May 19, 2020
Suicide: A Topic Worth Talking About
The following essay was written by SPTS Youth Council Member and high school student, Fatima, who wishes teenagers would feel more comfortable talking about suicide to help spread awareness and identifies the stigma surrounding mental health as a barrier to getting people help. We want to thank Fatima for using her voice and speaking up about suicide prevention through this essay. As a member of the SPTS Youth Council, Fatima meets monthly with other high…
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Sep 03, 2019
Back to School: Helping Your Child With School Transitions
Helping Your Child With School Transitions September is upon us again and as always, it is a time of transition for all! For some kids going back to school alone can be an anxious and scary time, but what if your child is a kindergartener transitioning to school for the first time? Or an eighth grader going on to high school? Or a high school graduate on their way to college? Whether they are transitioning…
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Aug 09, 2019
Fostering Resilience In Our Children in Scary Times
Fostering Resilience in Challening and Scary Times Parenting has never been an easy job, and there is no manual on how to be the best possible parent, especially in our current challenging times. As we hear about the recent mass shootings and other traumatic events in our country, how do we help our children deal with what’s happening and support their emotional resiliency? We must not assume that our children are as upset or traumatized…
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Aug 06, 2019
Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide Partners with School of Rock
The School of Rock has partnered with Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide to give support to an incredibly important cause. Teen suicide rates have risen at an alarming rate, making young people's mental health support more vital than ever. The School of Rock knows that music can change lives, and so can mental health awareness. School of Rock is committed to spreading SPTS's message of reducing the number of youth suicides. SPTS is…
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Apr 17, 2019
Resilience Tips for Parents
You hear a lot these days about ‘helicopter’ or ‘snowplow’ parenting as a way to define parents who remove all the obstacles in their kids’ path to protect them from failure, disappointment – whatever. What you hear less about are ways in which parents can support their children from the sidelines and give them the space they need to fail at something. This will help them figure out, on their own, how to do things…
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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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Dec 16, 2015
Youth Council 2015 Year End Celebration
Youth Council Celebrates Kick-Off Year Last night, SPTS closed out 2015 a little early with a celebration for its Youth Council. With over 60 students from Monmouth and Ocean Counties, the council has set some pretty awesome goals for ways in which they want to help spread awareness of youth suicide prevention. We couldn't be more proud to know such a motivated and caring group of young people! Hot coco and pizza was had…
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