PGCPS Connect, Understand, Build and Empower (CUBE) - To meet the demands of mental health crises in secondary schools, Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) proposes to implement the Connect, Understand, Build, and Empower (CUBE) Project. PGCPS' CUBE project will expand the number of secondary schools trained on Sources of Strength, an evidenced-based suicide prevention program. Sources of Strength is designed to harness peer social networks' power to change unhealthy norms and culture, ultimately preventing suicide, bullying, and substance abuse. The project's goals are to (1) increase staff and students' awareness of mental health resources through training and access to mental health resources and (2) increase the referrals of middle and high school students to school and community-based mental health professionals. PGCPS, is the nation's 20th largest school district and the 2nd largest school system in the state of Maryland, serves 131,657 students in 208 schools and centers. The school district has a diverse student population from urban, suburban, and rural communities near Washington, DC. More than 90% of the students are African American (55.3%) and Hispanic/Latino (36.5%). Additionally, 66.5% of the total student population receives Free and Reduced Meals (FARM)--an indicator of poverty. In a policy review conducted by the Mental Health Foundation, the review demonstrates that poverty increases the risk of mental health problems. Further, a national research study on suicide among youth show that suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among youth ages 10-14 and 15-24. According to the Centers for Disease and Prevention's (CDC) Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) 2018 results from Prince George's County, 29.2% of middle school youth sampled reported that they have seriously thought about killing themselves at least once in their lifetime. Similarly, disturbing results found that just twelve months before the survey 19% of high school youth sampled reported that they seriously considered attempting suicide. As a strategic intervention, PGCPS' CUBE project includes expanding Sources of Strength from 10 to 20 middle and high schools. The intervention will (1) be implemented in twenty (20) PGCPS middle and high schools and 1,220 individuals will be trained (2) increase the number of referrals to the contracted mental health clinicians assigned to the middle and high schools where Sources of Strength is implemented (3) increase the number of student self-referrals for suicide intervention conducted by school mental health professionals (e.g., school counselors, school psychologists and mental health clinicians) at the middle and high schools where Sources of Strength is implemented (4) increase the number of peer referrals for suicide intervention conducted by school mental health professionals at the middle and high schools where Sources of Strength is implemented and (5) increase the overall number of suicide interventions conducted by school mental health professionals at the middle and high schools where Sources of Strength is implemented.
