About the Program

What is it?

SOS Signs of Suicide is an evidence-based youth suicide prevention program that uses video, classroom discussion, and universal mental health screening as teaching tools to empower students to seek help for themselves or a friend. 

Who is it for?

Designed for all students in grades 6-12, SOS Signs of Suicide takes one class period and can be taught in many settings from Health/PE classes to camps and youth groups.

Highlights:

  • Proven to reduce self-reported suicide attempts by 64%
  • Comprehensive program with an easy-to-use portal
  • Delivered in a single class period with no training required
  • Affordable at $500 per school (annual license)

Resources:

  • Download the E-book
  • Read More About the Evidence Behind SOS
  • Read the Case Studies 
  • Grant Toolkit


Purchase for High School       Purchase for Middle School

What's Included?

The goal of SOS is to teach students what to do if they are worried about themselves or a friend. To ensure you feel confident having these conversations, your program subscription includes access to 40+ supporting resources in our SOS Portal:

Student Videos

Brief video clips show students how to identify signs and symptoms of depression and suicide. They encourage help-seeking behavior through the ACT® technique: Acknowledge signs of suicide in a friend, show your friend that you Care, Tell a trusted adult.

All videos contain age-appropriate dramatizations of students demonstrating common signs of depression and suicide along with the right and wrong ways to respond using the ACT technique. The middle school videos combine dramatizations with round-table discussion, while the high school videos include real-life stories from young adults who have sought help and who share their journeys of recovery.

Mental Health Screening Form

SOS includes a short, non-diagnostic, questionnaire which screens for signs of depression and suicide. Students answer the questions, total their score, and review help-seeking guidance based on their score. Screening can be completed anonymously as a tool to encourage help-seeking, or with students identifying themselves, which may aid staff in recognizing students who require follow-up.

At the end of the program, all students complete an exit slip indicating whether they wish to talk to someone about themselves or a friend.

Quick Start Guide

The SOS Quick-Start Guide is a comprehensive guide that walks you through how to get started with SOS. Topics include tips for program preparation, classroom training, following up with students, engaging parents, and more.

Refresher Videos

SOS includes shorter videos that can be used as refresher content with students who have been trained in previous years.

Supplemental Lesson Plans

Lesson plans can be used to extend SOS programming or added to an existing health curriculum. Our supplemental lesson plans address topics such as talking to trusted adults, identifying and building healthy coping skills, and building resilience.

Reinforcement Materials

Giveaway materials such as posters, newsletters, and more reinforce the ACT message with your students in everyday lessons after delivering SOS.

Parent Materials

Keep parents informed and involve them in your suicide prevention efforts. Materials include a sample slide deck for a parent night, a customizable parent letter, suicide prevention handouts, and a parent page where parents can explore SOS from home.

Preview the Middle School Program

Preview the High School Program