Anne Arundel County Public Schools

Presented by Jan Arnold jarnold@aacps.organd Kris McNally kmcnally@aacps.org

Office of Health Education, May 6, 2010

Suicide Prevention in Health Education

What in Health Education?Middle School - Grade 6, 7, and 8

15 days within phys ed at each grade to address ALL areas of health:

Mental and Emotional HealthAlcohol, Tobacco and Other DrugsPersonal & Consumer HealthFamily Life and Human SexualitySafety & Injury PreventionNutrition and FitnessDisease Prevention and Control

High School Health1 semester course, ½ credit graduation

requirement mostly 9th and 10th grade students

All 7 Health Content areas, but able to focus more on Health SkillsDecision MakingGoal SettingAccessing InformationHealth Enhancing BehaviorsAnalyzing InfluencesCommunication SkillsAdvocacy

Accomplished 2009-2010

CurriculumReviewed existing Safety/Injury Prevention

and Mental Health UnitsSelected research based curriculum -

LifelinesPiloted Lifelines in two schools

Arundel & ChesapeakePurchased for all schools

TrainingTrained as Trainers for QPRAttended statewide Suicide Prevention

Conference

Plans for 2010-11

Curriculum June 2010- Rewrite high school health – align with state curriculum

Suicide Prevention- increase time and move it from Safety/Injury Prevention Unit to Mental

Health Unit Lifelines program in all high school Health Classes

½ credit semester-long graduation requirement (gr. 9-10)

Training August 12th & 18th – all high school teachers trained in

QPR and Lifelines

1. To increase the probability that persons who come into contact with potentially suicidal adolescents:

a. can more readily identify them

b. know how to respond to them

c. know how to rapidly obtain help for them

d. will be consistently inclined to take such action

2. To make sure troubled youth are aware of and have access to helping resources so that they are inclined to seek help as an alternative to suicide

Lifelines Objectives

To present relevant facts about suicide

To alert students to signs of suicide risk in peers and encourage serious responses

To outline ways to respond to troubled peers

To demonstrate positive attitudes about intervention and help-seeking behavior

To identify resources

Student Curriculum Objectives

PRIOR TO TEACHING LIFELINES

Attend a QPR Training and Lifelines Professional DevelopmentLet your Guidance Counselor and School Nurse

know when you will be teaching the lessons.Know who students can go to for help in your

building & share this information with your students. Be as specific as possible (names, locations, procedures)

Post the Youth Crisis /Suicide Prevention Hotline Numbers in your classroom. Refer to student ID’s.

SUICIDE PREVENTION RESOURCES:Anne Arundel County

Crisis Warm Line 410-768-5522

The Crisis Response System known as the "Community Warmline" is a service that provides Anne Arundel County Residents in crisis with supportive assistance and linkages to resources within the community. The "Community Warmline" can receive calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Maryland Youth Crisis Hotline – 1-800-422-0009 Services for crisis can range from addressing the needs of the homeless,

family conflicts, emotional difficulties, and suicide attempts to large scale disaster relief.

 

National Youth Suicide Hotlines24 hours a day, 7 days per week, toll free

1-800-SUICIDE 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-784-2433) (1-800-273-8255)