BLACK YOUTH SUICIDE PROJECT
A group of concerned people from various community organizations and corners of our community are sounding an alarm about the increase in Black youth suicide in our community.
Our project is brand new, kicking off in June! We are currently seeking Black middle and high school youth to serve as Ambassadors to help guide our project. Ambassadors will participate in monthly meetings to provide input and direction to the project. Interested? Please text (260) 797-5892. We hope to meet in the next few months.
OUR GOALS ARE:
Goal 1:
To engage with youth to better understand why the increase in Black youth suicide is happening
Goal 2:
To design relevant strategies that:
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Raise awareness about mental health and suicide with an emphasis on normalizing talking openly about them
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Reduce stigma and shame around mental health and suicide
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Promote and normalize seeking help during challenging times - we want to empower youth to empower their friends and family to get the help when they need it
Goal 3:
Make recommendations for improving mental health care for Black youth. We want them to get the care they need and deserve.
STEPS
Our first step is to write a grant that includes the following strategies to help us understand mental health and suicide among Black youth:
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Surveys with groups of youth
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Focus groups with youth to do a deeper dive into the issues related to mental health, suicide, and what kind of help would be relevant to them.
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Community Conversation/ Symposium to brainstorm with a wide range of community members what could be done to address mental health and suicide among Black youth.
Our second step will be to develop strategies to address mental health and suicide among Black youth.
People at the table so far...
Jonathon Wattley, Building a Stronger Family
Antoinette Francher-Donald, Children’s Health Collaborative
Donlaray Reese, Fort Wayne Community Schools
Natasha Andrews, Community Chaplain
Jayme Yates, Bowen Center
Sharon Tubbs, HealthVisions Fort Wayne
Colleen Carpenter & Lily Ganshorn, Stop Suicide Northeast Indiana
Chariee Reason, We Care Counseling
Cameron Shakleford, Safe Place
Prentis Moore, Bridge of Grace
Angelica Ortega, IU Intern
Monique Johnson, Allen County Drug & Alcohol Consortium
Alice Jordan-Miles, Behavioral Health & Family Studies Institute, Purdue Fort Wayne
Babra Chakanyuka, Indiana Division of Mental Health & Addiction
Joshua Rogers, Arizen Apparel