A program on suicide prevention in teens

The Pearle L. Crawford Memorial Library will present an important program on teen mental health, focusing on suicide prevention. It will be presented from 6-8 p.m. on October 16.

Library director Nicole Messier is responsible for bringing the workshop by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to the public library. The presenter is from the Parent/Professional Advocacy League (PPAL) of Dudley, said.

The Parent/Professional Advocacy League (PPAL) is a statewide family organization dedicated to improving the mental health and well-being of children, youth and families through support, education and advocacy.

The workshop presenter is a local man associated with PPAL who volunteered to lead the workshop, Messier said.

“PPAL are experts on mental health support,” she said. The program will offer up to date research on suicide prevention and teach participants how to save lives.

The workshop will not only raise mental health awareness for parents and professionals, but will also offer tips on warning signs of suicidal thoughts in teens. 

I wanted to bring this program to the library because of the too common instances of suicide in the past,” Messier said. The grief following such a death affects not only families, but communities.

PPAL has a dedicated Central Mass. office that offers free support to families when children have emotional, behavioral or mental health needs. The organization is staffed by family support professionals who have lived experience raising children with behavioral needs.

Their website states: “We can offer support, suggest new strategies to move forward when families are stuck trying to access services through school or insurance, and connect you with other parents and family members.”

There is a registration link for the suicide prevention program, if for reasons of privacy, people would prefer not to register, they are welcome to do that. Since the information is sensitive, Messier asks that youngsters ages 14-16 to bring an adult with them.

To register for the library program, visit https://bit.ly/10PPALtalk

The Pearle L. Crawford Memorial Library is located at 40 Schofield Avenue, Dudley.

The PPAL website is https.ppal.net