Need Help Now? We’re here to help you . . . Beaver County Crisis at 800.400.6180
Welcome to Beaver County’s Zero Suicide Initiative:
What is Zero Suicide?
The Zero Suicide framework is a system-wide organizational commitment toward
safer suicide care in health and behavioral health systems.
Get The Fact Sheet
Essential Elements of Suicide Care
- Lead system-wide culture change committed to reducing suicides
- Train a competent, confident, and caring workforce
- Identify individuals with suicide risk via comprehensive screening and assessment
- Engage all individuals at-risk of suicide using a suicide care management plan
- Treat suicidal thoughts and behaviors using evidence-based treatments
- Transition individuals through care with warm hand-offs and supportive contacts
- Improve policies and procedures through continuous quality improvement
Pennsylvania Statewide Suicide Prevention Task Force
Initial Report
January 14th, 2020
Zero Suicide Team Leaders Meeting
Power Point Presentation – 5/15/20
TRANSITION AGE MOBILE CRISIS
Transition Age Mobile Crisis is a short-term service that will respond by phone within 1 hour and attempt face-to-face contact in 24 hours to assess, stabilize, and link families to available supports and services while offering side-by-side support. Referrals can come from provider agencies, Courts, Schools, Self-referrals, CYS, etc.
Have Questions? Young people who are experiencing a crisis (and their family members) are encouraged to call us at 724-630-5189.
Pennsylvania’s New Mental Health/Warmline
As we know, we’re in an unprecedented time for everyone. It’s uncertain and very scary. This fear is completely understandable, and the indefinite timeline is likely creating a lot of anxiety during a time where we may be or feel more removed from our support networks. But social distancing doesn’t have to mean social isolation, and we want people to know that even as we all face this difficult period, no one is alone.
As of April 1 at 6 p.m. a new resource became available to the citizens of PA. A 24/7 mental health and crisis support line for people dealing with anxiety or other difficult emotions became available. Callers will be able to speak with staff who are trained in trauma-informed principles and will listen, assess the person’s needs, triage, and refer to other local supports and professionals as needed.
The Mental Health Support Line can be reached toll-free, 24/7
at 1-855-284-2494 from anywhere in PA.
It’s a difficult time, and it’s easy to feel alone and cut-off from the world, but we need people to know that they are not alone, and support is available. Please help share the word about this resource.
If you or someone you know is in an emergency,
call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or call 911 immediately.
The Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7, confidential support via text message to people in crisis when they text PA to 741741.
Additional options if you need to talk to someone at this difficult time.
Other Important Resources:
National de Prevención del Suicidio
1.888.628.9454
Options for Deaf + Hard of Hearing
1.800.799.4889
Veteran’s Crisis Line
1.800.273.8255 (Press 1)
TransLifeLine
1.877.565.8860
Disaster Distress Helpline
1.800.985.5990
This convenient magnet is available to raise awareness and provide helpful resource numbers.
To request magnets, please email: bczerosuicide@gmail.com
FREE TRAININGS:
LEARNING: Self-help . . .
Now Matters Now – Skills and support for coping with suicidal thoughts.
ABOUT: We have had suicidal thoughts and emotions and problems that felt unsolvable. Here are our stories, including research based ways for managing the most painful moments of life. We teach Mindfulness, Mindfulness of Current Emotion, Opposite Action and Paced-breathing. These skills are part of Dialectical Behavior Therapy or DBT, proven to be helpful for people considering suicide. These tools are not considered a replacement for one-to-one counseling. You do not have to have suicidal thoughts or mental health problems to use these tools – they are useful for most people and on many problems.
STAR-Center: Teen Handbook on Depression
We have found that educating people about depression and suicide is one of our best tools in helping to treat psychiatric illness and prevent suicide. This handbook has been designed to help educate you [the teen] about your illness. We hope that the information will help you remain hopeful and know that all difficult situations can improve without your needing to resort to suicide or any self-harming behavior. To print this manual, click here.
STAR-Center: Young Adult Transition Group: A Treatment Manual
To address the needs of young adults transitioning out of child/adolescent mental health services, we developed a brief group intervention delivered to young adults and their parents during the 6 months prior to college or transition to living independently in the community. For young adults, we offer a monthly 60-minute group that begins in March and ends in August of the final year of high school. Three concurrent parent sessions are offered in March, May, and August. Parents and young adults join together for the final group to celebrate and conclude treatment. The transition group program sessions focus on scaffolding knowledge about one’s own skills (and deficits) related to independent living, successful transition to college or community, and ability to independently manage a chronic mental health disorder. Didactics and discussion focus on ways young adults can gradually build toward greater independence in several different domains. To print this manual, click here
LEARNING: Helping others . . .
“I care about you.”
