Gull Lake Community Schools
This innovative collaboration between the Depression Center and Gull Lake Community Schools focuses on youth depression and suicide prevention. Its goals are to address the need for early recognition of depression and risk for suicidal behavior among students, and to improve knowledge about depression and suicide prevention among teachers, school personnel, parents, students and the community. The initiative has been made possible by the generous contributions of Peter and Susan Ordway and additional support from the Parfet Foundation and other members of the community.
This unique partnership between the Depression Center and a school district was the first of its kind, and serves as a model for other such partnerships which currently exist or may exist in the future.
The program incorporates “best practices” − as defined by national public and professional organizations and the federally-funded Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) − into the training and education of Gull Lake Schools staff and students. SPRC provides support, training and resources for the development of suicide prevention programs and to advance the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. The program also contributes to the Bright Nights community forums focused on specific topics related to youth depression and suicide.
A community advisory committee provides local input and guidance for the initiative. The committee includes representatives from Gull Lake Community Schools, local mental health service agencies, primary care, parents, students, youth ministry and community members with experience and interest in this area.
Additional plans for this ongoing initiative include classroom education sessions for all high school seniors, continued involvement with Bright Nights, and middle and high school student education and support groups.
The Gull Lake Community Schools and Peter and Susan Ordway are an inspiring example of people making a positive change in the community—and helping the Depression Center achieve its mission to find depression early in life when treatments are most effective.
For more information on this project, please contact Anne Kramer, LMSW, Project Director, at (734) 764-7179 or ack@umich.edu
