Photo caption: (left to right) Ruth Kaluski, the Mental Health Association in New Jersey’s Statewide Director of Strategic Program Development, and Jaime Angelini, the Association’s Statewide Director of Suicide Prevention, Crisis Response, and Special Projects, lead the A Focus on Youth Suicide Prevention project.
Mental Health Association in NJ Spreads Teen Suicide Prevention Skills
Thanks to Horizon Blue Cross Blue Sheild of New Jersey’s $25,000 Grant Renewal
We can all play a role in teen suicide prevention. In the Garden State, the Mental Health Association in New Jersey (MHANJ) is pleased to announce the continuation of free training to youth serving organizations and people who work with youth made possible through a $25,000 grant from Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. In its first two years, this funding has enabled the MHAN to provide QPR training to more than 100 youth-serving organizations who work with or who are concerned about youth. The program, entitled A Focus on Youth Suicide, has a particular focus on supporting youth of color and youth who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community.
About Youth Suicide
Suicide is recognized as a public health issue. According to the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, it is the second leading cause of death for youth and young adults with more than 7,100 deaths in the United States in 2021. Despite this alarming data, there is hope that suicides are preventable through collaborative, evidence-based interventions.
About QPR Training
“A Focus on Youth Suicide Prevention has established a framework using QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer), a nationally used, evidence-based training program, to equip community gatekeepers with the tools to build or strengthen a suicide prevention safety net for youth. This project aligns with our mission in striving for the best possible mental health for youth and adults in our state,” said Carolyn Beauchamp, President and CEO of the Mental Health Association in New Jersey.
“By expanding the training opportunity to additional gatekeepers and offering bilingual sessions last year, we widened the safety net of people who can recognize suicide risk and warning signs and offer help and support to young people in our community,” stated Jaime Angelini, the Association’s Statewide Director of Suicide Prevention, Crisis Response and Special Projects. “The response from participants has been extremely positive. It is evident from these trainings that most people want to help someone in crisis but often feel they do not have the skills or tools to intervene. QPR teaches people how to identify warning signs of suicide, how to talk with a person about their thoughts and feelings and how and where to connect someone with help. During our training, we work to empower people to have the courage to start an uncomfortable conversation. Most of all we remind people that suicide prevention is about offering hope. I truly believe we are saving lives and that’s what motivates me to do this work.”
Organizations that serve youth which would like to participate in this teen suicide prevention program are encouraged to contact Ms. Angelini by calling her at 609-576-9498 or emailing her at jangelini@mhanj.org.
“New Jersey ranks second in the country for teen suicide. We applaud the important work being done by the Mental Health Association in New Jersey to create more awareness about this issue to save lives,” said Jonathan R. Pearson, Executive Director of The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey. “The Foundation works across New Jersey with community-based organizations who share our commitment to improving health and the communities we serve. By training people who have regular contact with adolescents, teens, and young people in New Jersey, we confront this crisis head-on.”
About The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey’s philanthropic arm, The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, is focused on making New Jersey healthier by supporting non-profit organizations that expand access to health care, remove barriers to good health and increase opportunities for everyone to achieve their best health, no matter who they are or where they live. Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey and The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information, please visit HZNFoundation.org.
About the Mental Health Association in New Jersey
The Mental Health Association in New Jersey is a statewide non-profit organization that strives for children and adults to achieve victory over mental health and substance use disorders through advocacy, education, training, and services. The Association is headquartered in Union County, with additional offices in Atlantic, Hudson and Ocean Counties and affiliates in Essex, Monmouth, Morris, and Passaic Counties. For more information call 800-367-8850 or visit https://www.mhanj.org/.
