PSN Community Collaborative Meeting
Are you interested in reducing youth mental health stigma and supporting youth voice? Please join us for our next meeting where you will have the opportunity meet and hear from members in our community who have the same interest. Please sign up for our newsletter to hear about upcoming meetings.
Please refer to Community Activities & Events and Youth Activities & Events for additional events and announcements!
Mental Health Education Courses
Community Activities & Events Suicide Intervention Work Group Meeting Meets every second Wednesday of the month 3:00-5:00 pm Learning Partnership 1075 E. Santa Clara Street (Training Room 1, Second Floor) San Jose, CA 95116 The Suicide Intervention Work Group regularly meets the second Wednesday of every month. The work group is open to the public. For more information, contact: [email protected].
Job Opportunities Program Coordinator- Youth Connectedness Initative Youth Community Services (YCS) is seeking a full-time program coordinator. During the school year, the Program Coordinator will help plan and lead a pilot evidence-based program in the Palo Alto Unified School District and community that uses service-learning and social-emotional learning to improve youth connectedness. During the summer the coordinator will direct the YCS Summer of Service Program. For more information about the position or to submit your resume and cover letter please contact: [email protected]. Click here to view the Youth Connectedness Initiative Program Coordinator job announcement.
Volunteer Opportunities Volunteers Needed for Challenge Days @ Jordan Middle School (Sent by Lillian Horn) Jordan Middle School is hosting two Challenge Days this year, one on Tuesday, January 17 and another on Thursday, February 2 and is in need of parent and community volunteers to participate with the students. Jordan’s Challenge Day is an experiential social and emotional learning program for students in grades 7 and 8. The aim of the program is to ignite a shift toward greater school connectedness, empathy, and inclusivity. Click here for more information > Contact Lillian Horn to volunteer > Call for Mentors! Rise Together Education (RTE) RTE relies on community members to inspire, motivate, and encourage students as they navigate the college preparation process. An RTE mentor may help a high school junior or senior:
Policy Updates AB 89 was signed into California state law by Governor Jerry Brown in September 2017. Beginning in 2020, all licensed psychologists will be mandated to complete six hours of coursework or supervised practicum in suicide risk assessment and intervention. “New Law to Require Suicide Prevention Training for Psychologists,” by Elena Kadvany, Palo Alto Weekly On November 7, 2017, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors unanimously directed staff on Tuesday to move forward with a proposal to build a county-run inpatient psychiatric unit for adolescents at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose. “County to Build Inpatient Psych Unit for Teens,” by Elena Kadvany, Palo Alto Weekly
Research-in-Action Studies The Daily Rest Study, A Study of Sleep in Youth with Bipolar Disorder (Recruiting Participants Now) Contact (650) 736-2689 | [email protected] Sleep and circadian rhythms are commonly disrupted in adults with bipolar disorder and these disruptions have been shown to relate to mood changes. However, very little is known about the ways in which sleep and circadian rhythms may be disrupted in youth with bipolar disorder, or how such disruptions may affect mood in this population. The goal of the study is to address this gap. Participating in this study may help advance knowledge about the nature of sleep and circadian disruption in bipolar disorder. An interested youth and parent must first complete a confidential phone interview with one of our staff members to help determine eligibility for the study. If the youth seems eligible, both the participant and parent complete in-person interviews and questionnaires at Stanford University to finalize eligibility.
Recently Published Research National Trends in the Prevalence and Treatment of Depression in Adolescents and Young Adults (Beth Han, Ramin Mojtabai, and Mark Olfson) This study examined national trends in 12-month prevalence of major depressive episodes (MDEs) in adolescents and young adults overall and in different sociodemographic groups, as well as trends in depression treatment between 2005 and 2014. Download the report. California Health Kids Survey (CHKS) Download your copy of the recently released 2013-15 California Healthy Kids Survey. Suicide In America: Rate Reaches All-Time High, Especially Among Teen Girls (Medical News Daily, April 23, 2016)
The economic and emotional costs of suicidal behavior among U.S. families, communities, and society have become a serious public health concern. America’s suicide trend was on the decline during the early 90s, but since then the rates of self-destruction have skyrocketed to a 30-year high, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S., with more than 41,000 Americans taking their own lives each year and more than 494,000 Americans receive medical care for self-inflicted injuries.The CDC report reveals a 24 percent increase in suicide between 1999 and 2014, rising from 10.5 to 13.0 per 100,000 people. The average annual percent increase was 1 percent per year from 1999 through 2006, but it increased to 2 percent per year from 2006 through 2014. Suicide rates were especially high for teen girls and men and women under 75 years old, The New York Times reported. In teens, there was a 200 percent jump among girls aged 10 to 14, and a 43 percent increase in men aged 45 and 64.
We are currently in the process of updating this page. Please note that some information may not be up to date. Last updated May 11, 2021
Mental Health Education Courses
Mental Health First Aid
Just as CPR helps you assist an individual having a heart attack, Mental Health First Aid helps you assist someone experiencing a mental health or substance abuse related crisis. In the Mental Health First Aid course, you learn risk factors and warning signs for mental health and addiction concerns, strategies for how to help someone in both crisis and non-crisis situations, and where to turn for help. Click here to find a class near you!
The Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Services Ethnic and Cultural Community Advisory Committee are sponsoring free Mental Health First Aid Workshops this spring in San Jose. To sign up, please contact Leticia Medina at (408) 792-3921 or email [email protected]; or Ali Robleh at (408) 914-5751 or email [email protected].
