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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Anita Saranga Coen, LCSW, Focus Research & Evaluation, 4039 S. Quince St., Denver, CO 80237, 303-721-8736, focuseval@comcast.net, Lydia Prado, PhD, Mental Health Center of Denver, 4141 E. Dickenson Place, Denver, CO 80222, Nidia Nevarez, Suicide Education and Support Services, 3700 Golden St., Evans, CO 80620, Jean Demmler, PhD, Graduate School of Social Work, University of Denver, 2148 S. High St., Denver, CO 80208, and Nancy B. Csuti, Dr PH, The Colorado Trust, 1600 Sherman St., Denver, CO 80203.

In 2003, The Colorado Trust created a four-year (2003-2006), $3.1 million Preventing Suicide in Colorado Initiative, which provides funding to ten Colorado communities to plan and implement strategies to further local suicide prevention efforts. Gatekeeper training has been an important component in these community-based suicide prevention plans. Two funded projects which target Latino/a youth have implemented strategies that are unique community-based efforts. The first program, Voz y Corazon, located in Denver Colorado, has adapted the North Dakota Suicide Prevention program. The second customized program, Youth Ending Suicide (YES), has been developed by local suicide prevention leaders in a less populated area – in Greeley-Evans, Colorado.

The theory driving these customized suicide prevention strategies is the need to support/enhance self-esteem and Latino/a identity as a mechanism for leadership and suicide prevention gatekeeper role-taking among these youth. The youth trainees of both programs have completed a Strengths and Challenges survey to measure self-assessment of the challenges faced in everyday life and strengths that may lead to gatekeeper role-taking. These trainee data that describe a population of youth who themselves are at-risk of depression will be reported in this presentation. Additionally, in this study, these adolescent gatekeeper trainees report their behavior as persons who may help their peers who show signs of suicidal behavior. A description of how they use the skills learned as gatekeepers will complete the presentation.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe alternative, culturally appropriate suicide prevention programs in Colorado
• Identify risk factors for suicidal behaviors among Latino/a youth.
• Describe youth assessment of training and if and how they use gatekeeper skills

Keywords: Suicide,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation