News Release
For immediate release: December 30, 2009 (09-204)
Contact:
Debbie Ruggles, Community Health Systems 360-236-2859
Gordon MacCracken, Communications Office 360-236-4072
Youth suicide prevention plan offers guidance to intervention
OLYMPIA - Washington’s youth suicide rate remains higher than the national level, and the state is taking steps to turn that around. A new statewide plan offers tools and resources to help keep young people in Washington from taking their own lives.
Washington’s Youth Suicide Prevention Steering Committee developed “Washington State’s Plan for Youth Suicide Prevention” (www.doh.wa.gov/preventsuicide). The committee includes suicide experts and health professionals from across Washington.
“It’s a tragedy whenever a young person commits suicide, or hurts themselves trying to do so,” said Secretary of Health Mary Selecky. “We hope that Washington residents will see this plan as a guide to prevent youth suicide in their communities. It’s not any one agency’s plan. It’s a plan in which everyone wanting to prevent youth suicide can find a place for their work.”
On average, slightly more than two youths in Washington kill themselves each week. About 17 more are hospitalized after suicide attempts. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for Washington youth...
To continue reading click here
LOOK LISTEN LINK:
Second Curriculum developed by YSPP recognized as "Best Practice"
Middle school students in Washington State are experiencing stress, anxiety, depression and suicidal behaviors in alarming numbers. The good news is that now there is a curriculum that not only teaches 6th, 7th and 8th grade students about these issues, but also gives them skills to help a friend in need. The private, not-for-profit organization, Youth Suicide Prevention Program of Washington State, with funding from OSPI, developed the curriculum called LOOK LISTEN LINK. This week LOOK LISTEN LINK earned recognition as “Best Practice” - the first middle-level suicide prevention curriculum in the nation to be granted that status.
Harry Brown, Mercer Island Youth and Family Services counselor, based at Islander Middle School explains, “I wanted the LOOK LISTEN LINK curriculum taught at my school because I see firsthand the struggles that the kids have with managing their own stress and dealing with depression while at the same time not wanting to talk about it. I especially like that the curriculum gives practical skills that empower young people to know what to do if they are worried about a friend.
LOOK LISTEN LINK consists of four 45-minute lessons, designed for middle school teachers to easily embed into their health, social skills or family like curricula during the school year. Students engage in interactive exercises, classroom discussions, role-play practice and observation through an accompanying DVD that was produced for YSPP by the Spokane-based company, North By Northwest.
To continue reading click here
Kids Helping Kids: Curriculum Makes Impact In Youth Suicide Prevention
OLYMPIA — September 17, 2009 - Most educators would agree that a good education prepares a young person for the realities and challenges of the world. Schools now have a proven new tool to help them achieve that goal.
With funding from the Washington State Department of Health and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, the private non-profit Youth Suicide Prevention Program (YSPP) of Washington State has developed and pilot-tested a unique classroom-based curriculum for students in grades six through eight.
LOOK LISTEN LINK, delivered by middle school teachers in four lessons, is designed to empower young people to identify and manage their own stress and to recognize the factors that lead to depression. Given that depression is strongly correlated with suicide, the curriculum also teaches skills on how to confidently intervene with friends who may be at risk.
To continue reading this Press Release click here
New survey results give a window into teen behavior and risks |
| Survey includes information on alcohol, tobacco, and drug use |
OLYMPIA – March 13, 2009 (Dept. of Health #09-042)
A new survey of Washington students shows most are making good choices about their health. Still, far too many regularly use alcohol, tobacco, drugs, and engage in risky behavior.
The Healthy Youth Survey focuses on health risk behaviors. The anonymous voluntary survey is taken every two years by more than 210,000 public school kids around the state in grades six, eight, 10, and 12. It covers many topics young people face — drug, alcohol, and tobacco use; weapons in schools; gangs; gambling; physical activity; suicide; bullying; and more.
“This survey is a snapshot of what’s going on with youth in our state,” said Secretary of Health Mary Selecky. “We’re working hard to help kids make the right choices for their health. When they develop healthy habits early in life it provides an excellent foundation as they become adults.”
Overall, drug use, alcohol use, tobacco use, and obesity rates haven’t changed much since the last survey in 2006. Still, there’s cause for concern. Almost one in five 10th-graders reported having five or more drinks in a row at least once in the past two weeks. About one in 10 students in 10th and 12th grades say they used a prescription painkiller to get high.
