South Carolina Communities of Care

When someone is struggling, their first avenue of support is often family, friends, neighbors, the local restaurant owner, their hair dresser, even their postal delivery person. All of these people may be the first ones to recognize a change in behavior, so it is important that they have the resources to lend support.

The South Carolina Department of Mental Health’s Office of Suicide Prevention seeks to involve local communities in trauma-informed suicide prevention strategies through the South Carolina Communities of Care Project.

 

Imagine This:

You have been feeling more depressed lately. You have been isolating and struggling with low motivation. Your neighbor begins to notice that you have not cut your grass in a while, and your trashcan has not been taken out in weeks. They realize that they have not seen you leaving for work every morning like they usually do. Through the implementation of the SC Communities of Care Project, this neighbor recognizes these changes in your functioning and they reach out. They ring your door bell, show their genuine concern, and help connect you to mental health resources. This is neighbor to neighbor suicide prevention.

 

How You Can Become an SC Communities of Care Partner:

  1. Participate in a training: There will be numerous opportunities to attend one of our many trainings on suicide prevention and Trauma Informed 101. You can also become a trainer yourself and teach others in your community!
  2. Applying trauma-informed principles: Once you attend a training, take what you learned and use it in your community. If we can bring trauma-informed strategies into our day-to-day lives, we can save lives!
  3. Supporting your community: Show your support by checking in on your friends and neighbors, sharing resources, spreading the word about the SC Communities of Care Project, volunteering, etc.
  4. Creating connections: Strike up a conversation with someone you have never talked to before like your local restaurant owner, postal delivery worker, grocery store cashier, etc. Learn the names of the members in your community and form new relationships!
  5. Advocating for change: There is much work to be done with suicide prevention advocacy. Most recently, South Carolina has passed a bill that will require all middle school, high school, and college IDs to include the Suicide Prevention Lifeline on them. Learn how you can advocate for further change!

 

Communities of Care Training

 

 

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South Carolina Communities of Care Trauma-Informed Suicide Prevention: Expanding the Support System for Adolescents

This training is designed for community members to learn how to apply trauma-informed principles in their day-to-day interactions. The training will teach participants how to identify warning signs of suicide risk in adolescents, strategies to ask about suicide, and ways to support an adolescent who is in a suicidal crisis or impacted by a trauma. The training is designed for community members who work with or have regular interactions with adolescents who may be at risk for suicide or coping with traumatic experiences such as faith leaders, school personnel, mentors, coaches, and staff in community agencies that provide services to adolescents.

Length: ~8 Hours
Attendance: In person or virtual Only Available in the following counties: Aiken, Anderson, Berkeley, Charleston, Greenville, Horry, Lexington, Richland, Spartanburg, York.

SC Communities of Care-Preventing Suicide in your Community

This workshop is designed to teach participants about the SC Communities of Care initiative, comprehensive community suicide prevention, and how to champion suicide prevention in their community. Participants will learn how to apply the 7 elements of Zero suicide to transform their workplace to implement trauma-informed suicide prevention practices from leadership,
to training, to supporting community members that may be at risk for suicide in accessing the appropriate services. This workshop is for any community or organizational leader looking to learn both suicide prevention skills that they can apply individually and trauma-informed suicide prevention principles that can be applied to the organizations they work or volunteer for. Community leaders such as school principals, superintendents, executive directors, supervisors, faith leaders, government officials, coalition leaders, and anyone with passion to apply change in their community are encouraged to attend.

Length: ~8 Hours
Attendance: In person or virtual Only Available in the following counties: Aiken, Anderson, Berkeley, Charleston, Greenville, Horry, Lexington, Richland, Spartanburg, York.

South Carolina Communities of Care Trauma-Informed Suicide Prevention: Expanding the Support System for Adults

This training is designed for community members to learn how to support adults who may have been impacted by trauma in their lifetime or may be struggling with suicidal thinking. The training will teach participants how to be more trauma-informed in their interactions within their role in the community. The training will teach participants recognize the warning signs of suicide risk in adults, skills to ask about suicide, and strategies to support a person who is at risk for suicide or impacted by trauma. The training is designed for community members who work with or interact frequently with adults who may be at risk for suicide or coping with traumatic experiences such as faith leaders, government employees, financial or occupational advisors, realtors, mentors, and staff in community agencies that provide services to adults especially those at higher risk for suicide.

Length: ~8 Hours
Attendance: In person or virtual Only Available in the following counties: Aiken, Anderson, Berkeley, Charleston, Greenville, Horry, Lexington, Richland, Spartanburg, York.

 

Where Do We Begin?

The project focus is on the 10 counties with the highest risk as determined through recent data.  Our hope is to expand to include all counties in SC in the coming years. 

 

 

  • Aiken
  • Anderson
  • Berkeley
  • Charleston
  • Greenville
    • Horry
    • Lexington
    • Richland
    • Spartanburg
    • York

    DMH Mental Health Center Leaders

    Our Community Outreach Coordinators will collaborate with the local Mental Health Centers to ensure that all communities know how to connect to mental health services in their area. 

     

    • Aiken-Barnwell Mental Health Center
    • Anderson-Oconee-Pickens Mental Health Center
    • Berkeley Community Mental Health Center
    • Charleston Dorchester Mental Health Center
    • Greater Greenville Mental Health Center

     

    • Waccamaw Center for Mental Health
    • Lexington County Community Mental Health Center
    • Columbia Mental Health Center
    • Spartanburg Area Mental Health Center
    • Catawba Community Mental Health Center

    Contact your local Outreach Coordinator

    Maranda Beaver, LMSW (Aiken, Anderson, Greenville, and Spartanburg)

    Maranda.beaver@scdmh.org

    Sterling Ta’Bon, MSPH (Berkeley, Charleston, Horry, Lexington, Richland, and York)

    Sterling.tabon@scdmh.org

     

     

     

    The SC Communities of Care Project is made possible through the SC Communities of Care grant from BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina.