“On average, 75 youths aged 10 to 24 have killed themselves in Oregon every year during the past decade. We needed to produce a powerful new brochure for statewide distribution to help stem the tide of this troubling situation.”

Dr. Kirk Wolfe, M.D.
Child/Adolescent Psychiatrist 
 

Oregon has a problem with youth suicide; it’s the second-highest cause of death among youngsters statewide. In fact, as of 2004, Oregon’s suicide rate for adolescents was some 30 percent above the national average. When the Oregon Council of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and several other sponsors asked the Overland Agency to create a compelling brochure that explains how to identify and deal with troubled youth before it’s too late, we were proud to donate our time and efforts to help.

Solution:
We went through several phases of creating an illustrated, information-packed brochure working with Dr. Kirk Wolfe, a child/adolescent psychiatrist specializing in suicide prevention at the Portland-based Morrison Family Services. Our goal was to inform parents statewide about the “early warning signs” of their children’s depression, and how to cope with those probelms at home and while working with professional counselors.

Result:
Eventually, 93,000 suicide-prevention brochures were produced for distribution throughout Oregon. Now, counselors in clinics, outreach programs, and college and university counseling offices have the resources they need to provide helpful information to prevent youth suicide.

Sponsors:
Sponsors for the piece included Providence Health Systems, the Oregon Department of Human Services, Salem Hospital, the Morrison Child and Family Services, the Oregon Psychiatric Association, Dolphin Software, and the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention.
 
 
“The new brochure that the Overland Agency produced has been very well received. It gives parents important information on how to identify the signs of childhood depression, how to talk to kids, and how to seek help to prevent these tragic deaths. Parents in Oregon need to read and use this vital information. I believe it will help save lives.”

Child/Adolescent Psychiatrist