Erika’s Lighthouse Staff Training on Adolescent Depression and Suicide

Erika's Lighthouse

Program Type

Education or Training Program

Cost

No Cost

Evidence Type

Empirically-Defined Evidence

SPRC Comprehensive Approach

Identify and Assist, Increase Help-Seeking, Care Transition/Linkages, Connectedness

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Program or Intervention Summary

The Erika’s Lighthouse Staff Training on Adolescent Depression and Suicide is a professional development program designed to equip school personnel with the knowledge and tools necessary to support student mental health. It serves as a foundational component of the Erika’s Lighthouse “Four Pillar Model” for creating inclusive, mentally healthy school cultures. The primary purpose of the training is to “go upstream” by providing depression education as a means of suicide prevention. It aims to bridge the gap between noticing a student in distress and connecting them with professional help, effectively turning educators into allies.

The goals include, but are not limited to, stigma reduction, increase of knowledge, normalizing conversations, and capacity building to increase the confidence and empathy of all school staff to serve as “trusted adults” and school mental health and crisis protocol awareness. The training begins with an in-depth exploration of the signs and symptoms of adolescent depression and its correlation with suicide, ensuring staff can identify behavioral red flags. A core pillar is the being a trusted adult module, which provides concrete strategies for conducting supportive, non-judgmental conversations with youth. The training refers staff to tangible handouts, such as the Mental Health Checklist and alongside specific scripts found in the Intervention Language for Educators guide, and protocols that can be used directly with students. These resources can be found on the Erika’s Lighthouse Resource Portal.

The Staff Training is designed for all school staff. The underlying philosophy is that every adult in a school building has the potential to be the “trusted adult” a student reaches out to. The training is delivered via a series of pre-recorded videos and quizzes that build foundational mental health literacy. These modules are designed for maximum flexibility, allowing for a 45-60 minute training that fits into busy school schedules. Finally, the program uniquely prioritizes staff well-being, incorporating activities to support the mental health of educators to ensure they have the emotional capacity to effectively support students.

All Erika’s Lighthouse resources are free. The Staff Training program emphasizes that while depression is serious and the leading risk factor for suicide, it is also highly treatable, and early intervention significantly improves outcomes.

Type Education or Training Program
Setting Online
Languages English
Study Method Quantitative Design
Implementer Requirement K-12 school faculty and staff
Training Requirement No
Delivery Options Virtual self-paced
Risk and Protective Factors Stigma associated with help-seeking and mental illness, Feeling connected to others, Feeling connected to school, community, and other social institutions

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