Oct 31, 2018
Coach Awareness Series: Suicide Prevention is a Team Sport
When you’re a coach, you’re not just someone who provides your athletes with help and direction about their play. You often become a surrogate parent, a big brother or sister, a confidant- an important person in your players’ lives. The one thing all these roles have in common is that they demonstrate that the kids you coach trust you. So, whether or not you know it, your influence in their lives goes way beyond the…
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Sep 10, 2018
Why School Assemblies Surrounding Suicide and Other Traumatic Loss are Not Recommended
In the aftermath of the traumatic death of a young person, the question of assemblies and large scale presentations is posed frequently as loved ones and community members want to provide youth suicide prevention education to adolescents. It is important for us to remember the essence of prevention is keeping youth safe. According to the Lifelines Postvention curriculum, second edition, published in 2018 by Hazelden Publishing and written by Maureen Underwood, LCSW, large gatherings and/or…
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Aug 20, 2018
Open Letters to New College Freshman and Their Parents on Easily Transitioning to College Life
Dear Incoming College Freshman, You are about to begin a new, scary chapter in your life, going to college. Now, some of you may be going far from home, while the rest of you felt it was best to stay nearby. Either way you are about to enter a new world full of, in simple word…craziness. In my personal experience, college could not come fast enough. I was done with…
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Jun 27, 2018
Achieving Holistic Wellness: Integrating Physical and Mental Health Awareness into Daily Life
As many of you may know, the stigma of mental health is a prominent issue in the field of suicideology. The stigma surrounding mental health may prevent individuals who may be at-risk for suicide to seek support from employers, school staff, family, friends, and especially a mental health professional. We are pleased to feature the following post written by Tara Chalakani, LPC, NCC, ACS, RN that magnifies the challenges of the stigma surrounding mental health…
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May 24, 2018
From Dorm Room to Bedroom: Tips for a Smoother Transition
As the end of the last semester of college comes to a close, many of us are expecting our college-aged young adults to return home for the summer months. Although we are grateful for the opportunity to spend more time with our children, young adults returning home for the summer can be stressful. I’d like to take this opportunity to offer some helpful tips for parents to assist in making the transition from dorm room…
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Feb 22, 2018
Difficult Conversations: How to Talk to Your Children About School Violence
Right now it’s a difficult time to be in a school – almost everyone in the school community is experiencing fear about safety. While fear can create anxiety and worry, it’s important to remember that fear propels action. One of the first actions a parent can take is to talk to their children. Having a conversation about something as difficult as school violence can be daunting, but the chances are pretty good that your child…
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Oct 02, 2017
Guidelines for Discussing Mass Violence with your Teens
These are challenging times for all of us, especially parents and guardians of children and teens. Having discussions regarding disturbing media events, such as mass violence, with our adolescents and children can be difficult. In response to the recent shooting in Las Vegas, our partners at Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care have created helpful strategies for talking to youth following a mass violence event. SPTS would like to share this important information - please click…
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May 10, 2017
13 Reasons Why
The Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide shares the concerns of several mental health counselors, experts in the field of suicidology, and fellow prevention organizations about the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why. Unfortunately, the media tends to glamorize and sensationalize suicide. Glamorizing suicide has significant negative impact on children, adolescents, adults or anyone who is having suicidal thoughts. This is precisely why the media must be responsible and follow the safe messaging guidelines. We…
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Nov 30, 2016
You Are Not Alone Campaign 2016
For the second annual You Are Not Alone social media campaign, SPTS encourages you to let teens worldwide know that they are never alone on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The call to action is simple: link your Twitter and Facebook accounts to our Thunderclap page. By linking your account to the campaign, a post will be automatically sent out on December 2 at 4:00 PM saying “Spread the word: YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Post a…
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May 17, 2016
SPTS Youth Council Concludes Stellar Year
On Friday, May 13th, the SPTS Youth Council met for the final time to conclude it's year long initiative of promoting suicide prevention awareness. With a goal to help #saveteens, more than 60 students from Monmouth and Ocean County High Schools participated in the inaugural year of the council. Students from varying high schools, both public and private, came together to work on projects such as social media campaigns, fundraising, and the 2016 Youth Wellness…
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