. TYSP Program staff will also work closely with the Michigan Suicide Prevention Coalition to also expand and diversify its membership.

Intervention

• Awarding of grants to six communities to develop or enhance comprehensive local prevention and early intervention efforts.
• A Technical Assistance Program for communities not receiving grant funds to assist them with a) building the skills and knowledge of teams from their communities in coalition building, strategic planning, and suicide prevention/early intervention; and b) beginning the process of planning a course of action for their community.

• Create regional suicide prevention programs to implement services locally. In July 2006 the Missouri Department of Mental Health established seven Regional Resource Centers, positioned throughout the state to ensure coverage of both rural and urban populations of young people.
• Provide mini-awards to local organizations to fund suicide prevention projects, enabling the needs of underserved at risk populations to be addressed at the community level. Since its inception the Project has made 75 awards totaling over $153,000.
• Provide suicide prevention interventions for college students and training for secondary school teachers. The project contracts with the University of Missouri to provide innovative university based programs to reach college age youth and residence staff utilizing strength-based strategies. The Project also works with the Center for Advancement of Mental Health Practices in Schools within the UMC College of Education to provide training and develop an on-line suicide prevention training component for professionals.
• Conduct evaluation to assure fidelity with best practices and measure outcomes. The Project contracts with the Missouri Institute of Mental Health (MIMH) within the UMC School of Medicine to assist in the collection and analysis of data in order to monitor the effectiveness of services.
• Build statewide and local public/private partnerships of stakeholders to raise awareness and generate support for more suicide prevention resources. In conjunction with the Regional Resource Centers, the state Suicide Prevention Advisory Committee, and various other partners, the Project works to increase both intergovernmental support and public awareness, while advocating for sustaining suicide prevention efforts in Missouri. An annual conference has enabled partnerships to be realized at both state and local levels and to raise awareness regarding the stigma perpetuated by the silence surrounding suicide.

It is estimated that over 100,000 children in the Gulf Coast region will develop post-traumatic stress disorder and experts in the field of child traumatic stress are concerned about the slow burn of depression that is becoming increasingly evident, especially among teens attempting to recover while displaced from their homes or living in compromised conditions. Priority has been placed on the six Costal counties most directly impacted by the storm and its long-lasting impact. This area remains most vulnerable to youth suicide due to the impacts on socio-economic status and breakdowns in local social and service structures.

Living in these conditions, over two years post-Katrina, has exacerbated the sense of loss and hopelessness for this population and is especially taxing on teens and young adults struggling to attain a sense of identity and relying on their communities to provide normalcy and much needed social supports. This proposal outlines the process for development of, and access to, appropriate youth suicide prevention and interventions. By expanding on the structure of existing local Making A Plan (MAP) Teams and including other key stakeholders in their respective communities throughout the state, we will ensure that information and resources are spread consistently and are inclusive of age, race, ethnicity, culture, language, sexual orientation, disability, literacy and gender diversity in the target population. Reflected, will be the intention of MS to address prevention of youth suicide in a strategic, concerted, and collaborative manner. We are moving forward in a sustained manner transforming how communities prepare for and respond not only to post-disaster mental health needs of our youth but also to the escalating critical concern regarding youth suicide throughout the country.

Objective 1: Improve access to and availability of appropriate prevention services for vulnerable youth in up to fifteen communities and one Institution of higher learning

Update: 

