Teen Mental Health Awareness & Suicide Prevention in Schools

“I am finishing my 9th year as an administrator in this district and my 19th year as an educator within this district. By far the most impactful person we have brought in during my time. And during a time we needed it most. Thank you.” – Dick Keeler, High School Principal, Central Valley Academy, NY

Teen Mental Health Speaker: Real. Engaging. Memorable. Inspiring.

A School in Crisis Called Jeff for Three Days

Two Seniors Killed by a Drunk Driver & Two Student Suicides

A black cloud surrounded this school community. “What’s next?“, everyone was asking.

Everyone trying to just hold it together.  They hired Jeff for three days to come and help the counselors, staff, and students.

On Wednesday, the final day of his visit, nearly 1,000 high school students, teachers and staff lined the halls with hugs, smiles, well-wishes and tears.

Clarkston, Washington

Call 800-948-9289

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Jeff gets centerfold in a high school yearbook.
He loses his son two nights prior to suicide and comes out to listen to Jeff speak.

Jeff Yalden has helped thousands of schools and communities restore hope, bring a positive school culture and climate to campus, engage more positive and meaningful relationships between staff and students, and help school administration and school counselors engage with their most vulnerable and at-risk students.   

Jeff is an expert on teen suicide, crisis intervention, and working with school communities going through the unimaginable.  Whether it is student suicide, car wreck, a school shooting, loss of a cherished teacher or staff member, Jeff Yalden helps schools come back together and heal.  

Reach out to Betty to discuss how Jeff can work with you to help your students and staff in a tough situation.

High School Mental Health Speaker - Jeff Yalden

“Our community lost 9 people to suicide in less than a year, including 4 teens in 6 weeks. We reached out to Jeff Yalden and within days, Jeff was there to restore hope to a community lost in its search for meaning and understanding. Jeff Yalden’s legacy will live on for years in our community.” – Brett Boggs, Superintendent, Tippicanoe-Valley School Corporation, Akron, IN

Mental Health Awareness Presentations in Schools and Suicide Prevention in Schools

“In the next decade we will see a 31% increase in teen suicides.”

Could your students be depressed? Let’s find out. Try this quiz: (Click Here)

“I have had you come to three school corporations and you made a very positive impact in all three communities.   – Don Harmon, Superintendent of Schools, IN
Every school community going through a crisis has different thoughts, concerns, wants, and needs.  Jeff understand this; He’s a special guest with extraordinaire experience wanting to work in conjunction with you and your school community. He wants to work alongside the school administration, school counselors, staff, teachers, and parents, to be another trusted and significant voice for the students.
Teen Suicide: Standing at the locker with the junior class getting closure

Why Jeff . . . Why do we need you?

In short, because nobody has the experience Jeff has working in these situations engaging school communities and helping them move forward after tragedy strikes. God has given Jeff the innate ability to connect with compassion, empathy, and a strong heart. Jeff loves teens and has spent nearly three decades working in schools.  He gives hope, permission to heal and slowly move forward and he does it while being very sensitive to the pain and emotional loss.
“I would like to say thank you Jeff. You saved me from committing something that would have hurt my family, friends, teachers, and myself. – The Person Who Almost Wasn’t Anymore
It is important that you understand – Jeff’s visit is about providing a positive, inspirational and motivational experience (talking about real talk to real life situations) to assist your school community in moving forward – together!  Jeff never wants to leave pieces for schools counselors and/or parents to have to clean up.  His visit focuses on moving forward and healthy healing while giving special attention to those that might need it most. 
“Jeff is an amazing speaker and his message is powerful. I heard him for the first time in Atchison,KS after our community suffered from some very tragic losses. Jeff was amazing and helped with the healing process. My high school son heard Jeff speak and his comment to me was “that was powerful mom.” I brought Jeff to my district this past fall. Again, his message was powerful and he touched the lives of many. Jeff you are amazing!!!  Keep fighting the fight!” – Julie Crum, Principal, NM

“You may not have realized that when you came to talk with my school, you literally saved my life. The day you came to talk to my school, was the day I had planned to end all the depression, pain, and also-my life.” – High School Student, Stacy, NH

Teen Mental Health Speaker & Teen Suicide Prevention Trainer

Jeff is renowned for his work with teen mental health – teen suicide prevention and intervention, teen depression, teen suicide training, teen mental health, and helping school communities move forward after the death by suicide of one of their students.  If you are looking for a Teen Suicide Expert or Suicide Prevention Specialist that focuses on teens and mental health, look no further.  Let Jeff Yalden come and train your teachers and share his theory on today’s teen suicide epidemic.

