Thanks to the generosity of our donors and funding partners, Elyssa’s Mission provides the SOS Signs of Suicide Program and ongoing support to our school partners at no cost. Our team works alongside schools every step of the way—from planning and training to implementation, screening, and follow-up. Our goal is to make implementation seamless so schools can focus on supporting their students.
What is the SOS program?
SOS Signs of Suicide teaches students how to identify signs of depression and suicide in themselves and their peers, while training school professionals, parents, and community members to recognize at-risk students and take appropriate action.
Using SOS, 90% of schools have seen an increase in students seeking help for themselves or a friend, with 95% believing the program also reduced stigma in schools.
What sets the SOS Signs of Suicide program apart from other programs?
The SOS program doesn’t just educate students; it helps to save young lives through its unique programming: because vital screening is built into the program, school staff and parents can identify at-risk youth and get them the help they need before it’s too late.
SOS Signs of Suicide is the only school-based suicide prevention program to show a reduction (by 40-60%) in self-reported suicide attempts in a randomized controlled study.
-(Aseltine et al., 2007 & Schilling et al., 2016)
What is the goal of the SOS program?
The SOS program seeks to teach youth that depression is a treatable illness, empower them to respond to a potential suicide (themselves, a friend or a family member), and prevent teen suicide. These goals are accomplished through the ACT technique:
Acknowledge you or a friend may be depressed or suicidal
Respond with Care
Tell a Trusted Adult
Designed for TEENS
How is the SOS Program Implemented?
Elyssa’s Mission provides school personnel with SOS program materials and supports schools through every phase of implementation — planning, training, teaching, and follow-up — at no cost to schools. The critical program components include:
- Online Video and Discussion Guide
These powerful educational tools help students recognize the signs and symptoms of depression and suicide while teaching the appropriate ways to respond when they are concerned about themselves or a friend. - Depression Screening
Both the middle and high school programs utilize the Brief Screen for Adolescent Depression (BSAD), a screening tool that helps school staff identify students who may be at risk for depression. Students whose responses indicate a need for additional support are connected with appropriate mental health resources, including further assessment for suicide risk when warranted.
In addition, the program provides educational materials for school personnel and parents. For more information about the SOS Signs of Suicide Prevention Program, visit sossignsofsuicide.org/suicide-prevention
What is the SOS Program’s Impact?
See what Counties and Cities we currently implement the SOS program in.
Ready to bring the SOS Signs of Suicide Prevention Program to your school?
Complete our School Intake Form and a member of the Elyssa’s Mission team will contact you to discuss next steps.
“Screening programs are incredibly effective… “We should be asking these questions the way we monitor for blood pressure. Same thing in schools.”
— Kelly Posner, director of the Columbia University Medical Center’s Center for Suicide Risk Assessment – Source