Special to the Herald

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among youths 14-18 years after unintentional injuries, according to research from the Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC).

The Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities & Hospitals (BHDDH) and the Southern Providence County Prevention Coalition (SPC) coordinated by Tri-County Community Action Agency, are joining forces to tackle this growing public health crisis among teens.

Staff from SPC will be collaborating with educators and/or support personnel in the coalition’s area middle and high schools who have direct contact with students to help them recognize the signs of mental health distress and whether a student is at risk for suicide.

Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Pittsburgh — supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) — developed a screening tool to decrease suicide risk among adolescents with depression.

The Columbia Lighthouse Project, also known as the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), is a unique evidence-based tool that supports suicide risk assessment through a series of simple questions that anyone can ask. Answers to the questions will identify risk, assess severity and immediacy of risk and gauge the level of support the person needs.

"Have you wished you were dead or wished you could go to sleep and not wake up? Have you actually had any thoughts about killing yourself? Have you been thinking about how you might do this? The responses help us connect the person being assessed with the appropriate resources to care for them," says Patricia Sweet, Director of the SPC Prevention Coalition, who is overseeing the project.

The Southern Providence Prevention Coalition will be implementing the program at the start of the 2023-2024 school season in September. For more information about this life-saving initiative and to enroll in the training, contact Patricia Sweet, Director of the Southern Providence Prevention Coalition, at 401-510-1903.

The Southern Providence County Prevention Coalition advocates for change through planning, development and implementation of effective prevention strategies by raising awareness of substance use and promoting safety and wellbeing. The SPC Coalition includes the towns of Cranston, North Providence, Johnston, Scituate and Smithfield.

For more information, contact Patricia Sweet by email, at psweet@tricountyri.org.

*EDITOR’S NOTE: Patricia Sweet is the Director of Region 1 Prevention Coalition at Tri-County Community Action Agency.