Together Forward: Action, Engagement & Advocacy in Suicide Prevention
Host: Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation
CEs: Yes. CEs provided
Cost: Free
Time of this presentation: 9:35 AM – 10:35 AM EST, USA
Spotting Youth at Risk of Suicide: Signs and Early Intervention Strategies for Ages 6-10
It was a teacher who first told AnneMoss Rogers that her son, Charles, might be suffering from depression. And it was a teacher who wrote the most heartfelt note after her son died by suicide.
As the former Executive Director of a youth mental health organization, AnneMoss worked with community partners and later in schools to support children struggling with mental health challenges, including suicidal thoughts in children under 11. Schools have something few other environments have—and that’s daily opportunity for early intervention and genuine human connection.
How can we leverage these opportunities to bolster a culture of student wellness, build early resilience, and help prevent suicide?
Learning Objectives:
- Identify early suicide risk factors and protective factors in elementary-age children.
- Identify early suicide risk factors and protective factors in elementary-age children.
- Demonstrate age-appropriate communication strategies for discussing emotions, mental health, and suicide concerns with children.
- Describe a foundational emotional regulation skill that supports resilience and coping in young children.
- Analyze an early intervention case study to recognize opportunities for earlier support and referral.
- Apply practical strategies to help children build emotional awareness and emotional vocabulary.
Educational Goal:
This presentation will strengthen participants’ ability to recognize early warning signs of emotional distress and suicide risk in elementary-age children while increasing confidence in using developmentally appropriate intervention and communication strategies. Participants will gain practical tools to support emotional regulation, build protective factors, and promote early intervention within school and community settings.
Educational Gap
Many professionals receive limited training in recognizing suicide risk, emotional dysregulation, and early warning signs in elementary-age children, particularly in children under 11. As a result, opportunities for early intervention are often missed until a child reaches a higher level of crisis. This presentation addresses the gap by equipping participants with practical, developmentally appropriate strategies to identify at-risk children earlier, strengthen protective factors, and intervene upstream to help place children on a healthier long-term trajectory.