California Safe and Supportive Schools

Stronger Connections | Addressing Student Suicidality Webinar

Student Well-being

Stronger Connections | Addressing Student Suicidality Webinar

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Watch the webinar recording here:

Transcripts can be found here.

View the webinar Padlet here.

Description:

Recent data from the California Healthy Kids Survey indicate a promising statewide reduction in students’ suicidality since 2018. In San Diego County, student suicide ideation and chronic sadness among middle and high school students have also dropped since 2022. What investments have been made in San Diego County in mental and behavioral health systems? What strategies are being implemented to better support students?

Join this session to learn about San Diego County Office of Education’s Creating Opportunities in Preventing and Eliminating Suicide (COPES) initiative. The COPES initiative provides standardized training alongside suicide risk screening in 440 schools and developed a new countywide database of resources to provide students with individualized resources.

Participants will learn about:

  • Data collection strategies, including how to measure and track outcomes
  • Key components and tools that can be adapted
  • Crisis response protocols to effectively intervene and keep students safe
  • Peer programming strategies to support each other and foster positive cultural change

The session will include hands-on materials for adaptation and use, review of real-world data tools and trends from San Diego County, and opportunities to engage with resources honored by the California School Boards Association Golden Bell Award.

Speaker:

Heather Nemour is a Program Specialist: Student Wellness & Positive School Climate for the San Diego County Office of Education’s Student Support Services division. She provides coaching, technical assistance and training to the 42 school districts and charter schools across the county in suicide prevention, positive school climate and mental health & wellness. She chairs the San Diego County Suicide Prevention Councils Education Sub-Committee and Children, Youth & Families Behavioral Health Councils System of Care Council’s Education Sub-Committee. On a statewide level, she works with the California Department of Education leading statewide grants on suicide prevention and mental health in schools.

Building Stronger Connections: Opioid Misuse Prevention in California Schools

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This webinar focuses on fostering stronger connections between educators, students, and communities to enhance opioid misuse prevention efforts in California schools. By building a network of support and collaboration, we aim to create a holistic approach to preventing opioid misuse among adolescents. Participants will glean an understanding of the historical context of the opioid overdose epidemic, current trends in misuse and mortality, and explore strategies for strengthening relationships within the school environment and with external community resources. Topics will include prevention, leveraging partnerships, and community resources. Attendees will gain valuable insights and tools to build a connected and resilient community dedicated to the well-being of every student.

Watch the session recording:

View the recording transcript

Presenters:

Jennifer Loeffler-Cobia, M.S. is the Justice and Public Health Policy and Practice Director at the WestEd Justice and Prevention Research Center. She has over 20 years of experience in substance misuse prevention and intervention, public health and prevention, violence prevention, and juvenile and adult criminal justice evidence-based practices. She is an experienced technical assistance provider who has directed centers such as the National Reentry Resource Center and Children Exposed to Violence TTA Center, both funded by the U.S. Department of Justice.

 

Derek Lowry is a Senior Justice Technical Assistance Specialist with a diverse background as a technical assistance consultant, project manager, and policy analyst. He has been a project manager and implementation specialist on notable reentry-focused and public safety projects. Lowry also previously served as the co-director of a direct-service reentry nonprofit organization.

 

Stephan Lambert is the Prevention Coordinator at the Orange County Department of Education. He has seventeen years of experience in substance use prevention, positive youth development, and family and community engagement.