1. July 06 - Specific criteria for the RFP to be made available to public and private agencies across the state was identified.
2. August 2006, An RFP to fund community and local projects to prevent youth suicide was made public and posted on the Department of Administration website
3. September 1, 2006 Department of Administrative received 14 proposals for community projects in Montana to prevent youth suicide.
4. September 15, 2006 an objective review committee met and discussed, reviewed and scored the proposals
5. September 15, 2006 - 12 communities were notified of grant award for community project to prevent youth suicide.
6. October 1, 2006 -  Entered into contractual agreements with the 12 funded YSP community projects
7. October 24 and 25, 2006 - Training provided to the 12 funded YSP sites on cross-site evaluation and local evaluation by Stacy Johnson, OCR-Macro and Dr. Tim Dunnagan, MSU, Statewide evaluator
8. The 2007 Montana Legislature passed Senate Bill 468 which is intended to fund a Statewide Suicide Prevention Coordinator to coordinate all suicide prevention activities being conducted by DPHHS and coordinate with any suicide prevention activities that are conducted by other state agencies, including the university system.  This bill also has funding to: develop a biennial suicide reduction plan that addresses reducing suicides; provide grants to communities or other entities to start new or sustain existing suicide prevention activities; provide a 24/7 suicide hotline staffed by paid trained employees; and conduct an annual review of hotline utilization and operator performance.  Legislative funding is $800,000 for biennium.
9. In August 2007, DPHHS’ YSP prevention coordinator traveled to Missoula to meet with local coordinators from Missoula, University of Montana and Western Montana Mental Health Center in Missoula. A discussion of the provision of parent presentations focused on information about suicide, mental health and talking to their kids about these issues in local communities was facilitated.
10. Facilitated a conference call in September 2007 with 12 funded local contractors. Conference call agenda included 1) evaluation update and helpful hints as they continue to use the evaluation tools, 2) discussion of proposal to accomplish the grant activity of providing community parent presentations and 3) discussion of incorporating deliverables from Senate Bill 468 into existing efforts which will be presented at the next Task Force meeting in November 2007.

Objective 2: Increase access to and community linkages with mental health and substance abuse services throughout the state.

Key Activities

1. December 2005 - DPHHS - CACH Section was designated state lead on suicide prevention to coordinate local Montana programs involved in suicide prevention and intervention
2. January 2006 - DPHHS recruited task force members through letters, telephone calls and newspaper announcements in communities throughout Montana
3. February 2006 - A statewide task force on youth and young adult suicide prevention was established.  Appointments were made by the Director of our Department. 
4.  With support from Montana’s YSP Project, SPRC presented Suicide Prevention: Community Core Competencies in Helena on Jan. 31 and Feb.1, 2006.  Approximately 50 people from around Montana were trained.  Subcommittees of task force formed to discuss, define, develop and recommend guidelines
5. March 24, 2006 – First Youth Suicide Prevention Task Force meeting was held in Helena.  Louisa Holmes from SPRC presented to the public health model of suicide prevention.
6. May 12, 2006 – Second Task Force meeting
7. November 6, 2006 – Third Task Force meeting
8. March 22, 2007 – Fourth Task Force meeting
9. November 27, 2007 – Fifth Task Force meeting currently scheduled
10. At all of the Task Force meetings, local communities work together to coordinate existing efforts regarding the issue of youth suicide.
11. Collaboration with TLC YSP grant.  In August, Deborah Henderson was appointed to their technical advisory board.  Attended meetings in August and October, 2006, January, April and August 2007.

Objective 3:  By the end of the first year of the grant, activities for public information and awareness will be implemented in order to promote awareness that suicide is a public health problem and is preventable.

1. March, 2006, met with executive director of the Montana Mental Health Association re: Public Service Announcements targeting youth.  PSAs are being edited and the executive director presented at the Nov. 6 Task Force Meeting.
2. Montana’s State Strategic Plan was distributed at the American Academy of Pediatrics, Montana Chapter meeting in June 2006 and to the Montana Legislature in January 2007.
3. News segment aired with interview with the Project Director on local TV stations after a youth shot him self at school.  SPRC guidelines on reporting suicide by the media distributed to major news outlets statewide.
4. DPHHS Montana YSP Project coordinated with the Emergency Medical Services subcommittee to provide SPRC Core Competency Training in Yellowstone County.
5. Numerous local projects support the deployment of QPR and ASSIST as well as other citizen/professional awareness and referral campaigns in those communities where referral resources exist.
6. Two reservation based projects will be providing a skills-based curriculum for middle school-aged students.
7. Several funded community projects will implement the Yellow Ribbon Campaign and student-run prevention awareness campaigns in schools.
8. A link was added to the Department of Public Health's website for Youth Suicide Prevention:  http://www.dphhs.mt.gov/PHSD/family-health/suicide-prevention/suicide-prev-index.shtml
9. The Columbia TeenScreen identification is being conducted by two contractors at the local level which includes a referral and follow-up program within local high schools. Free mental health screenings were also offered in several communities during Suicide Prevention Week in September 2007 and Mental Health Screening Day in October 2007.
10. A suicide prevention panel presented information on the prevalence of suicide in Montana and local prevention efforts during the Montana Mental Health Association Annual conference which was held in May 2007.
11. In July 2007, Montana’s YSP Director presented information on Montana’s grant activities at the National SPAN conference in DC.
12. In September 2007, a suicide prevention panel presented possible policy solutions to the mental health and suicide crisis in Montana during the Montana Public Health Association conference.
13. The Department of Public Health and Human Services entered into a contractual agreement with the Montana Mental Health Association to organize, train and empower youth in Montana to develop a public service announcement around suicide and stigma of mental illness which will be geared toward the youth in our state.  A VISTA is working at the Mental Health Association on this project.

