This article discusses suicide and related topics, which may be triggering for some readers. If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. Please reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, and/or seek support from a trusted individual or counselor.
Every 40 seconds, somebody dies by suicide. In the United States, suicide is the number three cause of death among adolescents, and that number is only rising. However, according to a 2022 survey, 94% of American adults believe suicide can be prevented. Given all of these staggering statistics, it is clear that life-saving actions must be taken, and that is where the University of Washington comes in. The University of Washington’s Forefront Suicide Prevention program was founded in 2013, and has been implementing in-school training since 2015.
Bellarmine adopted the program 5 years ago, and has been providing the training to students of all grades since its foundation on campus. In addition to the opportunity to be educated on suicide prevention and mental health, students have the opportunity to become peer leaders and facilitate learning in their community. While the topic of suicide is very sensitive amongst many, especially high school students, this training has been crucial in informing students and faculty on how to respond to someone who may be struggling with suicidal thoughts.
Throughout its implementation here at Bellarmine, the Forefront Program has seen many successes, as well as many challenges, but its impact on the Bellarmine community continues to grow, fostering a culture of compassion, awareness, and support for all students. To fully understand the program, it is crucial to hear from students who have been directly involved in the training to see how it has shaped their perspective on mental health and suicide prevention.
Sophomore Anna Rosati says a key point she took from her training was “breaking down the stigma of suicide.” Forefront has supported these steps by teaching students the proper language to use when referring to suicide.
Freshman Dylan Rousseau, who received the training a few weeks ago, says that the training encouraged him to “not say committed suicide” but rather to say “died by suicide.” “Commit makes it sound like a crime,” Rousseau went on to say, which is one of the many reasons forefront is working to improve student’s understanding and language regarding the topic.
Forefront utilizes the acronym LEARN to inform students about the proper steps of suicide prevention. These letters stand for look for signs, empathize and listen, ask about suicide, remove the dangers, and next steps. This simple yet powerful acronym allows students to know how to respond to suicidal thoughts, and gives them the knowledge of life-saving practices.
Rosati said, “It’s really important for students to receive [the training] because there are a lot of students that think that it’s a subject that you shouldn’t talk about… It is a hard subject, but it is important that people are properly educated on what it is and how many people it affects.”
Tawanna Wilson, a counselor at Bellarmine and the director of the Forefront program on campus, says that “the main mission of the Forefront program in schools is to teach communities the life saving strategies of knowing the warning signs of those who are experiencing suicidal ideation.” Additionally, Wilson commented on the peer-to-peer format, saying it is set up so that “the community is teaching itself.” These peer leaders have a very unique perspective on the program and the impact it has had around campus.
Junior Kylie Schneller says that she became a peer leader because she “wanted to make a positive impact on her community,” and “that youth suicide is a very big issue, especially in the age of technology.” Schneller says that throughout her training, her perspective on mental health and suicide prevention has shifted. She says “The way [I] deal with mental health issues and the way I go about helping others has definitely changed” It is clear that peer-leaders are not only shaping their community through the training, but are also being shaped themselves.
Because of the topic, being involved with Forefront is not an easy task. Schneller says that it can be challenging “trying to get whoever you’re training to listen and empathize, and take it seriously.”
Junior Eli Peairs, another peer leader, shared similar sentiments, saying the most challenging part of being a leader is “really crowd work. [He feels] like it is super hard to get engagement.” Peairs added that “it’s a sensitive topic to talk about… A lot of people that we teach it to don’t want to talk about that kind of thing, because maybe they’ve had experiences with it.”
Despite the challenges that the program may present, Wilson says that she “hope[s] students are being empowered to talk about the subject knowledgeably and openly with their communities.” Throughout discussions with peer leaders and students alike, it was very clear that this was the case.
Suicide prevention is a critical topic, and it is highly evident that the Forefront program is making a tangible impact at Bellarmine and beyond. With continued efforts, open conversations, and empathy, a future where every life is valued, and many lives are saved, is on the horizon.
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/facts/index.html?utm_
