Three-Year Grant Allows Program to be Disseminated in School Districts Across Florida
FORT LAUDERDALE/DAVIE, Fla. – It is an issue that every community is grappling with, but not many feel comfortable speaking about publicly: mental health, especially where children are concerned.
“Unfortunately, suicide is the second leading cause of death for children ages 10 and older in our country,” said Scott Poland, Ed.D., a professor in Nova Southeastern University (NSU) College of Psychology. “We’ve got to break through the stigma and really confirm to people that it isn’t just okay, but it’s acceptable and necessary to talk about mental health. We’ve made progress over the last few years and the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the discussion, but more must be done.”
Scott Poland, Ed.D., Professor and Director of the Suicide and Violence Prevention Office
To that end, Poland and his graduate students from NSU will be rolling out a new program, “STEPS” (School Toolkit for Educators to Prevent Suicide) that directly addresses the need for awareness to help stem the tide of mental health struggles and youth suicide. STEPS will now be shared across Florida, thanks to a three-year grant from the Florida Blue Foundation, and will train 500 administrators or school mental health professionals a year for the next three years. After the training, each participant will receive the 186-page toolkit.
This program was created by Poland and is based on his more than 40 years of experience working on youth suicide prevention in schools. Poland is also the director of the Suicide and Violence Prevention Office at NSU.
“School personnel and adults must know how to recognize the warning signs of suicide and work as a team to secure the needed supervision at school and at home,” said Poland. “Schools have an important role to play in suicide awareness and prevention, along with parents and community-based services.”
NSU is one of 12 organizations across the state to receive a portion of the $3.8 million the Florida Blue Foundation awarded in grants to support community-based programs that directly improve access to and quality of mental well-being services, particularly for the underserved and uninsured, including racial and ethnic minorities and low-income populations.
“Our mental well-being is just as important as our physical health,”said Susan Towler, executive director of the Florida Blue Foundation. “Helping young people understand the value of good mental health and reducing the stigma associated with getting help can truly transform their lives and future. NSU’s STEPS program equips those working directly with a community’s youth with the training and tools to support them during troubling times in their lives. We are eager to support their efforts as they expand the program to engage with more schools across the state.”
NSU’s grant for the First STEPS program is for $330,000 that will be spread over three years. The first training session is scheduled for February 2022 in the Hillsborough County Public School District, targeting all school principals.
Poland said that the foundation of youth suicide is untreated or undertreated mental illness and that depression is the most common mental illness associated with suicide. Additionally, young people often experience what are called adverse childhood experiences, such as rejection from a natural parent, being physically emotionally or sexually abused, living in poverty and being bullied, to name a few.
“The majority of youth suicide can be prevented if everyone knows the warning signs of suicide,” Poland said.
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About Nova Southeastern University (NSU): At NSU, students don’t just get an education, they get the competitive edge they need for real careers, real contributions and real life. A dynamic, private research university, NSU is providing high-quality educational and research programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree levels. Established in 1964, the university includes 15 colleges, the 215,000-square-foot Center for Collaborative Research, the private JK-12 grade University School, the world-class NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale, and the Alvin Sherman Library, Research and Information Technology Center, one of Florida’s largest public libraries. NSU students learn at our campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Miramar, Orlando, Palm Beach, and Tampa, Florida, as well as San Juan, Puerto Rico, and online globally. With nearly 200,000 alumni across the globe, the reach of the NSU community is worldwide. Classified as having “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU is one of only 59 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification, and is also the largest private institution in the United States that meets the U.S. Department of Education’s criteria as a Hispanic-serving Institution. Please visit www.nova.edu for more information.
About Florida Blue Foundation: Florida Blue Foundation enables healthy communities by making grants, building coalitions and embracing solutions that create a meaningful impact in our communities. More than 6.5 million Floridians have received services as a result of our community investments since our founding in 2001. The Florida Blue Foundation’s programs are focused on advancing mental well-being, improving health equity, impacting food security and addressing systemic racism and resulting health disparities. It is a trade name of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Foundation Inc., an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Please visit www.FloridaBlueFoundation.com for more information.
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