Eighty-eight probation officers in four NYS counties have undergone Project Connect’s 2-day Gatekeeper Training. Training resulted in significant improvements in a range of scores: an almost 20 percent increase in mental health knowledge and a four percent increase in perceived mental health competency. While training increased officers’ knowledge in general, it was particularly beneficial for those without prior mental health experience, raising their scores to the level of their more experienced counterparts.

• Development and adoption of a suicide prevention training for physician/nurse/healthcare personnel in hospitals and primary care clinic settings;
• Incorporation of suicide prevention training requirements among adolescent substance abuse treatment providers, juvenile justice, school districts, and other youth-serving agencies through increased suicide prevention instructors;
• Development of a state youth suicide prevention website;
• Development of a community toolkit training curriculum and guide;
• Initiation of five targeted projects in three communities, one tribal government, and one university; and
• Expansion of the state’s youth suicide prevention plan and legislatively mandated Council.

Project outcomes will result in: 14,000 gatekeepers, including 200 university faculty and 1,000 students trained in Question, Persuade, and Refer (Q.P.R.) and lethality assessment, which will impact at least 180,000 high risk youth. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will be developed with all child serving departments of state government as well as community partners/agencies that serve youth statewide. The MOU stipulates that each department or agency is in agreement to support the TLC project and to promote the institutionalization of suicide prevention in their respective departments. The TLC project will also develop regional resource directories that will be distributed at TLC trainings and through other venues. A social marketing campaign will be developed to raise awareness of this public health problem and will include TV and radio PSA’s. TLC will provide awareness training to at least 15 professional organizations and 5 state advisory boards/commissions. The TLC project will partner with at least 2 existing youth boards and will seek their advice about the curriculum as well as marketing material. Additionally TLC will train at least one youth to provide the TLC training with one of TLC’s trainers. A sustainability plan and needs assessment will be completed. The TLC project will assure that the three phases of evaluation are completed and the results used to inform and to guide future suicide prevention initiatives.

1. Establishing and maintaining a statewide coalition focused on suicide prevention to help coordinate prevention activities and to provide opportunities for traditional and nontraditional partners to collaborate on suicide prevention projects.
2. Convening college campus students, staff and faculty at 4 college campuses in Pierce County to implement effective or promising suicide prevention strategies;
3. Implementing evidence-based suicide prevention strategies with one community based organization that serves at-risk youth and two Native American organizations

• Statewide Suicide Knowledge, Attitudes & Opinions Telephone Survey
• Wyoming Youth Suicide Prevention & Anti-Stigma Media Campaign
• State Suicide Prevention Youth Summit
• NASW Conference – Youth Suicide Prevention Clinical Training
• Council for Exceptional Children Suicide Prevention Conference
• Families & Students Together Suicide Prevention Project of Sheridan County
• SOS Suicide Prevention School-Based Program
• Yellow Ribbon Youth Suicide Prevention Training
• Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training & SafeTALK Trainings
• College Student Suicide Prevention and Education Website
• Youth Empowerment Council Peer-to-Peer Trainings
• Rock Springs Living Art Project
• Big Horn Basin Youth Suicide Prevention Program
• Wind River Reservation Native INSPIRE Initiative