Children’s Heath Council (CHC) Continuing Education Courses
Multiple classes and dates throughout the year
650 Clark Way, Palo Alto
CHC offers Continuing Education courses taught on site by top professionals each year. Classes are accredited by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences and the American Psychological Association and are led by licensed professionals. Continuing Education credits are offered for LMFTs, LCSWs, SLPs and Psychologists.
Question, Persuade & Refer (QPR) Online Suicide Prevention Training
Ask a Question, Save a Life
Sign Up Here!
Question, Persuade and Refer (QPR) are 3 simple steps that anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. People trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help. This free 1-hour online training you may take at your own pace.
Why QPR Training Matters- “It gives us all hope for preventing youth suicide, ” Paul Quinnett, PhD, Founder of QPR Institute. Counties implementing gatekeeper trainings had significantly lower suicide rates among aged 10 to 24 years than similar counties that did not implement trainings (1.33 fewer deaths per 100,000; p=.02).Walrath, C. et. al (2015). Impact of the Garret Lee Smith Youth Suicide Prevention Program on Suicide Mortality, American Journal of Public Health, 105, 896-993.
Community Activities & Events Suicide Intervention Work Group Meeting Meets every second Wednesday of the month 3:00-5:00 pm Learning Partnership 1075 E. Santa Clara Street (Training Room 1, Second Floor) San Jose, CA 95116 The Suicide Intervention Work Group regularly meets the second Wednesday of every month. The work group is open to the public. For more information, contact: [email protected].
Job Opportunities Program Coordinator- Youth Connectedness Initative Youth Community Services (YCS) is seeking a full-time program coordinator. During the school year, the Program Coordinator will help plan and lead a pilot evidence-based program in the Palo Alto Unified School District and community that uses service-learning and social-emotional learning to improve youth connectedness. During the summer the coordinator will direct the YCS Summer of Service Program. For more information about the position or to submit your resume and cover letter please contact: [email protected]. Click here to view the Youth Connectedness Initiative Program Coordinator job announcement.
Volunteer Opportunities Volunteers Needed for Challenge Days @ Jordan Middle School (Sent by Lillian Horn) Jordan Middle School is hosting two Challenge Days this year, one on Tuesday, January 17 and another on Thursday, February 2 and is in need of parent and community volunteers to participate with the students. Jordan’s Challenge Day is an experiential social and emotional learning program for students in grades 7 and 8. The aim of the program is to ignite a shift toward greater school connectedness, empathy, and inclusivity. Click here for more information > Contact Lillian Horn to volunteer > Call for Mentors! Rise Together Education (RTE) RTE relies on community members to inspire, motivate, and encourage students as they navigate the college preparation process. An RTE mentor may help a high school junior or senior:
- navigate nationalized testing (ACT or SAT)
- edit essays
- guide students through the application process
- apply for scholarships
- and other needs related to pursuing a college education
Policy Updates AB 89 was signed into California state law by Governor Jerry Brown in September 2017. Beginning in 2020, all licensed psychologists will be mandated to complete six hours of coursework or supervised practicum in suicide risk assessment and intervention. “New Law to Require Suicide Prevention Training for Psychologists,” by Elena Kadvany, Palo Alto Weekly On November 7, 2017, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors unanimously directed staff on Tuesday to move forward with a proposal to build a county-run inpatient psychiatric unit for adolescents at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose. “County to Build Inpatient Psych Unit for Teens,” by Elena Kadvany, Palo Alto Weekly
Interesting Read
PSN had the wonderful opportunity to hear from Dr. Maddie Gould, noted suicidologist, in September 2015 at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. Dr. Gould penned a perspective in the New York Times.
- A Suicidologist’s New Challenge: The George Washington Bridge (New York Times, August 19, 2016)
Research-in-Action Studies The Daily Rest Study, A Study of Sleep in Youth with Bipolar Disorder (Recruiting Participants Now) Contact (650) 736-2689 | [email protected] Sleep and circadian rhythms are commonly disrupted in adults with bipolar disorder and these disruptions have been shown to relate to mood changes. However, very little is known about the ways in which sleep and circadian rhythms may be disrupted in youth with bipolar disorder, or how such disruptions may affect mood in this population. The goal of the study is to address this gap. Participating in this study may help advance knowledge about the nature of sleep and circadian disruption in bipolar disorder. An interested youth and parent must first complete a confidential phone interview with one of our staff members to help determine eligibility for the study. If the youth seems eligible, both the participant and parent complete in-person interviews and questionnaires at Stanford University to finalize eligibility.
The Teen Wellness Project (in collaboration with the Palo Alto YMCA and Teenwellness.com)
Teen wellness in the Palo Alto community is a major concern. Attempts to improve teen’s wellbeing should start early in order to prevent major negative consequences in their future lives. An effective universal program used on improving well-being (that could reach the whole Palo Alto youth community at early ages) would represent a significant benefit to Palo Alto families and the community as a whole. In response to these need, a group of researchers from Palo Alto University (PAU) are evaluating a Teen Wellness online intervention for youth from the Palo Alto community. This is a project that aims to provide online teen wellness education to 150 youths, free of charge, in collaboration with the Palo Alto YMCA. For more information, please contact Eduardo Bunge, Ph.D.
Recently Published Research National Trends in the Prevalence and Treatment of Depression in Adolescents and Young Adults (Beth Han, Ramin Mojtabai, and Mark Olfson) This study examined national trends in 12-month prevalence of major depressive episodes (MDEs) in adolescents and young adults overall and in different sociodemographic groups, as well as trends in depression treatment between 2005 and 2014. Download the report. California Health Kids Survey (CHKS) Download your copy of the recently released 2013-15 California Healthy Kids Survey. Suicide In America: Rate Reaches All-Time High, Especially Among Teen Girls (Medical News Daily, April 23, 2016)