Contact Person(s):
Carol Holzer
Injury Prevention Program Director
Division of Maternal and Child Health
North Dakota Department of Health
600 East Boulevard Avenue
Department 301
Bismarck, ND 53505-0251
(701) 328-4537
cholzer@state.nd.us
Mark LoMurray, LSW, ND
Director of the North Dakota Adolescent Suicide Prevention Project
701-223-1650
outreach@btigate.com
For information and state plan packets, contact the Mental Health Association in ND at 800-472-2911.
Summary of what North Dakota is doing:
The North Dakota Adolescent Suicide Prevention Task Force and the ND Dept. of Health have completed the state plan and have been implementing key strategies during the year 2000. You can download it at
www.health.state.nd.us/ndhd/pubs/
The document is under the Emergency Health Services caption entitled Suicide by North Dakota Children, Teenagers and Young Adults - the North Dakota Response. There are other suicide prevention materials on the page, but these are not the state plan documents.
We've developed a 16 page suicide prevention booklet for training during the year 2001 and below are a couple of articles with ND data and activities out of the booklet.
North Dakota Youth Suicide: A Major Health Problem for 2001
The 1999 ND Youth Risk Behavior Survey indicated some sobering statistics in regards to adolescent suicide behaviors of North Dakota 9th -- 12th graders.
* 18.8 % or more than 7800 teens seriously considered attempting suicide in the past 12 months.
* 6.4% or more than 2600 teens actually attempted suicide one or more times in the past 12 months.
* 3.3% or more than 1300 teens made a suicide attempt that had to be treated by a doctor or nurse.
Combine these sobering statistics with suicide fatality data from the National Center for Disease Control showing North Dakota having one of the highest youth suicide rates in the country over a ten year average from 1987-1996.
* #2 highest rate for suicide fatalities ages 10-14.
* #6 highest rate for suicide fatalities ages 15-19.
Despite these statistics, suicide continues to be a topic rarely talked about. Many still believe that suicide is not preventable and are unaware that is the #2 cause of death among our young. Certainly, not all suicides can be prevented, but like traffic fatalities we can significantly reduce injury and fatality rates through proven prevention methods.
The North Dakota Adolescent Suicide Prevention Task Force is promoting suicide prevention strategies based on effective programs identified through research. Four strategies top this prevention list.
* Mentoring - Having a caring adult relationship has been identified as one of the most effective prevention efforts. Mentoring impacts not only suicide, but substance abuse, tobacco, violence, and sexual behaviors. All communities are encouraged to set a goal matching 10% of their students with formal mentors.
* Youth Leadership - Research has shown that teens are the first to know about suicide risks in friends, but tragically have chosen not to tell an adult. Developing prevention partnerships with teens changes prevention from doing "to" teens, toward working "with" teens and breaks down codes of silence.
* Screening and Assessment - Research has demonstrated that it is more effective to screen for suicide than to present suicide awareness presentations. Identifying suicidal teens is possible with proven assessment tools used in programs like the National Youth Screening Initiative.
* Community Gatekeeper Training - Community members that spend time with teens need updated training on how to recognize suicide risk factors and warning signs. School and church staff, coaches, bus drivers, and others are often the natural helper to youth. These trainings address identification, basic assessment, and referral skills when working with a suicidal teen.
Year 2000 North Dakota Suicide Prevention Activities
Year 2000 focused on bringing awareness to North Dakota’s teen suicide problem. A grant from the ND Children Services Coordinating Committee enabled the following activities.
* Seventy-four workshops to over 2400 participants were held in every tribal and regional area of the state. Several radio, television, and newspaper articles reached thousands more. Workshops were focused on awareness raising around youth suicide promoted gatekeeper training, screening strategies, mentoring, using teens in prevention roles, and firearm awareness strategies.
* Workshop evaluations were very positive averaging 8.8 on a 1-10 scale. More time and more training were the most frequent comments.
* A 12-page newsletter and training booklet was developed with 2500 copies distributed statewide.
* Three power point presentations have been developed for ND suicide prevention training, Common Errors During Suicide Interventions, Suicide Awareness, and Gatekeeper Training are available as community training aids.
* An Assessment Toolkit has been developed and the project is assisting with the National Youth Screening Initiative.
* The ND Adolescent Suicide Prevention Task Force and the ND Department of Health completed and distributed over 1000 copies of the report, "Suicide by North Dakota Children, Teenagers, and Young Adults - The North Dakota Response."
Promising Suicide Prevention Activities in North Dakota
Year 2001 moves toward community action with the goal of increasing mentoring, teen leadership, gatekeeper training, and screening in each regional and tribal area.
Here are a few snapshots of promising activity throughout the state.
* Ft. Totten Four Winds School has conducted the state’s most extensive teen screening efforts over the past four years and are expanding these efforts as early as the fifth grade. Combined with natural helper approaches and their new teen leader program these efforts appear very promising.
* In Oakes a grassroots prevention group involving pastors, emergency medicine, parents, teens, law enforcement, schools, and mental health have received a series of training and are active in community gatekeeper training efforts. The school system has also developed an active teen mentoring program.
* Fargo has been chosen as one of Colombia University’s 50 national sites to conduct the Colombia Teen Screen as part of the National Youth Screening Initiative.
* The ten county Bismarck region have received sporadic funding for suicide prevention efforts resulting in over 250 Peer or Community Gatekeeper training’s since 1998. Over 25 teen leadershipteams have trained in prevention with over 250 teens mentoring younger students in this region.
* The Sacred Child’s Project on Three Affiliated Tribes have had success combining mentoring, wraparound, and cultural/spirituality with at-risk youth. This impressive program has received national recognition for innovative work with youth.
Standing Rock’s community and Indian Health Services deserve recognition for their heroic efforts as they continue to provide six teen suicide interventions a week on both sides of the reservation. In the start-up phase, but with great promise are faith based mentoring efforts beginning in McLaughlin and Solen by local pastors, parents, and Young Life. Standing Rock High School has just trained teen leaders to mentor younger students.
Links to applicable web pages:
www.health.state.nd.us/ndhd/pubs/
SuicidePreventionSeptember2000.pdf
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