Building Schools & Communities that Prevent Suicide: The Final Report of the Social Worlds & Youth Well-Being Study, Western Slope, Colorado

Abstract

This report presents findings from the Social Worlds & Youth Well-Being Study, Western Slope (a pseudonym), Colorado, examines the impact of social environments on youth’s mental health and resilience to identify strategies for improving youth suicide prevention in schools and communities. This report presents results from interview, fieldwork, and survey data collected between August 2019-September 2023 in Western Slope Public School District (WSPSD) (a pseudonym), in Western Slope, Colorado. Combined, this data represents 281 interviews with youth, school staff, parents, and community mental health providers; 36 months of fieldwork in schools and at school and community events; and two different surveys, one with WSPSD families (n=701) and one with WSPSD school staff (n=568). In this report, we identify eight areas we observed as critical to promoting youth well-being and preventing suicide: (1) Listening to youth voices; (2) enabling staff’s suicide prevention work; (3) integrating the whole child in the aims of education; (4) expanding the culture of belonging; (5) including mental health in multi-tiered system of supports; (6) overcoming communication barriers (particularly for non-English speaking families); (7) improving trauma responsiveness; and (8) having clear and evidence-based protocols at the district level. The report offers concrete policy recommendations for school staff, families, and the broader community.