MHA Monmouth Offers FREE Lifelines Youth Suicide
Prevention Program in Monmouth County High Schools
Shrewsbury, NJ (August 5, 2016) – The Mental Health Association of Monmouth County (MHAMC) is launching Lifelines, a comprehensive suicide awareness and prevention program, in Monmouth County high schools this fall, at no cost. MHAMC is committed to preventing youth suicide and creating compassionate communities equipped to respond to and prevent suicide across the lifespan. In response to a recent rise in suicides in Monmouth County, MHAMC is partnering with Prevention First to provide schools with critical tools for identifying at-risk youth, offering initial support, and quickly connecting them to help. This initiative is supported by seed funding and training from Scott Fritz and Maureen Underwood of the Suicide Prevention Resource Fund (SRF).
In 2003, Monmouth County resident Scott Fritz tragically lost his daughter to suicide. Since then, he has worked with schools and communities nationwide for over 11 years to raise awareness about suicide prevention and intervention. Collaborating with Maureen Underwood, a licensed clinical social worker and nationally recognized expert in suicide prevention, Fritz helped bring the Lifelines program to Monmouth County. Lifelines, authored by Underwood, is recognized on both the Best Practices Registry and the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP). It is a whole-school program designed to foster a competent school community where every member is equipped to recognize and respond to suicide risk and knows how to seek help. The program emphasizes help-seeking skills and the identification of trusted adults as essential resources for youth.
“As a community, we must be able to identify those at risk and provide a comprehensive toolkit to reduce the incidence of youth suicide,” said Wendy DePedro, Executive Director of MHA Monmouth. “Preventing these tragic losses requires all of us to work together.”
Mary Pat Angelini, CEO of Preferred Behavioral Health (Prevention First), echoed this sentiment: “The fact that we’re discussing this issue is critical, as suicide was often a taboo subject in the past. Suicide affects the entire community, and effective prevention requires a community-wide effort.”
For more information about the Lifelines program, please email [email protected] or call (732) 542-6422.
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About Mental Health Association of Monmouth County
Established in 1950, the Mental Health Association of Monmouth County is an affiliate of the national nonprofit Mental Health America. Our professional staff has been on the forefront of creating a meaningful system of mental health care that strategically focuses on eliminating social barriers and mental health discrimination. With over 15 free programs and services, we create healthy communities for the future.
