World Suicide Prevention Day is an awareness day observed on the 10th September every year, in order to provide worldwide commitment and action to prevent suicides. It is hosted by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP).

Where can I read more? To find out more about the IASP and World Suicide Prevention Day, you can visit the website here.

Links to activities and resources: The Samaritans have produced a free resource called DEAL (Developing Emotional Awareness and Listening) which is designed for teachers and other educational professionals to help develop resilience in young people.

DEAL aims to: raise awareness of emotional health and the importance of recognising when you need help develop positive coping strategies reduce stigma and break down barriers around talking about emotional health. developing communication skills developing supportive and help-seeking behaviour in young people.

DEAL is divided into 4 themes which are:

• emotional health
• coping strategies
• dealing with feelings
• connecting others

To access the resources, you can visit the website here.

The Mentally Healthy Schools website provides access to free online resources here.

Support within West Sussex Within the West Sussex Services for Schools website, you can access the ‘Self Harm Learning Networks’ page where you can connect with other education professionals across your area in a learning network to support young people and children who self-harm. All school staff supporting young people are welcome to attend including teaching assistants, mental health leads, SENCOs, counsellors and school nurses. You can access the page here.

You can also access the ‘Thought-Full’ web pages where you can find information about ‘Thought-Full’, the West Sussex Mental Health Support Teams in Schools service. The team supports schools in West Sussex with all aspects of mental health and emotional wellbeing. You can access the pages here.