Jefferson Center for Mental Health

Suicide Prevention & Intervention

The rate of teen suicide has dramatically increased nationwide in recent years. In fact, suicide is the third leading cause of death for youth ages 15-24.

Jefferson Center is all too familiar with these alarming statistics. For 15 years, the Center has been the lead agency of the Jefferson County Suicide Coalition, a community collaboration of stakeholders addressing youth suicide issues. During this time, the Center received funding from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to initiate a Teen Suicide Prevention Project. This project tapped into the expertise of the coalition to market to and recruit youth “gatekeepers” to participate in suicide prevention workshops through the LivingWorks ASIST model. These workshops were so well received by community members that additional funding was secured from the Columbine Community Citizen’s Task Force and the Gay and Lesbian Fund of Colorado to continue offering ASIST workshops.

The Center has recently entered a compelling new chapter in its teen suicide prevention efforts. In the fall of 2003, the Center was awarded a three-year grant from The Colorado Trust to strategically work with other child/youth serving agencies in the community to plan and execute a targeted teen suicide prevention program. As one of 10 organizations in the state to receive this grant, the Center is proud to be able to provide an intervention program that best meets the needs of youth in the community.

Jefferson Center would like to thank the following funders for supporting Teen Suicide Prevention Services.

Gay and Lesbian Fund

The Colorado Trust

http://www.endteensuicide.org