Preview SOS Signs of Suicide

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

Keep parents and caregivers 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 and caregivers can explore SOS from home.