How to Start (and Continue!) a Conversation About Mental Health: A #RealConvo Guide from AFSP
Check out (and share) other AFSP #RealConvo Guides:
If Someone Tells You They’re Thinking About Suicide: A #RealConvo Guide from AFSP
Reaching Out for Help: A #RealConvo Guide from AFSP
How to Talk to a Suicide Loss Survivor: A #RealConvo Guide from AFSP
LivingWorks START
In just one hour online, LivingWorks Start teaches trainees to recognize when someone is thinking about suicide and connect them to help and support.
COVID-19 update: In this difficult time, people are struggling with increased stress and anxiety. Suicide prevention skills are needed more than ever, and we’re doing our part to help by offering LivingWorks Start for $20 and donating a portion of all proceeds to relief efforts.
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
July is Minority Mental Health Month!
Each July, Minority Mental Health Awareness Month draws attention to the unique needs and range of experiences that underrepresented communities face when addressing mental health issues. This month, the AFSP is continuing the conversation around minority mental health, and examining how we can better support suicide prevention in diverse communities.
We’ve launched our Minority Mental Health Awareness Month webpage, featuring the voices of our volunteers, mental health and suicide prevention resources, and ways to get engaged through social media graphics and messages, a calendar of events taking place throughout the month, and much more.
There is still much work to be done to better support the mental health needs of diverse communities. We hope you’ll join us as we strive to create a culture that’s smart about mental health for everyone. We look forward to learning from – and elevating the voices of – experts in the field throughout the month of July and beyond.
Help and support for parents during COVID-19
STAR-Center: Living with Depression: A Survival Manual for Families, Third Edition
This manual was written for families. Our intent is to help you gain a better understanding of an extremely complicated issue by providing the most updated information on depression and suicide. We also hope to offer helpful coping strategies for your family. We have learned that by partnering with parents, we increase our chances of helping your adolescent overcome the depression. (currently undergoing revisions)
STAR-Center: Child and Adolescent Anxiety: A Handbook for Families
This manual will provide you with an overview of the types of anxiety disorders, information about the possible causes, types of treatment available, as well as suggestions that may help your family member cope with, and recover from his/her illness. (currently undergoing revisions)
The Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) provides timely information:
Webpages and Information Sheets on mental health and coping with the effects of COVID-19.
(These resources are a selection from key organizations in the field. They will be updated as new resources become available.)
SPRC provides in-person trainings, online courses, webinars, and other virtual learning experiences.
THE RIPPLE EFFECT – A FILM AND A MOVEMENT FOR HOPE AND HEALING
AS A PRECAUTION TO AVOID THE SPREAD OF COVID-19, ALL SCREENINGS HAVE BEEN POSTPONED.
(Learn more)
ALSO DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAININGS HAVE BEEN TEMPORARILY POSTPONED.
The Data
From NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)
• Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10-34 in the U.S.
• Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S.
• The overall suicide rate in the U.S. has increased by 31% since 2001
• 46% of people who die by suicide had a diagnosed mental health condition
• 90% of people who die by suicide had shown symptoms of a mental health condition, according to interviews with family, friends and medical professionals (also known as psychological autopsy)
• Lesbian, gay and bisexual youth are 4x more likely to attempt suicide than straight youth
• 75% of people who die by suicide are male
• Transgender adults are nearly 12x more likely to attempt suicide than the general population
• Annual prevalence of serious thoughts of suicide, by U.S. demographic group:
4.3% of all adults
11.0% of young adults aged 18-25
17.2% of high school students
47.7% of lesbian, gay, and bisexual high school students
Grief Supports
We are all grieving something . . .
When Grief becomes a Mental Health issue
Lifeline of Listening Friends
A Listing of Suicide Loss Support Groups surrounding Pittsburgh
providing support for your journey of grief along the healing pathway
Survivors of Suicide (SOS) Group
SOS is a support group for bereaved family members and close friends of suicide victims. This group provides a safe place for survivors to deal with the painful questions and feelings that follow suicide.
The meetings are held on Wednesday evenings from 5:30 to 7:30 in a classroom at Bellefield Towers, located in Oakland. Parking is free. Please call for group start dates.
LOCATION:
STAR-Center of UPMC Western Psychiatric
100 North Bellefield Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-2593
412.864.3346
Suicide Loss & Healing Support Group
2019/2020 Meeting Schedule
This group, for adults 18 and over, meets continuously throughout the year. The goal of the support group is to provide a warm, welcoming , hopeful environment to those who need to talk about their grief and relate to others without stigma. Our support group is here to help you with your healing.
Meetings are held monthly on the fourth Monday of the month from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm.
CONTACT INFO:
Michele Kelly-Thompson 724-510-3271
Alicia Craig 724-510-3344
Laurlyn Smith 724-510-3274
suicidelossgroup@humanservicescenter.net
LOCATION:
New Castle Public Library (Copernicus Room on 1st floor)
207 E. North Street
New Castle, PA 16101
After a Suicide (Suicide Prevention Resource Center)
Recommendations for Religious Services & Other Public Memorial Observances
Click here for other Local Resources on Loss and Grief
