Suicide prevention resources you can use
Hello, School Counselors!
September is suicide prevention month.
Students who perceive school is not a safe place have an increased likelihood of also reporting suicidal behavior (Rothon et al., 2009). Among Kentucky middle and high schools, 14.6% of students said they felt unsafe or very unsafe at school. Students ages 15 to 19 had the highest rate of feeling unsafe at 17.3% (Kentucky Incentives for Prevention, 2019).
Those who feel unsafe are four times more likely to attempt suicide (KIP, 2019). Suicide is the leading cause of death among youth ages 10 to 14 and the second leading cause among those ages 15 to 34.
For information about best practices in order to prevent youth suicide in Kentucky, take a look at these resources provided by the Kentucky Department of Behavioral Health.
In addition, here is information from the Suicide Prevention Resource Center about the role of high school mental health providers and the role of high school teachers with suicide prevention. Don't forget to pay special attention to the resources section at the end, and check out posters featuring the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline that you may want to use for Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.
KET forum examines youth suicide, prevention strategies
As part of its Inside Youth Mental Health initiative, KET held a gathering of leading experts in suicide prevention and other concerned citizens who addressed this important topic in July. Hosted by Renee Shaw, "Preventing Youth Suicide: A KET Forum" explores the alarming rise in youth suicide, examining its root causes and highlighting the most effective strategies for prevention.
 KSCA Conference set
for Sept. 11-13 in Lexington
The Kentucky School Counselor Association Conference is Sept. 11-13 at the Marriott Griffin Gate Resort and Spa in Lexington. I can't wait to see you there!
Comprehensive school counseling
In the last edition of Counselor Connection, we discussed the annual agreement between school counselors and principals/school administrators. It is important to consider a school counseling vision statement (what do you want your students to have taken away from your program five to 15 years from now?) and a school counseling mission statement (provides the focus and direction to achieve the vision). For a great article on vision and mission statements, read this article by James A Morton Jr.
For back-to-school resources and templates, visit the American School Counselor Association website.
 The Juul Breakers from Johnson Central High School (Johnson County) are working to change students' habits after seeing the effect vaping was having on their classmates
Johnson high school students work to prevent vaping
Vaping is becoming an even bigger problem for teens in Kentucky. Read this story from Kentucky Teacher to learn more about the health concerns that come with e-cigarettes and vaping and to learn about how one group of teens is working to fight against this problem.
Project AWARE trainings on trauma-informed practices set
There will be three different learning collaboratives this school year across Kentucky. Districts that have not previously participated in a Project AWARE Trauma-Informed Care for Educators (TICE) Learning Collaborative will receive priority. Remember that we are looking for teams of two to five people from each school or district.
Learning Session 1 and Learning Session 2 will occur this fall in three locations across the state. Learning Session 3 will bring all participants together in Lexington in March.
Central Kentucky Learning Collaborative
- Learning Session 1: Sept. 26-27, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. ET, Taylor County Cooperative Extension Service office, Campbellsville
- Learning Session 2: Nov. 20, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Taylor County Cooperative Extension Service office, Campbellsville
- Learning Session 3: March 5, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Lexington Convention Center, Lexington
The registration deadline is Sept. 20. Visit the learning collaborative's registration site to register.
Eastern Kentucky Learning Collaborative
- Learning Session 1: Oct. 15-16, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Bath County Cooperative Extension Service office, Owingsville
- Learning Session 2: Nov. 13, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Bath County Cooperative Extension Service office, Owingsville
- Learning Session 3: March 5, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Lexington Convention Center, Lexington
The registration deadline is Oct. 4. Click learning collaborative's registration site to register.
Western Kentucky Learning Collaborative
- Learning Session 1: Oct. 21-22, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Caldwell County Cooperative Extension Service office, Princeton
- Learning Session 2: Nov. 19, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Caldwell County Cooperative Extension Service office, Princeton
- Learning Session 3: March 5, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Lexington Convention Center, Lexington
The registration deadline is Oct. 11. Click learning collaborative's registration site to register.
Advance registration of all team members is required; each participant must register individually. Participation in the Project AWARE TICE Learning Collaborative is free, and electronic materials are included; travel, meals, lodging and any other related expenses will be the responsibility of the participating districts.
This learning collaborative is part of Project AWARE 2, a project of the Kentucky Department of Education with funds from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The Project AWARE TICE Learning Collaborative is led by the University of Kentucky Center on Trauma and Children, which is committed to developing and disseminating knowledge and practices to reduce the effects of trauma on children
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