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Greetings!
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SPOTLIGHT ON: You Talk, We Listen
CrisisLink's Youth Suicide Prevention Initiative
Young people are experiencing unprecedented
levels of stress, both in their personal and
academic lives. This can lead to feelings of
sadness,
depression, anger, and at times, thoughts of
suicide. Many young people don't know where
to turn in times of crisis, but CrisisLink is
providing the resources to get help when it's
needed the most.
You Talk, We Listen, CrisisLink's
youth outreach initiative, gives teens the
resources and tools necessary to get help for
themselves or someone else when faced with
issues that cannot be handled alone. As part
of CrisisLink's youth outreach initiative,
wallet cards are distributed to students
at area schools, so that they are sure to
have our hotline numbers when they need them
the most. Our crisis and suicide prevention
hotlines are available 24 hours a day, 7 days
a week, 365 days a year to people of all
ages, in all stages of crisis. Our youth
outreach efforts also include workshops and
training programs in suicide prevention and
depression awareness. These educational
programs are conducted for students in our
region's middle and high schools, as well as
for school counselors, teachers, health
professionals, and others who interact with
young people on a regular basis.
With summer coming to an end and the new
school year fast approaching, we want to make
sure students have the information and
resources necessary to handle any crisis that
may occur.
Request Free Wallet Cards Featuring
Hotline Numbers & Tips
To request
wallet cards, please e-mail
information@crisislink.org or call
703-516-6778. Wallet cards are available in
bundles of 50.
Host a Workshop or Training Program on
Youth Suicide Prevention and/or Depression
Awareness
For more information and to
schedule a workshop, please contact
cecr@crisislink.org or 703-516-6771.
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Conversations: Youth Suicide
Conversation with CrisisLink's Director of Community Education & Crisis Response
As a new school year begins, CrisisLink is
busy presenting depression awareness and
suicide prevention trainings to a wide range
of schools, colleges, and other organizations
working with young people. We sat down with
Mary Azoy, LPC, CPT, CrisisLink's Director of
Community Education and Crisis Response, to
talk about youth suicide in our region and
the workshops and trainings CrisisLink offers.
Q. Mary, how big a problem is youth
suicide and depression?
A. Suicide is currently the 3rd
leading cause of death among youth ages
10-24, and for every completed suicide it is
estimated that at least 35 young people make
serious non-fatal attempts. Among older
teens in Virginia, suicide has risen to
become the 2nd leading cause of death,
exceeded only by accidents. In D.C., 20-29
year olds are at highest risk of suicide.
Q. Why should we be
concerned?
A. Many young people who consider or
attempt suicide suffer from undiagnosed or
untreated depression. Others may become
impulsively suicidal when faced with
pressures or disappointments that more mature
and experienced adults might consider
relatively insignificant. In both cases,
suicidal gestures are cries for help - but
it's crucial to recognize and respond to
those cries before it's too late.
Q. What can be done to help a
suicidal youth?
A. While suicide is one of the leading
causes of death among young people, it is
also one of the most preventable. Parents,
educators, health care professionals, faith
leaders, and young people themselves need to
know how to recognize the common symptoms of
depression, the warning signs of suicide, and
what can be done to help a depressed or
suicidal teen stay safe and get treatment.
Q. What will people learn from your
trainings?
A. That depends on the length of the
training. In addition to learning how to
recognize the common risk factors and warning
signs of suicidal behavior, in a 1-2 hour
training they'll learn the 3 basic steps they
can take to help a suicidal person stay safe
and to connect them to appropriate treatment.
In an intensive 2-day "ASIST" training
they'll also learn more in depth about the
impact of their own attitudes and beliefs,
various aspects of suicidal thinking , and
how to communicate effectively with suicidal
people.
Q. Where can people find out more
information about your depression awareness
and suicide prevention trainings?
A. For more information, to request a
brochure, or to schedule a training, please
contact me, Mary Azoy, LPC, CPT, Director of
Community
Education and Crisis Response, at 703-516-6771
or marya@crisislink.org.
Mary is a Licensed Professional Counselor
with expertise in crisis response, suicide
prevention, grief and trauma, and acts as a
clinical consult for CrisisLink's programs.
She has worked directly with victims of 9/11,
Hurricane Katrina, and others impacted by
sudden and traumatic loss.
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Thank you for your support!
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