Ann Arbor Public Schools

In July 2007, the Depression Center launched a pilot educational collaboration with the Ann Arbor Public Schools (AAPS), to provide education and training for middle and high school professionals who serve as the first line of recognition and referral for distressed students, to help them identify and refer youth who may be at risk of, or already suffering from, depression.

Seed money for the initial year of the project was provided by donations from hundreds of individuals in Ann Arbor and surrounding communities, raised by the Depression Center Community Volunteer Committee. In addition to these fundraising efforts, proceeds from several ongoing memorial funds established at the Depression Center were redirected to this project, at the request of family members who had suffered the loss of a child to suicide.

Project oversight is provided by Cheryl King, PhD, Chief Psychologist for the Department of Psychiatry and Director of the Youth Depression and Suicide Prevention Program, and implemented with support from Depression Center and Department of Psychiatry staff including Trish Meyer, EdM (Program Manager for Outreach & Education) and Anne Kramer, LMSW (Clinical Social Worker in the Department of Psychiatry’s Youth Depression and Suicide Prevention Program).

The goals of the first pilot year (July 2007-July 2008) were to:

Improve and disseminate strategies for early recognition of depression, bipolar disorder and risk for suicide among youth;
Further educate mental health professionals in the schools, to provide them with the latest research on depressive and bipolar illnesses and suicide risk factors, and identify the appropriate resources to help students procure the assistance and treatment they require;
Provide professional development to school personnel using an “educate-the-educator” model, so that staff members in each school become qualified to train their colleagues in suicide prevention techniques. This model increases the schools’ capacities to sustain the project in the long term.

A core planning team comprised of AAPS administrators and staff met monthly with Ms. Meyer and Ms. Kramer to discuss, revise, and further develop the project implementation plan and strategy. At the same time, Depression Center staff reviewed and evaluated evidence-based curricula and education models, and decided upon the complementary ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) and SafeTALK training programs to utilize with AAPS staff. Both of these training programs are evidence-based and approved by the United States Government Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

During the 2007 – 2008 school year, the Depression Center conducted multiple training workshops for AAPS counselors, psychologists, social workers, and nurses. In August, training workshops were held for middle and high school principals, as well as for teachers and other staff members. These sessions will continue throughout the 2008 – 2009 school year.

In the coming year we plan to add educational sessions for parents, including the existing “Bright Nights” Community Forum series which will include topics of interest to AAPS staff and families. For more information on this project, please contact Trish Meyer at meyerpa@umich.edu

This educational partnership is made possible by the generous donations of many individuals in the Ann Arbor community.