LIFELINES: A Comprehensive Suicide Awareness and Responsiveness Program for Schools

REACH Evaluation is working with the Kentucky Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to support the implementation of Lifelines in Kentucky schools.

background/funding

Lifelines was first implemented in Kentucky in 2012 through a Garrett Lee Smith suicide prevention grant. Since, it has been funded through the Kentucky Incentives for Zero Suicide and Kentucky’s Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant.

history of program/curriculum

DESCRIPTION: Lifelines is a comprehensive youth suicide prevention program that targets the entire school community and it is designed to be implemented grades 5-12. A brief video description by the primary program developer, Maureen Underwood, can be viewed at https://hazelden.wistia.com/medias/z9cib2v8l8.

GOALS: Program goals are 1) to increase the likelihood that members of the school community can more easily identify potentially suicidal youth, know how to initially respond to them and how to rapidly get help to them, and 2) to increase the likelihood that troubled adolescents are aware of and have immediate access to helping resources and that they seek such help as an alternative to suicidal actions.

COMPONENTS: Schools may choose to implement one, two or all three components of the program.

Part 1: Prevention - The first part of the Lifelines Triology educates grades 5-12 faculty, parents, and students on the facts about suicide and their roles in suicide prevention.

Part 2: Lifelines Intervention: Helping Students at Risk for Suicide - The second installment in the Lifelines Trilogy educates grades 5-12 students, school staff, and the community on how to be prepared to address and respond to threats or signs of suicide and intervene —before it's too late. 

Part 3: Lifelines Postvention: Responding to Suicide and Other Traumatic Death - This comprehensive third installment of the Lifelines Trilogy educates grades K-12 students and the community on how to successfully address and respond to not only suicide, but any type of traumatic death that profoundly affects the school population.  Effective postvention is also effective prevention of additional suicidal events.

RESEARCH

For more information on researched outcomes, go to: Suicide Prevention Resource Center: Lifelines Curriculum

implementation in kentucky

Subscriptions to the program are in approximately 200 schools in KY, with many districts implementing across all middle and/or high school students.  This curriculum meets the Kentucky legislative mandate that all students in middle and high school receive evidence-based suicide prevention information by Sept. 15 of each school year.  Additional subscriptions are available by contacting Sheila.barnard@ky.gov

Schools that have implemented the program are asked to complete the Lifelines Implementation Form.

Thanks so much for helping us implement Lifelines!