Idaho State University – Institute of Rural Health

The goal of the Idaho Awareness to Action Youth Suicide Prevention Early Intervention Project (AAYSP) is to reduce suicides among Idaho youth ages 10-24 by implementing objectives from Idaho’s Suicide Prevention Plan. The goals include information dissemination, collaboration with prevention stakeholders, gatekeeper training, and data collection/evaluation. The Governor’s Council on Suicide Prevention provides input the project. Awareness to Action Academies help stakeholders learn how to put knowledge of suicide prevention in use.
Goal 1: Disseminate Evidence-Informed Practices, including an awareness campaign toolkit, Signs of Suicide (SOS) program, QPR and culturally appropriate practices.
Goal 2: Conduct Gatekeeper Training using Idaho’s nationally recognized gatekeeper training, Better Todayâ€‖s/Better Tomorrows, with trainees recruited from adult caregivers representing high risk groups, emergency services personnel and first responders, Indian tribes, Hispanics, Asian/Pacific Islanders, and Alaska Natives as well as LGBT groups, attempters, survivors, child welfare/foster care workers, juvenile justice, law enforcement, childcare, parents/grandparents, college campuses, and faculty/staff of Idaho’s 114 school districts.
Goal 3: Collaborate with the Governor’s Council on Suicide Prevention for guidance, input, and evaluation of project progress. Consult independently with specific cultural, high risk, and racial/ethnic groups not represented on the Council. Work with SPAN Idaho and others on evidence informed materials relevant to crisis workers, medical response and first responders, juvenile justice, childcare, foster care, sexual orientation, and previous attempters.
Goal 4: Conduct Awareness to Action Academy for a variety of stakeholders including general and mental health professionals suicide assessment and advocacy skills to lead Idaho from awareness of to a state where advocates and health professionals are leaders for action.
Goal 5: Participate in the cross-site evaluation and conduct local evaluations including quantitative and qualitative input from program participants, public, private, tribal, and family stakeholders to assess achieving project goals, objectives, outcomes, and processes. The local evaluation includes suicide risk and protective factors identification and model building
Project activities will result in sustainable products and services, such as supporting sustainable SOS activities in Idaho’s 114 school districts, creating a cadre of QPR trainers statewide, distributing a college workbook for suicide prevention among resident assistant housing staff, and developing suicide assessment and advocacy skills through assures consistency with state priorities and supports implementation through evidence-based practices.