Suicide prevention grant offers extended mental health services to Illinois students

ILLINOIS (KBSI) – A suicide prevention grant is paying for an expansion of mental health services offered in Illinois schools.

The grant will allow for students to have up to 8 in person or telehealth counseling visits.   This is the third year of a five-year grant now helps students around the state. The funding also helps with “postvention” giving students and communities ways to deal with trauma and suicide prevention services.

The grant funding distributed by IDPH comes from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), as part of the Garrett Lee Smith State/Tribal Youth Suicide Prevention and Early Intervention Program.

Students around the state can now access a portal to make contact with a care navigator who can help connect students to treatment services.

“Preventing suicide and promoting mental health in Illinois are critical IDPH priorities that requires innovative community-based solutions,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “IDPH is proud to partner with ISBE and DuPage High School District to strengthen and expand this critical program, providing students across Illinois access to counseling services when and where they need them.”

Students can access the service at Adolescent Suicide Postvention | ReferralGPS or by texting “HOME” to 741741. (Anyone in an emergency situation should contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for immediate assistance.) All inquiries will be confidential.

Referral GPS will report out aggregate statistics on use of the service to the school district for purposes of assessing the successful use of the grant funding.