Presenter: Henry Westray Jr., MSS, Chair, Governor's Interagency Workgroup on Youth Suicide Prevention
Conceptual Framework: The late Helen Keller wrote, "The best and most beautiful things in life cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart." Maryland Suicide Prevention program has used a philosophical approach which is reflected by the above quote and in our slogan, "A Caring Community Saves Lives" we have used for the past twelve years. We have also used models based on public health, social work, and management theory approaches. For us, suicide is a complex problem that needs comprehensive solutions. Thus, our program has included a full range of prevention, intervention, and post-vention services (after a suicide) for youth.
Structure of Program
Governors Interagency Workgroup on Youth Suicide Prevention
- Mental Hygiene Administration
- Maryland State Department of Education
- Alcohol and Drug Administration
- Office of Chief Medical Examiners
- Department of Juvenile Justice
- State Department of Human Resources
- Governors Office for Children, Youth, and Families
Committees under the auspices of workgroups
- Hotline Committee
- Conference Committee
- "at Risk" Populations Committee
- Research Committee
- PR Committee
- School Health Committee
- Task Force on Suicide Prevention in Juvenile Justice
Maryland Youth Crisis Hotline (1800-422-0009)
- First decentralized hotline for youth in the country
- Service began in August of l990
- Immediate 24/7 crisis intervention, information and referral, and community outreach
- Mental Hygiene Administration oversee six local crisis hotline centers
- University of Maryland collects data
Maryland AIDS Hotline (1-800-638-6252 English & 1-800-553-3140 Spanish)
- Crisis intervention
- Information and referral
- Service began July 2001
School Programs
- Each school district funded to provide a full range of programs
- All schools developed a suicide prevention, intervention, and post-vention plan
Youth Suicide Prevention Month
- Maryland's Governor proclaims October as Youth Suicide Prevention Month
- Maryland's annual Suicide Prevention Conference is held (400 to 500 attendees each year, our 13th Annual conference will take place October 11th 2001)
- Campaign with the media during this month (Poster competitions, etc.)
- Depression screenings State wide
Lead Agency and List of Partners
- Mental Hygiene Administration (lead agency)
- Maryland State Department of Education
- Governors Office for Children, Youth, and Families
- State Department of Child and Family Health
- Department of Juvenile Justice
- Department of Alcohol and Drugs
- Department of Human Resources
- Office of Chief Medical Examiners
- Maryland AIDS Administration
- Maryland Against Youth Suicide (MAYS)
- Suicide Prevention Education/Advocacy (SPEAK)
- Teens Learning to Grieve Program
- Frederick County Hotline
- Regional Institute for Children-Baltimore
- Regional Institute for Children-Rockville
- Community Crisis Services, Inc.
- Montgomery County Hotline
- Grassroots Hotline Center
- Baltimore Crisis Response
- Mental Health Association
- Life Crisis Center
- Walden/Sierra Hotline
- Center for Substance Abuse Research (University of Maryland)
- Morgan State University
- Coppin State University
- Towson State University
- Waxter Children Center
- Eastern Shore Hospital
- Johns Hopkins University
- East Baltimore Violence Prevention Theatre Project
- University of Maryland School of Social Work
- Bowie State University
- University of Maryland training Collaborative
- Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Center of Baltimore
- Black Mental Health Alliance
- Sheppard Pratt Hospital
- AT & T Telephone company
- MCI
- News Channel 2
- Fox 45 T.V
- Prince Georges County Community Television
- Prince Georges County Rappers
- Potomac Ridge
- Baltimore Gas & Electric Company
- Taylor Health System
- Alternative Behavioral Services
- Delta-T Group
- Brook Lane Health Services
- Center for Eating Disorders, St. Joseph's Medical Center
National Partnerships
- Harvard University School of Public Health
- Suicide Prevention Advocacy Network (SPAN)
- The Organization for Attempters and Survivors in Interfaith Services (Oasis)
- The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AAS)
- National Organization for People of Color Against Suicide (NOPCAS)
- National Hopeline Network 1800-Suicide
- The Prevention Institute
- Black Mental Health Alliance
- MEE Productions
- Resiliency Associates
- Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
- Pizza Hut
- Charter Behavioral Health System
- Pfizer Inc.
Strengths
The strengths of the Maryland Model include
- Support from the Governor and various state and local government agencies
- Governor's Interagency Workgroup and committee structure (committees meet monthly)
- Support and funding from the Maryland State Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Administration
- School program annual funding for suicide prevention
- Designated staff person with authority to develop and manage suicide prevention
- Collaboration among a board spectrum of government, human service, private organizations, crisis centers, hotlines, schools, advocates, and gatekeepers.
- Maryland Youth Crisis Hotline Network
- Maryland AIDS Hotline Network
- School programs
- Annual Suicide Prevention Conference
- Suicide Prevention Month
- Culturally competent outreach to targeted "at risk" populations
- Strong local advocates
- Program targeted youth 15 to 24
Progress
- Overall, the suicide rate for youth 15-24 declined by 24.37% from 19898 to 1998
- The suicide rate for Maryland's youth peaked in l993 and has steadily fallen since
- The decrease from l993 to l998 amounted to a 33.3% reduction
- Suicide rates for white males decreased 27.8% between l993 & l998
- Suicide rates for black males decreased 47.1% between 1993 and 1998
Lessons learned:
Still learning
Mental Hygiene Administration
201 W. Preston St.
Baltimore, Md. 21201
(410) 767-5650 office
(410) 333-5402 fax
e-mail: westrayh@dhmh.state.md.us |
