Issue #5 - Suicide-Depression

Needs Assessment Data Suggesting the Need (from ICJIA profile)

· Fairly low percentages of the respondents reported that they have positive family communications (21%)

· Fairly low percentages of the respondents reported that the community values youth (16%) or that the community uses youth as a resource (19%). 

· More male students (55%) than female students (35%) reported having a good sense of self-esteem. 

· About a quarter of the female respondents (24%) reported having attempted suicide one or more times.  Over a third of females respondents (36%) reported that they are frequently depressed and/or having attempted suicide. 

Need Identified from Data

The above data supported discussions by the Juvenile Justice Council that youth are faced with many negatives: A hopeless outlook on life, no relationship with God, negative personal influences, negative lifestyle choices, chemical imbalances, and no coping skills. It is also believed that many children and families are not aware of the services that are available. 

Goal: 
Reduce suicide attempts and mortality rate.

Objectives:
OBJ1.  Foster acceptance of mental health

      Action Steps
        1. Educate the public about mental health issues and services available
            to the community.

OBJ2.  Provide greater services to youth with depression/suicidal ideation. 

      Action Steps
        1. Include mental health issues in school health curriculums
        2. Circulate HELP BOOK to libraries, agencies, and school registration packets. 
        3. Encourage peer participation/ peer referrals to established programs.

OBJ3.  Develop a protocol for linkage of services

      Action Steps
        1. Encourage agencies to present explanation of services to school personnel on
            first day of school. 
        2. Educate community/students/parents about services in the community.
        3. Create and implement a crisis reaction plan, to combat cluster suicides.
        4. Inform juvenile justice council of PBL School Crisis Assistance Team Plan 
            and GCMS Crisis Reaction Plan. 
 

Components of the interagency agreement specific to achieving the objective or more generally related to the goal of reducing suicide attempts and mortality rate.
 

Juvenile Justice System

• Law Enforcement
• Judges, State’s Attorneys
• Public Defenders
• County Board
• Probation 

• Mental Health Agencies

• Area School Districts

• Community Groups

Law Enforcement 

Gibson City Police Department 

• No agreement related to this issue

Piper City Police Department
Agreement pending

Ford County Sheriff's Department
Agreement pending
 

Judge and State's Attorney

Circuit Court Judge Steven Pacey
Agreements pending

State's Attorney Anthony Lee

• One person will attend full council meetings; when appropriate one person will attend committee meetings. 
• Assist with information sharing by providing the council with statistics regarding juvenile offenses.
• Provide hand outs (pamphlets) to the community. 
• Identify and refer at risk youths/families. 
• Recognize students/juveniles who excel in various endeavors. 
• Fashion sentences/dispositions that require youthful offenders to take responsibility for their actions and repair damages they have done. 
• One person will attend meetings and take an active part in the Ford County Family Violence Coordinating Council. 
• Support, encourage and implement orders of protective supervision for parents of court involved youth. 

 

Public Defender's

Harvey Welch
Agreements pending

William Dueringer
Agreements pending

County Board
Board President Deb Smith 

• Provide one person to attend full council meetings keeping in communication with each committee.  When appropriate one or more persons will attend committee meetings representing the board.
• Provide a meeting place for Juvenile Justice Council full council meetings and committee meetings as needed.
• Model integrity at home at the workplace, and in public.  Support and affirm youth when they act with integrity.

Probation and Court Services

Ford County Probation supports the juvenile justice council and agrees to help achieve the objectives generally related to the goal of reducing suicide attempts and mortality rates by the following: 

•  Provide at least one committee person for the issue of suicide/depression. 
• Provide referral of services to psychological/ psychiatric assessments and treatment.
• Provide referral of services to crisis intervention. 
• Provide meeting space for Juvenile justice council meetings and committee meetings as needed. 

Mental Health Agencies: 

Community Resource and Counseling Center

• Provide crisis mental health services to any school in the county during the school's normal hours. 
• Provide crisis mental health services to any resident of Ford County during the agency's published hours of operation (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. M, W, Th, F and 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesdays) If crisis services are needed during other times, these services can be accessed by calling 217-359-4141.
• In accordance with the State of Illinois' Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities act, and at the discretion of the Executive Director, provide up to 5 (five) counseling/therapy sessions to juvenile (ages 12-17) in Ford County without charge and without notification of the parents/guardians.  At the end of the 5 sessions, the youth will have the choice to conclude treatment, or have his or her parents/guardians notified of the treatment at which time an appropriate fee for service will be established for continued treatment. 
• Provide speakers and trainings to the schools and other organizations in Ford County designed to educate youth and adults about depression, suicide risk, and treatment options. 
• Provide speakers to public forums designed to educate the residents of Ford County about the services available at CRCC and about mental health issues in general. 
• Refer youth to other service providers when it is determined that CRCC can not provide the needed services (i.e. substance abuse issues may be referred to Prairie Center). 

 

Schools

Paxton Buckley Loda District 10

• Provide contact persons, including but not limited to the high school counselor, social worker. 
• Collaborate with community agencies to exchange/provide information. 
• Host speakers to present programs to family management classes 
• Provide paper/copier for principal approved activities. 
• Provide meeting space for meetings and activities, upon approval of the principal. 

• Continue to support counseling, SAP services and interventions. 
• Provide communication including website for parents. 
• Provide training for school staff. 

 Citizens
Agreements Pending