Suicide Prevention Program
Download the Student Worksheet for Teachers
The Division of Psychiatry at Cincinnati Children's provides a worksheet on stressors, coping, depression and suicide to use in health classes. Download the worksheet in PDF format.
The Surviving the Teens" Suicide Prevention Program at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center focuses on ways of coping, stressors associated with depression and suicide, and how to access referral sources. The goal is to help students:
- Find positive ways of coping with the various stressors in life
- Be able to recognize depression and suicidal behaviors in themselves and in their peers
- Respond appropriately to their troubled friends
- Know where to go for help
Students receive a "crisis card" identifying referral sources, observe videos and participate in:
| Feedback From Students |
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- "I feel as though my awareness of things increased over the past week. Everything was explained in a way I could understand."
- "The whole presentation was informing and very real. It made me realize how easily bad things can happen and to get help if I am ever sad or even depressed."
- "It really made me think about things."
- "
- I'm glad you came and talked to us because I have a lot going on and it really helped a lot."
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| Feedback From Teachers |
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- "The classes have given students tools to work with identifying depression and how they might deal with it."
- "This program saves lives."
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- Lectures
- Interactive activities
- Role-plays
Currently, the program is being presented in 21 area schools to students, teachers and parents. Approximately 15,000 teenagers, 350 teachers and hundreds of parents have benefited from the program.
History of the Suicide Prevention Program at Cincinnati Children's
The Suicide Prevention Program at Cincinnati Children's began in February 2001 with the support of The J. E. & Z .B. Butler Foundation. The program's goal is to:
- Interrupt and circumvent the causal chain of suicidal behavior
- Close the gap of services for suicidal children and adolescents in the Cincinnati area
Cathy Strunk, RN, Suicide Prevention Expert and Liaison, fully developed and implemented a multi-class curriculum in 2001, which has been presented in 29 area schools to teenagers. The name Surviving the Teens" was proposed for the program by Cathy Strunk in 2004 following a real-life tragedy.
Surviving the Teens
Much of the content of the Suicide Prevention Program has been incorporated into the Surviving the Teens" web site. The goal is to help teens, parents and community members:
The web site can also be utilized as a teacher tool in health classes and as an adjunct to the in-school program, reducing lecture time and providing more time for discussion, role-plays and interaction between Cathy Strunk, RN, Suicide Prevention Expert and Liaison, and the students. It is hoped that many more schools can participate in the in-school program with the addition of the web site.
Cincinnati Children's continues to seek opportunities to expand in schools and fund the program to impact a greater number of people about depression and suicide prevention. Another goal is to expand the program in the summer to include churches and other faith-based communities, by offering presentations to parents, teens and those working with children.
Additional Information
For more information about Surviving the Teens" Suicide Prevention Program at Cincinnati Children's, please contact Cathy Strunk (cathy.strunk@cchmc.org).
