• “ In every school , a mandatory social and emotional skills curriculum ( K-12 ) should be done , same as requirements to teach other subjects . Many curriculums currently exist , but the tendency is to focus on academics in schools - interpersonal skills are responsibility of parents .”
• “ Have supports for early childhood , for mental health starting as early as possible . If we had trained professionals so many problems could be alleviated . Community wide educational program to teach parents and others about how these issues develop . How to hold parents and community members accountable that today ' s actions affect tomorrow .”
Examples of Potential Interventions for Stage 3
• Expand Mental Health First Aid training - schools , public safety , and other first responders .
• Expand training and certification of Peer Specialists .
• Review materials related to Zero Suicides and adopt helpful strategies . 25
• Expand Crisis Intervention Training ( CIT ) to a wider range of first responders and care providers .
• Improve awareness of , and access to , centralized care coordination , crisis lines and other current programs ; expand awareness of “ No Wrong Door ” initiatives to provide immediate solutions rather than simply referrals .
• Develop strategies to identify and secure suicidal adolescents and young adults for mental health care , and collect data to evaluate the results . Also , develop strategies to address suicide risk factors – interventions promoting self-esteem and teaching stress management ( e . g ., general suicide education and peer support programs ); develop support networks for high-risk adolescents and young adults ( peer support programs ); and provide crisis counseling ( crisis centers , hotlines , and interventions to minimize contagion in the context of suicide clusters ). 26 Other specific suggestions include the following : o Ensure that suicide prevention programs are linked as closely as possible with professional mental health resources in the community . o Provide prevention strategies that honor cultural issues and access to care challenges .
• Expand awareness of ACEs to providers and educate the community about the importance of addressing these issues .
3 . Theme / Strategic Objective 3 : Increasing Services for Higher-risk Groups
Several community sub-groups are at a higher risk of behavioral health issues due to life stressors and / or access to care issues . While no one in any community is immune to behavioral health or substance misuse challenges , certain populations tend to be more susceptible or have a harder time accessing care .
According to the American Psychiatric Association , “ Racial / ethnic , gender , and sexual minorities often suffer from poor mental health outcomes due to multiple factors including inaccessibility of high quality mental
25
Note : Zero Suicide Institute , “ The foundational belief of Zero Suicide is that suicide deaths for individuals under the care of health and behavioral health systems are preventable . For systems dedicated to improving patient safety , Zero Suicide presents an aspirational challenge and practical framework for system-wide transformation toward safer suicide care .” Information available at
https :// zerosuicide . edc . org /
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