The adolescent years are marked by a roller-coaster ride of emotions. It is easy to misread depression as normal adolescent turmoil; however, depression (among the most common of mental illnesses) appears to be occurring at a much earlier age. Depression – which is treatable – is a leading risk factor for suicide.
In an effort to continually and proactively address these issues, Wachusett Regional High School is providing depression awareness and suicide prevention training as part of the SOS Signs of Suicide Prevention Program again this school year. The Signs of Suicide Program is a school-based suicide prevention program listed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) on its National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices that addresses suicide risk and depression. SOS has been used by thousands of schools for over 20 years and studies have shown that it effectively teaches students about depression and suicide while reducing the number of students’ self-reported suicide attempts.
- Our goals in offering this program are straightforward:
- To help our students understand that depression is a treatable illness, so they are encouraged to seek help.
- To provide students training in how to identify depression and potential suicide risk in themselves or a friend.To give students the tools to ACT (Acknowledge, Care, and Tell a trusted adult) if they are concerned about themselves or a friend.
- To help students know whom in the school they can turn to for help, if they need it.
Each year, freshman students will be trained in the SOS Program during Freshman Seminar class. Additionally, our sophomore students will receive a refresher SOS lesson in Health & Wellness class. These lessons will be a continuation of the program our students received in Middle School. The freshman SOS lesson includes the Signs of Suicide Presentation and the completion of a screener to assist in identifying students who may benefit from a referral to a healthcare professional for further support., whereas sophomore students will be asked to indicate if they would like to speak with someone for further discussion after the presentation. Students who go through the SOS Program will learn what to do when they encounter a difficult situation where student safety is at risk. Our counseling staff is well equipped to answer any questions that arise during and after these presentations and support all students throughout this programming.
Parent/Guardian Resources
We invite parents/guardians to review these resources to learn more about the SOS Program and see how you can support your student’s mental health at home.
SOS Parent Training Slide Deck - English
SOS Parent Training Slide Deck - Spanish
SOS Parent Handout - English
SOS Parent Handout - Spanish
SOS Infographic - English
SOS Infographic - Spanish