Green Bandana Project

The Green Bandana Project

They will be trained on how to listen and how to ask the “Are you suicidal” question and “Do you have a plan” question.  They will be trained to persuade and refer the student with “RED FLAGS” to speak to a “Trusted Adult” and contact Guidance Counselors and Administration right away. These “Trusted Friends” are students that see their peers hurting before the students hit the schools radar.  Without these “Trusted Friends” and their training we will continue to lose students to suicide that we could have saved had there been “Trusted Friends” a student in need could reach out to.

Trainings on Campus

Becoming a Green School Community

Changing the school climate and school culture is a lot easier than you think. As many states are making suicide prevention training mandatory it’s not enough. We have a responsibility to do more and to bring this issue of Mental Health to the forefront and Jeff helps you do just that. First, Jeff comes in and speaks about Suicide Prevention and Teen Mental Health. Then, Jeff will train your school staff to be “Trusted Adults.” Not every teacher or staff members wants this responsibility, but those that want to be “Trusted Adults” will go through an extra hour of training and will receive a sticker and a poster for their classroom door entering the classroom and a poster for their classroom. They will also be given a green bandana representing who they are as well. The same bandana the teachers or staff will have are also the same bandanas the students leaders who go through the training will receive representing they’re “Trusted Friends.” Before any of the Training, Jeff likes to do a school assembly for all staff and students. This builds the respect and trust and sets the tone for Jeff being on campus. Understand, not all our students are dealing with mental illness. Therefore, Jeff carefully makes this clear and delivers a message, “About Life” rather than just a message about Mental Health. Before moving forward with this day, Jeff and the school administration and counselors will make sure they’re on the same page with what the school needs, their theme, what needs further addressing, etc. The whole assembly covers many of issues that each of our students are dealing with such as:

• Not being afraid to ask for help

  

• Self-Value
• Attitude
• Choices
• Kindness
• Bullying
• Self-Care
• Purpose
• Happiness
• Creating a Plan of Success

After the assembly or assemblies, we move into the Trainings:

Becoming a “Trusted Adult”

Not all our teachers are capable of being that trusted adult outside of their classroom, but many of our teachers want that responsibility but don’t know how to be that trusted adult. No worries. Jeff comes and trains the teachers on suicide prevention and teaches them how to be approachable and what to do when a student comes forward. All teachers interested in being a “Trusted Adult” will receive a sticker and a poster for them to display.  The sticker is a bright green sticker that is clearly visible when the students walk in the classroom.  The poster is bright green poster that is clearly displayed in the classroom.  The sticker and poster are reminders that the teacher is a “Trusted Teacher” and that the student can come to them with a problem or in need of a trusted adult knowing that they will have the student’s best interest at heart. This training is for teachers and staff personnel. Training is 2 hours – 3 hours

Becoming a “Trusted Friend”

Our students are the Gatekeepers when it comes to saving a teens life. They know of their friends who need help. They know who might be struggling. Teaching our students about their responsibilities and how important their role in their friends lives is vital to our school culture and climate. Jeff will train your student leaders or students – roughly 20 out of every 100 students to be a “Trusted Friends” on campus. These students will receive a Green Bandana to wear on their backpacks that represent themselves as a supporter of Teen Mental Health and a Trusted Friend where they will listen, validate feelings, and offer hope, encouragement, and support. These “Trusted Friends” will learn how to persuade and refer the student to get help, but the “Trusted Friend” will know the responsibility to report the conversation to counselors, parents, and/or school personnel. A “Trusted Friend” will understand the “Red Flags” and will know not to leave a “Friend” alone and how to follow-up after the situation is reported to the proper authorities. These students will go through a 2 hour in-depth, interactive, training and will receive a packet of information, a card to have phone numbers and contact information, a green bandana, and Jeff will continue to send training and informative videos to Green Schools. These students will also be “School Culture Advocates” learning how to be a positive support influence during the school day with signs and displaying positivity and kindness to all.

The Life Coach on Campus

After these trainings, Jeff sticks around a day to work with counselors and students. This day Jeff is all around campus meeting one on one with students or with student groups talking about the responsibility we have being our best advocates for healthy living and creating a plan of action. During change of classes you’ll find Jeff and the “Trusted Friends” in the hallways with signs offering encouragement and inspiration to one another. Jeff teaches the tone that needs to be displayed to show students there is help and as a school community we are willing and waiting to offer help and support. Contact us for more information and to answer your questions. For more detailed information, please contact Jeff by filling out the contact form now.