September is National Suicide Awareness month. When a person is struggling with their mental health, providing a safe place to share their feelings can provide support. We encourage our students to have five trusted adults in their life they can reach out to for support. In a study conducted by North Range Behavioral Health, they found that a trusted person is someone who:

Won’t judge a person for what they are experiencing.
Won’t compare a person’s pain to theirs or others or try to “one up them.”
Isn’t going to “freak out” if a person says they have had thoughts of suicide.
Won’t tell a person to “suck it up.”
Provides hope.

At WCA’s middle and high schools, students are a part of the Sources of Strength program. Sources of Strength is a best-practice youth suicide prevention program designed to harness the power of peer social networks to change unhealthy norms and culture, ultimately preventing suicide, bullying, and substance abuse. The mission of Sources of Strength is to prevent suicide by increasing help-seeking behaviors and promoting connections between peers and caring adults. Sources of Strength focuses on the multiple sources of protective factors (the strengths in the wheel) around young individuals so that when times are difficult, they have strengths to rely on.

If a parent/guardian is interested in building their mental health support skills, North Range Behavioral Health offers suicide education and support services. To learn more, visit NorthRange.org/SESS.