Community Needs & Assets Assessment almost complete

Hello

Just wanted to update you on the progress of the CHNA's Youth Suicide Prevention Project Streering Committee's Needs Assessment for Berkshire County. It is almost complete! We have narrowed down six possible areas of focus from info and date we collected:

1) Targeting/increasing services for the GLBTQ youth and young adult population
2) Increasing awareness and reducing stigma associated with suicide
3) Targeting/increasing substance abuse services for youth
4) Targeting/increasing ‘First Responders’ training (EMT’s, Emergency Dept staff, police, firemen and women, etc.)
5) Targeting/increasing suicide response protocols in schools, agencies, youth programs, etc.
6) Targeting programs to increase access to services for more rural and isolated populations

However these are not set in stone. We still have a month or two to go before we finalize this list and focus on providing services. Please let me know any thoughts you have about this list, and/or any suggestions you have that may not be on the list.

Thanks for tuning in and I hope to hear from you soon.

Jon Phillips, Project Coordinator