Mississippi

MS GLS19 is a collaboration between the MS Department of Mental Health, Mississippi State University and Region 8 Mental Health aimed at reducing youth suicides by providing: a) expanded suicide awareness and gatekeeper training for families, schools, communities and youth-serving organizations statewide; b) improved identification and clinical services for at-risk youth; and c) the development of statewide rapid response postvention services. The project will: 1) increase the number of youth-serving organizations who are able to identify and refer youth at risk of suicide by providing gatekeeper training to at least 5,000 educators, childcare professionals, community care providers, and individuals in foster care and juvenile justice agencies annually; 2) increase the capacity of clinical service providers to assess, manage, and treat youth at risk of suicide by referring at-risk youth for mental health care services within 24 hours of suicide screening completion; 3) improve the continuity of care and follow-up of youth identified to be at risk for suicide, including those who have been discharged from emergency department and inpatient psychiatric units by providing statewide postvention training to at least 1,000 family members, friends, educational institutions, juvenile justice systems, substance use disorder programs, mental health programs, foster care systems, and other child and youth support organizations annually; and 4) provide postvention support services for families statewide within 24 hours of notice of suicide death or attempt. This project will build upon and integrate initiatives developed by DMH and MSU under previous Garrett Lee Smith grant-funded projects, Shatter the Silence awareness and prevention campaign (DMH), and The Alliance Project gatekeeper training (MSU). The project will serve an estimated 6,000 people annually (30,000 over five years) with suicide awareness and prevention, gatekeeper and postvention trainings to families, schools, communities and youth-serving organizations. Region 8 Mental Health expects to provide continued mental health services a total of 2,130 students over five years within its five-county catchment area through employment of school-based therapists who will conduct suicide and mental health screenings and make appropriate referrals to treatment services. An estimated 32,130 Mississippians will be served in some capacity through the grant activities over the course of five years.