The Counseling Team will be going into Freshmen and Junior Seminars to give "Signs of Suicide" lessons starting this week, lessons will go through September.
This year the Rock Canyon Counseling team is working to teach students about mental health and how to seek help if they are worried about themselves or a friend. All Freshman and Junior Seminars will get lessons from a counselor. We are using a program called SOS Signs of Suicide. The program teaches students about this difficult topic and encourages them to seek help.
SOS has been used by thousands of schools for over 20 years. Studies have shown that it effectively teaches students about depression and suicide while reducing the number of students’ self-reported suicide attempts.
Through the program, students learn:
that depression is treatable, so they are encouraged to seek help
how to identify depression and potential suicide risk in themselves or a friend
to ACT (Acknowledge, Care and Tell a trusted adult) if concerned about themselves or a friend
who they can turn to at school for help
Students will participate in a guided discussion about depression, suicide, and what to do if they are concerned about a friend. Following the lesson, students will complete a brief depression screening form. This form cannot provide a diagnosis of depression but does indicate whether a young person should seek help from a mental health professional.
At the end of class, students will be advised to talk to a trusted adult about any concerns the lesson has brought up.
We encourage you to visit www.mindwise.org/parents for information on warning signs for youth suicide, useful resources, and some of the key messages students will learn.
If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s participation in this program please contact any of our school counselors all emails can be found on the RCHS website at https://www.rockcanyonjags.com
Sincerely,
The RCHS Counseling Team
