* Teen STEPS is now open to the public, no access code needed! Visit Teen STEPS @ www.TeenSTEPS.org.
That’s the theory behind STEPS – Screening, Treatment, and Education to Promote Strength – a first-of-its-kind virtual mental health initiative for teens and their parents.
Created by New York University’s Christopher P. Lucas, an Associate Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, STEPS aims to reduce risk of suicide and school violence through online education, self-help and screening. The voluntary, school-based program features a Web site for both teens and parents accessible at school or at home. On each site, visitors can find scientific information, chat around the clock with online clinicians and with each other, and participate in a confidential suicide questionnaire.
Since its launch last fall in two New York high schools, STEPS is already showing signs of success – with membership numbers nearly doubling. Lucas says he hopes the program will attract at-risk teens not only with its wealth of information, but also with its edgy style and interactive features.
“STEPS is really the result of seeing what works and what does not work in the suicide prevention field and really trying to leverage the power of technology and the way that teenagers relate to each other,” says Lucas.
While STEPS is currently being studied in only five schools in New York State, Lucas and his colleagues hope to introduce STEPS to at least a dozen high schools by the end of this year. They believe that successful intervention with teens who are at risk can be achieved by improving the mental health of an entire student population.
“The goal at the end of this is to get people to seek help,” Lucas says.
Have the problems with Accessing the site been fixed?? I am a therapist and find the above 50 comments most disturbing.
As the Associate Director of STEPS, I just want to let everyone know that we are working very hard to make the program widely available. As I am sure you all know, funding for public health programs is particularly tight these days and our initial grant from NY State to pilot the program has expired. If anyone wants to help us secure funding and increase access to STEPS, please contact us at steps@nyumc.org. We will also welcome teen and parent consultants as we plan for expansion and making the program the best it can be.
It is not PBS’ fault that the STEPS program is unavailable to everyone. PBS’ function is to report objective information which they did in “Cry for Help”. It is the the responsibility of the individual, be it a teenage or a parent of one, to seek mental health services. Those services are available in each community to some degree or another, and in some states better than in others. Also, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI at http://www.nami.org) which was mentioned in the program offers free sevices to affected individuals and their loved ones. Teen suicide, and suicide in general, is a serious problem that requires active involvement from as many people as possible by lobbying for better mental health services in our communities and by volunteering when able to help others.
I have not watched the documentary but have been reading peoples comments and think it is safe to say that there are many parents and young people struggling with not only issues related to suicide but a variety of mental health related issues. It is wonderful to see so many wanting to connect with others, with helping organizations, with resources in an effort to help themselves or others. Social media offers people the ability to ask questions and seek advise when they may not otherwise do so. Many of the comments have referenced sites and pages that can point someone in the right direction. Do not forget, there are help lines, support groups, professionals and emergency rooms in most communities…we need to make sure that we access the resources that we have available. As parents, we also need to come together to address the issues that increase risk for suicide, substance misuse, and other mental health issues…bullying, underlying substance use issues, depression underage drinking and drugging, prescription drug misuse, abuse, neglect, …the list is endless. We need to reach out to one anothers and learn the signs of depression, of suicide risk, of drug/alcohol use…we need to take responsibility for our own behaviours and to learn how to help ourselves and children. The STEPS Program seems excellent, however until we all have access to this or similar supports we cannot afford to sit and wait..we need to get active.
I am a high school teacher at Denby High School, Detroit Public Schools and I would like some information about the STEPS program.
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