Empowering Schools and Communities: Your Guide to Suicide Prevention
In the US alone, suicide tragically claims around 50,000 lives annually. These are individuals, not statistics - loved ones, friends, and members of our communities.
Are you a school counselor, administrator, or educator seeking to bridge the gap between schools and communities on suicide prevention?
Answering the Cry for Help equips you with information and tools to develop a powerful Community Suicide Prevention Program (C-SPP). This Updated and Revised resource provides:
- Early Warning Signs: Learn to recognize and understand the subtle and not-so-subtle indicators of suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
- Effective Intervention Techniques: Learn best practices for offering compassionate support to students at risk, guiding them towards resources and treatment.
- Building a Crisis Response Team: Discover how to train educators and administrators to effectively manage critical situations and navigate the aftermath.
- Securing Resources: Uncover valuable insights on acquiring funding for your C-SPP and establishing strong partnerships with mental health and community organizations.
- Media Savvy: Learn how to communicate effectively with the media to raise awareness about suicide prevention without sensationalizing the issue.
- Proactive Prevention Strategies: This book goes beyond reactive measures. Discover powerful tools to create a nurturing and inclusive school environment that fosters resilience and hope.
Don't wait for tragedy to strike. Empower yourself, your colleagues, and your community to prevent suicide.
About the Author :
Dave Opalewski is President of Grief Recovery Inc., in Saginaw, Michigan, a certified Death and Dying and Suicide Prevention Instructor for Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. He is also a certified support group facilitator and child trauma specialist, along with being a 33 year veteran of K-12 education; 25 years as a classroom teacher and 8 years as the Director of At-Risk Programs. He worked 3 years part time in a funeral home as an aftercare consultant, working with families of the deceased and pioneered the Saginaw County Aftercare Adult Support Group. He is ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) trained
His published books include 15-Minute Focus - GRIEF: Processing and Recovery, Confronting Death in the School Family, and many others. Dave Opalewski has been published several times in professional journals and is a highly sought after speaker at state and national conferences conducting professional development trainings for several school districts throughout the Country. He was recognized as the "2010 Advocate of the Year" at Central Michigan University for guiding college freshman and a nominee for the 2010/11 and 2012/13 "Excellence in Education" Award. He has recently retired as Professor Emeritus for Central Michigan University in the Teacher Education and Professional Development Department.
