Youth Suicide Prevention Program
We know parenting is hard and we are here with free help with an ABSOLUTELY FREE program to assist families with children at risk of suicide.
The program is funded by a grant from the Louisiana Department of Health’s Bureau of Family Health.
Referral Process:
Beacon accepts referrals from your pediatrician via Beacon’s secure email and phone calls to our Navigators. When referring, ask your provider to provide the patient’s name, date of birth and MRN and specify Youth Suicide Prevention (YSP).
Ask your pediatrician to email navigation@beacon.hush.com or call (337) 534-8801.
At Beacon we:
- Support the families of youth at risk of suicide.
- Provide weekly or biweekly check-in calls to clients
- Address the mental health needs of the entire family with connections to counseling and mental health providers.
- Address other resource needs in order to support the whole family.
Suicide Prevention
RISK FACTORS
Things that may cause your child to be more likely to think about or attempt suicide.
- Feeling sad, down, or hopeless
- Fighting with family, friends, or others
- Bullying kids at school or family members
- Being bullied at school
- Feel especially let down, like when failing a test or a recent breakup
- Cutting or Hurting themselves
- Severe depression, post-traumatic stress, ADHO, or substance abuse
- History of suicidal thinking or suicide attempts.
- Having a gun in the home
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Your child might be thinking of suicide and needs help right away.
- Your child says things like “I want to die” or “You’ll be better off without me around
- Writes suicide notes, or talks about plans to kill themselves
- Posts comments online that talk about killing themselves, such as “I’m going to end it all”
- Talks about death often
- Gives away their favorite things
- Takes more risks than usual or does things that put them in danger
- Heavy drug or alcohol use
- A major change in mood, including sudden, unexplained happiness
WHAT TO DO
Take action if you think your loved one is thinking about killing themselves.
- Ask if they are thinking about killing themselves.
- Be calm and listen. Don’t get angry, let them talk.
- Let them know you are concerned about their safety.
- Help them name and focus on their reasons for living.
- Do not leave them alone. If you can’t be there, ask another trusted adult to help.
- Remove or lockup weapons they could use to harm themselves, especially any firearms.
- Call the Lifeline (1-800 273-TALK) for help if you’re not sure what to do.
- Get help! If the child is in danger, dial 911, or take your child to an emergency room.
Follow Up for Parents
Call your child’s pediatrician to let them know about the recent crisis.
Ask your child’s pediatrician to refer you to Beacon Community Connections.