[ASIST_Network] ASIST, primary care, adolescent depression, and referrals in your communities

[Donna NOONAN]

Dear ASIST trainers, 
I want to underscore the importance of the work we are doing in increasing the number of ASIST-trained caregivers in our communities. I just learned that the Oregon Pediatric Society is in the final stages of developing a training module on adolescent depression for primary care providers including pediatricians, nurse practitioners, family doctors, school-based health clinic practitioners, etc. and their staff.
 
When complete, they will train practitioners statewide in screening, assessment, and treatment for adolescent depression and then help direct them to referral networks for mental health and other services as needed. They assume that mental health professionals interact appropriately with suicidal youth.
 
We know from years of ASIST trainings that mental health professionals receive very little (if any) formal training or practice in suicide intervention in their education programs and that they benefit greatly from taking the ASIST training. If the medical community is going to be actively engaging in adolescent depression screening, we can help by ensuring the community referrals they make are to ASIST-trained professionals.
 
Please see the attached evaluation of evaluation of ASIST that was done by national evaluators who conducted 20-30 minute interviews with participants in ASIST trainings 7-9 weeks after the training. This evaluation is from 13 ASIST trainings in 10 sites - two of them in Oregon. I think it's eye-opening and provides important information to share with mental health professionals and other community members to enlist them for an ASIST training.
 
It's very exciting that primary care recognizes the importance of adolescent screening for depression and that they will receive hands-on training to help suicidal youth. They will need the support of having appropriately trained mental health professionals for referrals in the community and we can help with that!
 
Thank you for all the good work you do.
Donna
 
 
Donna G. Noonan, MPH, CHES
Youth Suicide Prevention Coordinator
Injury Prevention & Epidemiology Program
Oregon Public Health Division
800 NE Oregon, Ste 772
Portland, OR 97232
Phone: 971-673-1023 
Fax 971-673-0990
donna.noonan at state.or.us 
www.oregon.gov/dhs/ph/ipe/ysp/

Join YSPNetwork, Youth Suicide Prevention listserv for the Pacific Northwest at http://listsmart.osl.state.or.us/mailman/listinfo/yspnetwork
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