Creating a safer today for our youth.
OUR MISSION: SUICIDE PREVENTION OUR MISSION: SUICIDE PREVENTION
OUR MISSION: SUICIDE PREVENTION
Elyssa’s Mission provides resources to help prevent teen suicide.
Beecher Junior High School Mental Health Awareness Walk
On May 1, 2024, students at BJHS organized a Mental Health Awareness Walk in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month. The morning was initially spent participating in small-group mental health activities. This was followed by a whole-school assembly in which Elyssa’s Mission’s Director of SOS Programming, Jodie Segal, spoke briefly to students about the history behind Elyssa’s Mission, pointing out that while conversations
about mental health and suicide have gradually become less stigmatized over the past decade, we must continue to talk openly about mental illness in schools, educating and screening students through the SOS Signs of Suicide program. The group then commenced a 3-mile walk together on a beautiful sunny day, ultimately congregating in the gym to
enjoy popsicles and recognize students’ fund-raising efforts. In addition to participating in the walk, students were encouraged to purchase a t-shirt and collect donations. All monies raised from the event went toward supporting Elyssa’s Mission! We are inspired by BJBS
students’ efforts to prioritize mental health and so grateful to the BJHS community for helping us bring SOS programming to even more new schools!
How are you feeling?
Take a brief screening to determine if you, or someone you care about, should connect with mental health professional. It is completely anonymous and confidential.
Learn more about our Signs of Suicide Program.Hope Squad Program.Grief Group Program.
SOS Signs of Suicide
Signs of Suicide teaches students how to identify signs of depression and suicide in themselves and their peers.
Hope Squad
A peer-to-peer program that aims to reduce youth suicide through education and peer intervention.Grief Group
Elyssa’s Mission offers a ‘postvention’ grief group to schools that have suffered the loss of a student by suicide.
Outcome Data
Our Success Stories
"The SOS program helped us to identify a student who was very depressed and for sure under the radar, which was really awesome to see. Thanks for all of your support!"
Britten School
"Thank you again for coming to our school to help us implement the SOS program! This is such an important program, and I am so grateful to be able to offer it to our students.”
Science and Arts Academy
"We always see and feel the benefits of the SOS program. We appreciate the resource, guidance, support and opportunity to continue to work with you."
Springman Middle School
"We appreciate your continued support in implementing the SOS program at Plank Junior High School!”
Plank Middle School
“Thank you for all of your support as we rolled out SOS with Lakeview this year! I'm so grateful that Elyssa's Mission exists, and so grateful for all of the very important work you all do.”
Lakeview Junior High
“Thank you so much for all of your help! We are so appreciative of you and this program. It is so helpful to know that all of our kids are identified and have support. With all of the resources you provide, it is so easy to be organized!! ”
Ridgewood Student Services Team
“This is such a great program and organized in a way that is easy to implement. I'm excited to run the program again now that we know what to expect. Thank you again for all your help!”
Thornton Fractional North High School
“We cannot thank you enough for your support and partnership. Given the importance of this program, we greatly look forward to the continued partnership with Elyssa's Mission.”
Roosevelt Middle School
“Our three days of the SOS program were a success! Everything ran smoothly and we are very happy with the overall process.”
Minooka Community high School-Central Campus
“Thank you for always being such a great help and resource for our school. We truly appreciate your partnership.”
Maine South High School
“As always, we are very grateful for our partnership and Elyssa's Mission for all of the support you provide!”
Lake Park High School
“I am glad we were able to identify and now support students that wouldn't have typically been on our radar!”
River Grove School District
“It is always a pleasure to work with you. Thank you again for all your support!!”
Hillside School
“We absolutely value the SOS program and are committed to continuing it. Thank you for all of your support!”
Field Middle School
“Thank you for assisting us through two full days of SOS. We truly appreciate all your help, guidance & assistance/support. It was great having you join us!!! Hope to see you next school year!”
Heritage Middle School
“Thanks so much again for your help on our program days, and for all of the guidance as I brought SOS to Finley! It was a pleasure to work with you.”
Finley Junior High
“So glad to hear that the ACT help-seeking message has stuck with our students. I really enjoyed working with the team and look forward to partnering again in the future. Thank you for your support!”
Lincoln Middle School
“Thank you so much for coming out and for all your support and help! I was just putting together some numbers; it looks like overall 36% of our kiddos were flagged from the screener. So it just shows how needed this program is and how much we need to talk about this topic!”