This program will equip youth with resilience, hope, independence, connection, wellness, healthy thinking, and meaning.
The Program
The purpose of the Youth Live Cle Program is to change the mindset around how suicide and mental illness is interpreted and believed by African-American youth and their parents or guardians. It is about addressing the generations of cultural stigmatized beliefs within communities which has caused mental illness and suicide to be stigmatized.
The Vision
The vision of Youth Life Cleve (YLC) is to bring youth-focused awareness, as it pertains to the intervention and prevention of suicide.
The program is designed to empower youth to express their feelings and personal opinions openly, honestly, in a safe space without fear of judgment or retaliation, creating a healthy atmosphere, which helps to reduce stigma, while encouraging youth to seek help.
Our Goal
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Teach parents/trusted adults and youth to identify and respond to youth with suicidal thoughts/ideation with the intention of increasing communication and safety in allowing youth to feel comfortable talking to parents/trusted adults.
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Establishing a support system for parents and youth to prevent crisis as well as support during and after crisis.
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Establish clear community support and resources for supporting youth seeking care for suicidal ideation or other mental health concerns.
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Creating cross-agency coordination protocols with other organizations to support youth with suicidal thoughts/ideation.
How the Program Will Look
Removing The Stigma will implement various teaching styles throughout the program. The use of arts, story telling, role-play and other creative platforms will enhance the ability to reach the youth where they are.
Addressing the Stigma: Changing the Mindset
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Destigmatize getting help
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Normalize conversations about mental illness and suicide between youth and trusted adults
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Identify healthy coping skills
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Identifying and understanding the use of local resources and crisis lines
Create a Atmosphere for Change
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Identify the roles of stigma in mental illness, and suicide
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Identify ways to reduce and remove stigma
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Identifying myths and introduce truths about mental illness, and suicide.
BECOME A YOUTH CLEVE CHAMPION
The final outcome for Youth Life Cleve is to have trained youth the importance of awareness, intervention and prevention while incorporating support systems, and breaking stigma. Participants of the program will attend a graduation ceremony, where they will be recognized as Youth Life Cleve Champions in Cleveland, Ohio. They will be able to teach, and help their peers in criss.
Events and Programs
Community Outreach to Vulnerable Youth Mini- Summer Camp
This 2-week summer camp will spotlight the Cuyahoga County communities where epidemiological data, shows the highest rate of Emergency Room visits of suicidal ideation among African American in Cuyahoga county. The two-week camp will include a mini version of the Youth Life Cleve program. The camp will represent a safe, interactive, supportive environment where discussions of stigma, mental health and suicide awareness and prevention can be discussed, and addressed, while youth learn the necessary skills needed to be suicide prevention peers, and advocates to promote suicide awareness and prevention. The goal of the summer camp is to teach youth how to be peer suicide prevention champions for their community.
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