“Because their brains are still developing, kids who use alcohol and other drugs are at much greater risk for addiction and other problems than adults,” said Stan Marshburn, interim secretary of the state Department of Social and Health Services. “It’s important for parents to set clear rules, talk with their children starting in elementary school, and keep at it through their teens.” Parents can get proven tips on how to talk with their kids (www.StartTalkingNow.org) online.
Students who use drugs and alcohol often don’t do well in school and are more likely to disengage or even drop out. “The results clearly show that negative influences in school hurt grades,” said Randy Dorn, State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Depression affects how kids do in class — those feeling depressed were more likely to get Cs, Ds, and Fs than kids who weren’t depressed.
There’s some good news about diet. The percent of kids in grades 10 and 12 who reported drinking two or more sodas a day dropped from about 20 percent in 2006 to around 15 percent in 2008. Drinking other sweetened beverages at school also decreased. School policies limiting sales of sodas and other sweetened beverages may have contributed to this improvement as fewer 10th and 12th-graders reported buying these beverages at school.
The dramatic reductions in teen smoking have leveled off in recent years. Just over 14 percent of 10th-graders report they’ve smoked a cigarette at least once in the past 30 days. That’s about the same as two years ago. The survey results also show that among youth who use tobacco, most use multiple types — such as flavored cigarettes, cigars, or chew — along with cigarettes. Since the Department of Health began its Tobacco Prevention and Control Program in 2000, overall smoking rates among youth have dropped by about half.
Some specific findings of the survey include:
Among 8th-graders, 41 percent who drink alcohol say they get it from home, and about 24 percent say their parents haven’t talked with them about alcohol and its risks.
Seven percent of 8th and 10th-graders gambled at least once a month in the past year.
Fewer students in grades 6, 8, and 12 say they enjoy being at school than in 2006. About one in five 8th-graders report skipping school in the past month.
About 8 percent of 8th and 10th-graders have been a member of a gang during the past year.
Among 6th-graders who sometimes feel sad or hopeless, about one in four say they do not have or are not sure if they have an adult in their life to talk to when they feel sad.
About 9 percent of 10th-graders report they tried to commit suicide in the past year, which is a similar rate to recent years.
Only about 70 percent of 10th-graders say they always wear a seat belt — similar to 2006.
Survey results are used to plan, implement, and evaluate youth programs around the state. The survey is a joint effort of the Department of Health, Department of Social and Health Services, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, Liquor Control Board, the Family Policy Council, and the Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development. The Healthy Youth Survey (www.doh.wa.gov/Topics/healthy_youth_2008) and fact sheets with more information are online.
Contacts:
| Deb Schnellman, DSHS/Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse | 360-236-4077 |
| Tim Church, Department of Health | 360-725-3763 |
| Nathan Olson, Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction | 360-725-6015 |
| Ramona Leber, Community Trade and Economic Development | 360-725-3033 |
| Brian Smith, Liquor Control Board | 360-664-1774 |
Suicide prevention curriculum gets national nod
OLYMPIA – March 13, 2009 – Students all over the country will now be able to benefit from a curriculum previously only available to Washington State students.
The H.E.L.P. (Helping Every Living Person) curriculum, which teaches students about suicide prevention, was listed on the Suicide Prevention Resource Center’s Best Practices Registry in February. The listing, one of only 12 in the nation, means that H.E.L.P. is a model program for suicide prevention.
“Many people are so excited about H.E.L.P.,” said Lisa Watson, curriculum coordinator for the Youth Suicide Prevention Program (YSPP), a private non-profit organization that developed the curriculum.
“Parents love it because it teaches students not just facts but communication skills – real-life skills and real words to use with a possibly suicidal friend. Parents also appreciate that their child’s friends are taught how to recognize suicidal behavior and be able to intervene. As we all know, many teens are more likely to go to their friends with problems before they seek out adults.”
H.E.L.P. was created when the state Legislature appropriated $100,000 in 2006 for the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction to hire a consultant to develop suicide prevention curriculum and implement it in the public schools. OSPI selected YSPP, a private non-profit organization, with oversight by the Department of Health, which had worked with YSPP on other contracts.
The curriculum was developed for health teachers to use in their 9th and 10th grade classrooms.To continue reading click here
