Signs of Suicide Program

The SOS Signs of Suicide Middle School Program was initially implemented at Oak Hill Middle School during the 2012-2013 school year, and is scheduled to be implemented every year during seventh grade. This program has been developed by a highly regarded non-profit organization that created the SOS Signs of Suicide Program for High Schools, used by thousands of schools nationwide since 2000. It has proven successful at increasing help seeking by students concerned about themselves or a friend, and is the only school-based suicide prevention program to show a reduction in self-reported suicide attempts in a randomized, controlled study (BMC Public Health, July, 2007).

The goals of the SOS Program are to help our students understand that depression is a treatable illness, to provide students some training in how to identify depression and potential suicidality in themselves or a friends, to impress upon youth that they can help themselves or a friend by taking the simple step of talking to a responsible adult about their concerns, and to help students know whom, in the school, they can turn to for help, if they need it.

Please contact the mental health staff if you have additional questions about this program.