SOS Signs of Suicide: Suicide Prevention in a Single Class Period
Many people believe suicide prevention is an individualized matter focusing solely on supporting someone who is struggling. However, the most effective forms of prevention involve educating everyone on what to do if they’re experiencing suicidal thoughts or concerned about the well-being of someone else.
SOS Signs of Suicide is an evidence-based youth suicide prevention program that teaches middle and high school students how to identify warning signs of suicide and depression and encourages them to ACT® (Acknowledge, Care, Tell) if they are worried about themselves or a friend. Trusted by thousands of schools across the country, SOS has demonstrated a 64% reduction in self-reported suicide attempts and was named to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center Best Practices Registry.
Schools reported the following data after delivering SOS to students:
- 97% believed students learned to identify signs of depression and suicide
- 90% saw an increase in students seeking help for themselves or a friend
- 95% felt there was reduced behavioral health stigma among students
Additional SOS programs provide suicide prevention training for K-12 faculty and staff, as well as college students, faculty, and staff.
SOS Signs of Suicide is delivered in a single class period and powered by MindWise Innovations, a service of Riverside Community Care. SOS scholarships and grants are available.
Clinical Consulting for Faculty, Teams, & Parents
MindWise Innovations, a service of Riverside Community Care, offers short-term, non-therapeutic clinical consulting services for individual faculty members, as well as structured and supportive coping groups for teams to process anxiety, stress, or trauma. Additionally, we teach vital healing strategies and connect staff to appropriate longer-term care solutions if required.
Explore the MindWise Training Library to discover a variety of live and virtual trainings designed to enhance the resilience of your school community. We offer comprehensive trainings on vital behavioral health topics including but not limited to:
- Suicide Prevention
- Crisis Response
- Trauma-Informed Care
- Psychological First Aid
Empower your school with knowledge and confidence to drive student success, faculty well-being, and a thriving educational community.
Trauma Response After an Incident or Event
Riverside Trauma Center has decades of experience helping communities cope with tragic situations. Our team supports schools through behavioral health consultation, trauma-informed trainings, and nationally recognized postvention services.
Postvention entails responding to a suicide in a safe and appropriate way to reduce the risk of suicide contagion and support those affected by the loss. Riverside Trauma Center’s expertly trained responders offer grief counseling, coping groups, and long-term support to ensure your school community is best prepared to persevere through tragedy.
Preschool & Daycare Consulting in Massachusetts
Riverside’s child development specialists partner with teachers, directors, providers, and parents to support children (infants through preschool) in early childcare settings. Our compassionate staff identifies each child’s unique strengths and challenges as we help them meet their social, emotional, and developmental needs.
Through our Early Years Project, we provide:
- Staff consultation
- Classroom management strategies
- Program support for preschools and daycares
- Parent and staff training
Our bilingual (English/Spanish) team works closely with Cambridge Health Alliance therapeutic and medical providers to help young children and their families flourish.
Newton Youth Outreach: Support Within Newton Schools
Through Newton Youth Outreach (NYO), Riverside clinicians offer therapeutic behavioral healthcare to students, primarily onsite at Newton schools during a student’s free periods. If school is not the best meeting place, staff can arrange appointments at a different location.
NYO services differ from school counseling and are available to any student, regardless of insurance, who lives or goes to school in Newton.
