Presentation, Workshop, In-service and Training information

** Yellow Ribbon supports and follows the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention

Most teens and their parents do not know that suicidal ideation and thoughts are symptoms of depression. Yellow Ribbon's Be-A-Link^® protocol and education training programs can mean the difference between life and death.

Yellow Ribbon offers a comprehensive suicide prevention program for your school and community.  Our Training seminars are cost effective, user friendly and easy to understand.

Yellow Ribbon is based on "best practices" research in suicide prevention
Studies show, and experts agree, that effective suicide prevention must:

• Promote and Raise awareness of suicide prevention in a community
     Yellow Ribbon's awareness campaign is world-wide.  (See activities)

• Provide outreach to those at risk of suicide    
     Yellow Ribbon's Ask-for-Help! cards provide outreach opportunities

• Educate people to be Gatekeepers, such as school staff (certified and classified), parents, peers, elders and the community to recognize suicidal behaviors in youth and adults. 
      Yellow Ribbon's Be-A-Link!^® Gatekeeper Training is an education based 
      curriculum - giving the training and tools  to effectively educate youth and adults. 
      Based on feedback from schools, and school staff, it does not overburden school staff    
      too with much information or require them to take too much training or responsibility.
      much training or responsibility.  It teaches and encourages the effective 
      Be-A-Link!^® protocol thus not displacing or replacing professionals
      already in place and can help reduce the liability issue for teachers, 
      school staff and community.

• Respond effectively and knowledgably in a suicidal crisis 
      Yellow Ribbon's Be-A-Link!^® Gatekeeper training teaches how to 
      effectively respond in a suicidal  crisis.  Gatekeepers become willing to 
      help when they become aware of someone in a crisis situation.

• Offer support to friends and family of suicide victims. 
      As Yellow Ribbon is a Survivor Founded and led program, the emphasis is 
      on supporting survivors and working with the new 'high-risk' people in a 
      community following both suicide attempts and completions.  YR works 
      with victim advocate groups and survivor support groups throughout the 
      country to assist bringing a greater focus on effective survivor crisis 
      response and support. 

How does Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program^® work? 
   Yellow Ribbon's Community Initiative Development Toolkit helps empower the school and 
    community:

• Teaching 7-Step - 3 Phase Yellow Ribbon Community Development Model which facilitates collaboration between the school and community caregivers and stakeholders.

• Trains every member of school staff and personnel (certified and classified staff) as well as school board and school administration.  No one can predict who a troubled teen (or adult) will turn to for help).

• Educate parents, grandparents, guardians and other trusted adults to take all talk of suicide seriously and to know how to respond effectively to their child's depression and suicidal ideation.

• Trains the student body within each school (public and private) to understand the causes of suicidal despair, recognize warning signs and risk factors and how to intervene appropriately with an at-risk friend.  Teens are burdened with suicide, some of them daily, with suicidal friends, family and co-workers.  Youth are accustomed to receiving lifeskills! and embrace this effective, simple training to know why, how and when to help a person in crisis.  

• Introducing the effective tool that is used by teens and adults alike; the YR Ask for Help Card.

• Includes the Survivor's perspective which is a powerful tool and one of the most requested parts of the YR trainings.

• Assisting educators and administrators to review, update and develop written policies and procedures for responding to suicidal warning signs, threats, attempts and completions. 

• Assisting educators and administrators with developing written policy and procedures for supporting school staff after a suicide competition

• Assisting community to understand and reduce the threat of contagion; cluster (or copycat) suicides.

• Assisting schools and communities how to incorporate and address the ethnic culture for successful suicide prevention.

INCLUDED IN ALL PRESENTATIONS, WORKSHOPS AND SEMINARS

• The powerful, moving story of how youth began this program and how it has grown to become a worldwide life-saving organization.

• Addresses the myths and facts of suicide: Talking about suicide won't cause it to happen.

• What is Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program and how is it used.

• How to react if someone says, 'I'm suicidal" - What to say, to do, and whom to call.

• Teaches a vital life skill and what you can do to help save a life!  Youth are accustomed to receiving, and using, life skills to help themselves and others.  They are not afraid to learn about suicide prevention and many embrace this powerful program.

• Explains suicide and suicidal tendencies.   Suicide is not about human failings, but it is about pain and in most cases cause by the treatable issue of depression.

• Reinforces that suicide in NOT an option! Teaches that suicide is not romantic - that Romeo and Juliet died from pain!

• Shares how to start the program and/or a Yellow Ribbon Chapter in your community, school, church, organization.

• For youth assemblies, the simplicity of the program coupled with the teamwork of counselors, teachers, social workers, fire and law enforcement agencies, local mental health and clergy in the community and schools contributes to the incredible effectiveness worldwide.

Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program^® combines experience of survivors, youth, parents, professionals, school and community emergency personnel with updated content, a user-friendly implementation process and training materials co-designed by professional suicidologists, mental health professionals, and master level curriculum writers, youth and survivors. 

The YR presenters and trainers from the international office have given trainings and/or assisted local mental health professionals in giving trainings in over 2,500 schools throughout the U.S. and Canada.  YR Chapters broaden that horizon with over 2,000 schools in their local areas.  

Two of the Trainers, Dale, Executive Director/Co-Founder, and Dar Emme, Deputy Director/Founder have personally addressed and trained over 200,000 people in school and community settings. Together, they: 
Were appointed to the Colorado Governor's Commission on Suicide 
     Prevention that developed Colorado's active Suicide Prevention Plan.  
Helped form and are members of the Suicide Prevention Coalition for 
     Colorado (Dale is Vice-Chair 2002-current) 
Serve on the Advisory Board of the Colorado Office of Suicide Prevention.
       (Dale 2000 - Current) 
Are founding members of the National Council for Suicide Prevention. 
      (Both 1998 - Current)

For more information about how you can prevent teen suicide, or to schedule your 
on-site training or information about Yellow Ribbon regional trainings, contact: 
303-429-3530,  fax: 303-426-4496 or email.  (Schedule of current trainings)

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© 1995- Present Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program^®
MAIL: PO Box 644, Westminster, CO 80036-0644  SITE: Orchard Court School, Adams County SD 50
303.429.3530    Fax 303.426.4496    www.yellowribbon.org    Email: ask4help@yellowribbon.org