AFSP Partners with NYSOMH to Educate Teachers and Other School Personnel about Suicide Prevention
AFSP has partnered with the New York State Office of Mental Health to develop an educational program to help teachers and other school personnel learn more about teen suicide and how they can play a role in its prevention. More Than Sad: Suicide Prevention Education for Teachers and Other School Personnel features two films, each approximately 25 minutes in length, and a manual that integrates both films into a comprehensive suicide prevention program. The program is designed to comply with states that have requirements or recommendations for teacher education in suicide prevention, and can be used for group trainings or individual study. The first film, More Than Sad: Preventing Teen Suicide, provides teachers, counselors and other school personnel an overview of the causes of suicidal behavior in teens, emphasizing in particular the mental disorders that can lead to suicide in young people. |
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It identifies behaviors that may warn of suicide, and the steps teachers and other adults in the school can take to get help for at-risk students.
The program also incorporates AFSP’s film, More Than Sad: Teen Depression, to show teachers and other school personnel how depression can be manifested in teens, and the various ways depressed youth can be identified and referred to treatment. This film, released in 2009, was originally developed to educate teens about depression and how it can be treated. Featuring vignettes of four high school students who found help for their depression through different paths, More Than Sad: Teen Depression is currently being shown to students in classrooms across the country. As part of the suicide education program for teachers and other school personnel, teachers learn about how they can use this highly acclaimed film with their own students.
More Than Sad: Preventing Teen Suicide and More Than Sad: Teen Depression were co-produced by AFSP and the award-winning Break Thru Films.
In April, AFSP and the Alabama Department of Education joined together to distribute the More Than Sad program to all 513 public high schools in the state to help educate students and teachers about teen depression.
“We hope that by providing these films to public schools across Alabama we will inform students about depression and the importance of seeking help, while also educating school personnel about suicide risk factors,” said Dr. Tommy Bice, deputy state superintendent of education.
The complete package, More Than Sad: Suicide Prevention Education for Teachers and Other School Personnel, includes the two DVDs, a 42-page program manual, and a PowerPoint presentation for use by trainers and facilitators of teacher in-service programs. The package may be ordered from the AFSP Store.
More Than Sad: Teen Depression may also be purchased separately from the AFSP Store. This DVD is packaged with a facilitator’s guide and other instructional materials that support its effective use with teens.
Clips from both DVDs and more information about AFSP’s educational initiatives for school personnel and teens can be found at MoreThanSad.org.
Funding for this project was made possible by grants from NYSOMH and the Leon Lowenstein Foundation, as well as donations from the Rodd D. Brickell Foundation, the Scott R. Jackowitz Memorial Fund, the Keith Milano Memorial Fund and the Foundation for Fairer Capitalism. Additional funding was obtained from the Out of the Darkness walks and an AFSP-Long Island event.
