Mental Health Initiative

Rural Partnership to Prevent Youth Suicide: A rural mental health initiative

Suicide among youth (15-19 years) ranks as the third leading cause of death in the United States. (source: US Department of Health and Human Services, Healthy People 2010). From the local perspective twenty three young people committed suicide in Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, and Wyoming Counties between 1994 and 1996. Self inflicted injury (age 15-19) during 1994-96 totaled 244 cases. Data from New York State Office of Mental Health for 1995 indicated that 15.7% of all mental health inpatient stays in Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Wyoming counties were 18 years old or younger. In the same three counties just nine percent of youth with mental health problems received community-based support services.
The mental health service gap in rural Western New York is wide: it spans age, distance, isolation, fragmentation, and ignorance. This gap can be narrowed by bringing people together to improve access and availability of youth-based mental health services in rural Western New York. For these reasons, the Healthy Community Alliance has established the Rural Partnership to Prevent Youth Suicide: A rural mental health initiative. This project is funded by an $88,104 grant from the John R. Oishei Foundation of Buffalo, New York.
The partnership brings together public and private mental health providers, local government agencies, educators, mental health service consumers and community leaders. Strategies for community outreach and education are being designed and implemented to improve access, availability, and referrals for service.
Some of the Partnership’s activities include:

·       Compiled an inventory/directory of available services; identifying gaps.
·       Reviewed national and local data and identifying best practices.
·       Convened community forums to obtain input from youth and family members who have been affected by mental health issues/suicide.
·       Developed and implemented a comprehensive, community-wide, outcome-based youth suicide prevention program focused on awareness, education, outreach, and peer support.
·       Monitored program activities and outcomes.

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The activities of the partnership evolved over the years. Currently, the Alliance has joined forces with a number of other Western New York organizations for the H.E.A.R.T. initiative (Helping Every Adolescent Rally Together). The new collaboration includes Crisis Services, Healthy Community Alliance (HCA), Mental Health Association of Erie County (MHA), and Music is Art (MIA). The goal is to address youth mental health awareness in Western New York.

The John R. Oishei Foundation is supporting this unique initiative through a $302,000 grant that will be used to implement a comprehensive, coordinated strategy to increase the awareness of mental health among youth, particularly those young people who are dealing with issues related to suicide, relationships, alienation, loneliness and bullying. The project will focus on high school students and involve parents, teachers, school administrators, and mental health professionals.

Although there are some school-based supports to address youth mental health issues, this project is unique in its unified, comprehensive approach. The goal of the new collaboration is to achieve more positive outcomes together than would be possible separately.

The projects main components are:

Awareness and Recognition through school-based activities that include creative arts such as music, literature, theatre, and visual arts designed to reach young people.

Education using MHA's Tell-It program to raise awareness of mental health issues and decrease misunderstanding and stigma among adolescents, parents, and school professionals. In addition, an evidence- based component called SOS (Signs of Suicide) that includes a lesson and screening tool on suicide prevention will also be offered.

Personal Assistance and Support provided by Crisis Services. Their Kids Helpline is a 24 hour support hotline and on-line support center providing individual and group counseling using the internet.

Awareness and Recognition will begin in schools with the implementation of MIA's School Assembly Music Concert Program followed by the educational component including the Tell-It Program. Personal Assistance and Support follows and includes on-line intervention through CS's Kids Helpline. The project anticipates reaching a minimum of twelve school districts over the next two years. Dr. Monsoor Kazi, a professional evaluator at SUNY Buffalo will measure project outcomes.

The John R. Oishei Foundation's mission is to enhance the quality of life for Buffalo area residents by supporting education, healthcare, scientific research and the cultural, social, civic, and other charitable needs of the community. The foundation was established in 1940 by John R. Oishei, founder of Trico Products Corporation.

If you would like more information about the Healthy Community Alliance’s Rural Partnership to Prevent Youth Suicide: A rural mental health initiative, call us at 716.532.1010 or e-mail accordinob@hcanetwork.org

Below are some websites to learn more about suicide:
Families Together in NYS, Inc.       www.ftnys.org
American Association of Suicidology     www.suicidology.org
American Fdn. for Suicide Prevention   www.afsp.org
American Psychological Association     www.apa.org
Suicide Awareness Voices of Education   www.save.org
Suicide Education and Information Ctr. www.wiec.org
Suicide Prevention Advocacy Network www.spanusa.org
Yellow Ribbon Program    www.yellowribbon.org
Center for Disease Control   www.cdc.gov
Center for Mental Health Services www.mentalhealth.org
Washington State PTA    www.wastatepta.org
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill    www.nami.org
Suicide Information and Education Center www.siec.ca
Mental Health Association of NYS   www.mhanys.org
NYS Office of Mental Health           www.omh.state.ny.us
Teen Screen www.teenscreen.org

SUICIDE FACT SHEET

n      Every 17 minutes another life is lost to suicide. Every day 86 Americans take their own life and over 1500 attempt suicide.
n      Suicide is now the eighth leading cause of death in Americans.
n      For every two victims of homicide in the U.S. there are three persons who take their own lives.
n      There are now twice as many deaths due to suicide than due to HIV/AIDS.
n      Between 1952 and 1995, the incidence of suicide among adolescents and young adults nearly tripled.
n      In the month prior to their suicide, 75% of elderly persons had visited a physician.
n      Over half of all suicides occur in adult men, aged 25-65.
n      Many who make suicide attempts never seek professional care immediately after the attempt.
n      Males are four times more likely to die from suicide than are females.
n      More teenagers and young adults die from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia and influenza, and chronic lung disease, combined.
n      Suicide takes the lives of more than 30,000 Americans every year.

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