Introduction
A Mental Health Crisis: Every hour and fifteen minutes, a young person dies by suicide. Over the last decade, we have seen a dramatic and disturbing increase in youth suicide in the nation. Suicide risk is the most common emergency encountered by clinical psychologists and other clinical mental health providers. To address this public health emergency, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology established the Institute for Adolescent Suicide Prevention to address this problem with a multi-faceted approach.
Vision
The vision of the Institute for Adolescent Suicide Prevention at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (TCSPP) is to reduce youth suicide. The institute’s mission is to become the premier national resource for professionals, organizations, and communities seeking new ways to address adolescent suicide. The Institute will begin its work in Southern California and then expand efforts nationally.
Areas of Focus
To increase awareness and educate communities and health care professionals on the risks of adolescent suicide, the Institute for Adolescent Suicide Prevention has established three interconnected focus areas: Community Outreach, Professional and Community Education, and Translational Research.
Community Outreach
The goal is to integrate and coordinate suicide prevention activities across multiple sectors and settings. The Institute is developing and implementing effective programs that promote wellness and prevent suicide and related behaviors.
Professional and Community Education
Our goal is to deliver training and education to graduate students, and community behavioral health treatment professionals to prevent and reduce suicide and related behaviors.
Assessing and Managing Suicide Risk is a 6.5-hour training workshop for graduate students and community behavioral health treatment professionals that addresses assessing suicide risk as well as planning and managing ongoing care of clients at risk. The training workshop, powered by the Zero Suicide Prevention Institute (www.sprc.org), is grounded in the 24 nationally recognized Core Competencies for Mental Health Professionals.
Suicide Prevention Grand Rounds Series is for mental health and behavioral science clinicians to increase skills in suicide assessment and suicide risk management. This series offers 3-hour webinars to increase the knowledge and skills of mental health professionals to reduce the risk of suicide and related behaviors. Continuing education is included in the registration fees.
Suicide Prevention Community Gatekeeper Series – TCSPP faculty with expertise in youth suicide prevention and early intervention provide training for adolescents, families, and all professionals who encounter young people in their work. The classes range in length from 3 to 8 hours depending on the topic and setting of the classes.
Translational Research in Adolescent Suicide Prevention
The goal is to motivate faculty and students to increase scientific evaluation studies of new or existing adolescent suicide prevention interventions.
TCSPP Student Support
The Institute for Adolescent Suicide Prevention assists TCSPP students by providing information and tools to assist in their prevention work with K-12 schools, crisis hotlines, and other local agencies engaged in prevention and early intervention. The Institute of Adolescent Suicide Prevention works closely with the Division of Community Partnerships to equip faculty to establish partnerships with organizations engaged in community presentation activities.
Expertise in Suicidology
Faculty from TCSPP have extensive experience with suicide assessment and management and share this education with schools and community agencies. The Suicide Prevention Resource Center authorizes faculty to deliver training in Assessment and Management of Suicide Risk to graduate students and professionals.
Leave no child at risk
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org.