In preparation for MMOC’s Fall Conference “The Cost of Violence:  Stories Seldom Heard” on September 28 and October 19, Food for Thought columns will feature organizations presenting on their mission and focus.  Marian McCord, co-founder and CEO Emeritus of CHADS Coalition for Mental Health, will address suicide.  Her organization website, CHADSCoalition.org, provides a wealth of information and resources regarding suicide.  They train students, parents, and other adults to recognize symptoms and prevent suicide with “the only universal, evidence-based prevention program:  Signs of Suicide (SOS) in partnership with MindWise Innovations.”  In the 2022-23 school year, 6875 students asked for help after attending a SOS presentation; 85 presentations were given per week during peak months, and a total of 58,642 kids saw a CHADS presentation.  The average rate of student self-identification across all presentations throughout the year is 12%, underscoring the need for support and education in this area.  According to statistics from the National Institute for Mental Health, one in five adolescents has a diagnosable mental health disorder; about one-third of these disorders such as depression first emerge during adolescence, and 80% are not identified or result in receiving mental health services.  According to the CHADS Coalition website, 10% of high school students and 12.5% of middle school students in Missouri have seriously considered suicide during 2023.  Visit the website for more information, including phone numbers for access to immediate help.                
 
Submitted by Sharon Barron  314-892-2331