The Snohomish County Children’s Wellness Coalition has announced the creation of the Snohomish County Youth Suicide Prevention Task Force, which will work to reduce incidence of suicide and increase the mental health and resiliency of youth.

Suicide is preventable, and yet it is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. and the second leading cause of death for youth in Washington state. In Snohomish County, suicide is the highest cause of death for youth ages 10-17, and the second highest cause of death for 15-24 year olds.

Over the years, suicide has been addressed by providing mental health services to young people who disclosed having thoughts of suicide or who exhibited behaviors that professionals, such as school counselors, identified as putting them at risk.

Unfortunately, this approach is limited in its ability to prevent suicide, the county announcement states. While services are critical for those who may be thinking about or who have made a suicide attempt, there are a limited number of people in the community who correctly identify youth at risk for suicide and many barriers (barriers may include: parental stigma, limited resources, abusive homes, etc.) youth face in receiving the services that best meet their individual needs. There are also other factors, in addition to mental health, which place young people at risk for suicide. A community collaboration and public health approach to suicide prevention can address these factors and prevent youth suicides.

The new youth suicide prevention task force aims to take a more comprehensive approach to youth suicide prevention. A subcommittee of the Snohomish County Children’s Wellness Coalitio, the task force includes members representingmany disciplines across multiple sectors including health, media, social services, criminal justice, education, public health and crisis services.

The task force goal is to reduce youth (age 10-18) suicide, ideation, planning and attempts across Snohomish County by:

• Supporting and strengthening youth suicide prevention, intervention and postvention (see definition of that here) efforts across the region.
• Coordinating with the State Department of Health, Forefront Suicide Prevention at the University of Washington, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Riverside Trauma Center, and other recognized suicide prevention organizations.
• Enhancing coordination and providing targeted supports to youth and family serving sectors to maximize prevention efforts outside of the school day.
• Identifying gaps to leverage resources and globally recognized best practices.
• Providing technical assistance and training to build capacity for promoting protective factors and reducing risk factors that influence suicide through:

• • Trainings that develop adult comfort, competence and confidence in responding to distress; and,
  • Forums that promote youth voice and perspectives of those with lived experience in the mental health system.

• Identifying critical policy gaps to engage with model-policy developers like the Washington State School Directors Association, Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Washington State Health Care Authority and other agencies.
• Identify and address barriers to help-seeking (ex. stigma, limited resources, parental abuse, etc.).

To learn more about the task force, visit www.snocochildrenswellnesscoalition.com

If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, increased stress, or feeling like a burden, reach out to talk with a counselor:

• 24-hour local crisis line – 800-584-3578
• 24-hour chat service – www.imhurting.org
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 800-273-TALK (8255)