In Alaska, firearms are often vital subsistence tools. Most families in Alaska have firearms, and school staff need to be ready to engage in conversations with family members to keep young people safe, especially when students are struggling with mental health.
Reducing access to a loaded gun is the single most effective way to prevent suicide. Even a 10-minute delay can help someone with thoughts of suicide get access to the help they need.
PC CARES, in partnership with the State of Alaska Department of Health, is offering school staff training in how to engage with families in conversations about how to keep young people safe, especially when students are struggling with mental health. The hands-on session offers participants information, resources, and time to practice how to talk to parents and guardians about lethal means safety to prevent suicide.
Participants will consider how to respectfully engage with adult family members and community leaders to promote safety when concerned about a student’s mental health struggles. Discussions will invite participants to consider how they might integrate and incorporate evidence-based interventions to reduce suicide risk with school communication norms in their schools and districts.
Participants will learn how to…
- Describe why safe homes (making it 10 minutes harder to hurt oneself) can save lives.
- Offer practical ideas for making homes safer (locking medications, guns, ammo) to lessen suicide risk.
- Use the provided tools (scripts, handouts, supplies) to practice having conversations with families about how to make homes safer.
- Discuss what it would be like to have this discussion with a prospective audience, identifying any potential barriers and opportunities.
- Access resources for how to get lethal means safety supplies (cable locks, locking medication boxes), for free.
Sessions are offered free of charge with flexible scheduling in the 2025-26 school year, delivered virtually for groups of 8 – 40 school staff, and are 90 minutes to 2 hours long.
To arrange a training, please contact:
Tara Schmidt
pccares@umich.edu
Subj: Safe Homes safe schools