- Evergreen Middle School
- Mental Health
Signs of Suicide (SOS) by Mind Wise
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At Evergreen Middle School, we know it is important to teach students about mental health and how to seek help if they are worried about themselves or a friend. We are using a program called SOS Signs of Suicide. The program teaches students about this difficult topic and encourages them to seek help.
SOS has been used by thousands of schools over the past few decades. Studies have shown that it effectively teaches students about depression and suicide while reducing the number of students’ self-reported suicide attempts.
Through the program, students learn:
- that depression is treatable, so they are encouraged to seek help
- how to 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 which 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.
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.
On this page you will find:
- An infographic for you the reinforce the ACT message at home
- A video to learn more about signs and symptoms of depression and suicide
You will also find resources for crisis intervention and counseling on this website. If you have any questions or concerns about suicide prevention or intervention please contact your child's school counselor.
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Helping Your Child Save a Life: SOS Parent Training
This 30-minute video for middle school and high school parents educates on the risk factors and warning signs of depression and suicide and how to ACT (Acknowledge, Care, Tell) if parents are concerned about a young person in your life.
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Preventing Youth Suicide: Risk Factors, Warning Signs, What to Do
This is a document that outlines risk factors, warning signs, what to do if your child is contemplating suicide. If you or someone you know is suicidal, get help immediately via 911, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK or the Crisis Text Line (text “HOME” to 741741).