Youth suicide-prevention program awarded $480K

WARWICK – The Rhode Island Youth Suicide Prevention Project has been awarded a three-year, $480,000 federal grant, the R.I. Student Assistance Services announced on Aug. 3.
The grant will provide the necessary resources to identify and refer at-risk youth; it will also support the launch of a media campaign to help educate adults about warning signs and how best to respond.
In 2007, suicide was the third-leading cause of death for young people ages 15 to 24, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The prevention project currently operates in six communities, but will soon offer technical assistance to the R.I. National Guard and the R.I. Veterans Administration in an effort to reach military personnel and their families.
“Many young people who commit suicide have a treatable mental illness, but they don’t get the help they need,” said U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, who is leading a bipartisan legislative effort to reauthorize the program in the Senate. “This grant will provide critical resources for prevention and outreach efforts in Rhode Island to help reach at-risk youth before it is too late.” •