Ohio State University Research Foundation

The Ohio Youth Suicide Prevention and Risk Assessment Project (OYSP&RAP) will provide, 24 Ohio Screening Programs with assistance and training to initiate or expand research based culturally competent approaches for early identification of youth at risk of suicide and/or suffering with an undiagnosed and untreated mental disorder that may result in suicide. Risk assessment will be made available, with active parental consent, to a minimum of 35,650 youth ages 11-18. Screening programs participating in the project will screen youth and suicides will be prevented through early screening identification, professional assessment, and referral for treatment when necessary. Ohio?s behavioral health system consists of 50 county Behavioral Health Authorities who serve the 88 counties in the state. These authorities are statutorily empowered to plan, develop, fund and evaluate community-based mental health and substance abuse services. Within this infrastructure, the 24 Screening Programs will be identified and grant funds will be disbursed. The OYSP&RAP program model is a three year approach. In the first year of operation, the twelve Ohio Screening Programs already conducting risk assessment activities will be awarded mini-grants to support expansion of their activities and to coordinate services to assure immediate linkage to behavioral health care and other supports. Providing that targeted risk assessment outcome goals are achieved, these programs will continue to receive support over the remaining two years of the project. In years two and three and additional 12 (6 each year) Ohio Screening Programs will be selected and awarded mini-grants to support risk assessment activities. These programs will receive continued fiscal support in the following project year provided that targeted risk assessment outcome goals have been achieved. By year three, the total number of participating programs will be 24. The number of youths annually assessed for suicide risk will be increased by approximately 420%. Targeted and selected Screening Programs will have the option to utilize evidence-based programs such as the Columbia TeenScreen Program (CTSP), Signs if Suicide (SOS) High School Suicide Prevention Program and other proven effective, model programs. The evidence-based screening method selected by each county will be utilized in a variety of settings: schools, child welfare/foster care, mental health and substance abuse systems; pediatrician offices; emergency rooms; private and non-profit venues; and other community based locations where youth are most accessible. Further, in order to increase the number of trained professionals in suicide assessment in the targeted and selected Screening Programs, a ?train the trainers? approach using the ?Clinical Competencies in Suicide Assessment?, developed by the American Association of Suicidology (AAS) and the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) will be provided to qualified professionals in Ohio. The OYSP&RAP will draw upon the expertise of The Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation (OSPF), the Ohio State University (OSU), the Ohio State University Center for Family Research (CFR), and the Ohio Department of Mental Health (ODMH).