Maine

Suicide prevention and early intervention is essential to support the safety and well-being of Maine young people during adolescence and into adulthood. The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (MCDC) proposes to implement Project STAY (Support, Treatment, and Access for Youth) to support prevention, universal and indicated screening, evidence-based treatment, and coordination of care for youth at risk of suicide. To achieve these outcomes, MCDC will implement the following goals and objectives: Goal 1: Increase the number of schools and youth-serving organizations implementing evidence-based early intervention and suicide prevention policies and practices to identify and respond to youth with unmet mental health needs. Goal 2: Increase care management, access to mental health services, and follow-up for youth at high risk of suicide or suicide attempts. Goal 3: Increase the number of educators, care providers, and youth-serving professionals trained in evidence-based practices for screening, assessment, treatment, and follow-up of young people at risk of suicide. Goal 4: Increase help-seeking and improve youth access to care by promoting innovative outreach strategies, including crisis text services and peer-to-peer interventions. The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention has a long history of engaging with community partners to provide innovative suicide prevention interventions across many sectors. We believe that Project STAY will have a positive impact on the well-being of our communities by reducing Maine’s rate of suicide deaths and suicide attempts.