Also, consider having Jeff train your staff – Suicide Prevention Training Online Courses for Teachers and Staff.

When a school community suffers a death by suicide of one of its teens, the school community knows that Jeff Yalden will answer prayers and make sense to parents about the speed of hurt for today’s teens.  Jeff also is candid and appeals to teens helping them understand that suicide is not a solution – ever!  Jeff relates to teens in a way mental health professionals can’t.  They understand Jeff and Jeff understands them because Jeff has been there.

Hospitalized twice – Age 16 and 21 with feelings of suicide and adjustment disorder, Jeff had to figure things out.  This is the age where Jeff and his message come from to where he is now.  A riveting story of life and a search for meaning.

We are Not Crazy!

Understand the stigma of mental health and you’ll have a clear perception of how people look at you.  Mental Health does not define us, but how we act and how we deal with mental health is what defines us as people.  Jeff Yalden shares his story of 25 years of counseling and anger management.  Jeff challenges his audiences to know that we all battle mental health issues in everyday life.  You’ll be inspired by how simple Jeff takes mental health and turns it in to a life of gratitude and fulfillment.  Dealing with mental health himself has taught him many lessons in life and those lessons, the wisdom, and experiences, Jeff shares with his audiences.

What is the Stigma?

Stigma is when you are labeled or judged due to perception about your illness or disabilities.  It’s often seen as a mark of disgrace. People judge you and believe negative stereotypes about you because they think you’re different.  This often causes them to avoid, reject, and discriminate against you. When you don’t understand this then you feel inadequate and worthless.  Stigma also exists when you judge yourself, believe negative things about yourself, and feel ashamed because you think you are different than everyone else.  You can’t give Stigma the power over your own emotions. What happens when we don’t deal with the stigma of Mental Health? It’s a cycle of shame that leads to being silent.  Being silent gets into your head and you become self-destructive in attitude and behavior.  This not being dealt with could lead to suicidal thoughts or self harm.  If one doesn’t get help, this process repeats itself and becomes and endless spiral downward of self-destruction and feelings of inadequacy.
  • Stigma starts with shame.
  • Shame leads to silence.
  • Silence leads to self-destructive behavior and suicide.
  • The process repeats and it becomes an endless, downward spiral.
“Last night I prayed, “God, help me,” before getting into bed. My plan was to leave the house after my parents went to bed and I wasn’t tired. I fell asleep. When I woke up this morning, I went to school and figured I’d try tonight, but instead I met you. You gave me hope and encouragement. I can’t thank you enough for what you did. I think you were there for a reason and I’m glad you were.” – Friends for Life, Mike

Mental Health Speaker for Adults and Teens

Teen Suicide: The day you came to talk to my school was the day I had planned to end it all . . .
Whether you are considering Jeff for adults, teens, military, law enforcement, college campuses, school communities to speak on mental health awareness, suicide prevention, suicide crisis intervention, or helping a school and community move forward after the loss of one of their own, Jeff is not necessarily the PRODUCT, as much as he is a part of your community and listens to the needs of your administration, community members, and the people that hire him.  Every school and every community is different in what they need, at the time they need it, and how they want to address the circumstances.  Jeff always tailors his message to your needs, your theme, your objective.  Jeff is a professional and has helped hundreds of communities, schools, and families.  Jeff is a guest and always puts himself as one of your staff members working with the counselors to give hope, understanding, and inspiration.  Having said that, you can rest assure, Jeff will make you a HERO and deliver exactly what you need. TWO AND A HALF DAYS, Jeff Yalden changed a community from despair to prominence.  Another community, a suicide contagion, Jeff Yalden spent five days in Woodstock, Ontario, CANADA after the Canadian Mental Health Association called Woodstock, “A City in Crisis!”  Not a teen suicide since Jeff’s visit.  Many communities, all with different needs, have invited Jeff to help.  Jeff is not the savior, but he makes sense.  He is real.  He understands because he lives with mental illness and battles the challenges every day himself.  Jeff speaks truth, gives hope, and gives answers to a ver complex epidemic plaguing our youth today.

Descriptions of Programs/Workshops:

  1. Living Forward Workshop: Who We Are, Where We Are, Where We Are Going –
Creating a Game Plan for Success This workshop is challenging, inspirational, and life changing.  Partner up, team up, and let’s get ready to look at yourself from the outside in. We’ll create a game plan for life and success.  We’ll analyze participants’ purpose, review current situations, and create new plans. Participants will learn how they are viewed by others and how to incorporate personal and professional changes for a greater positive impact on life.
  1. Suicide Prevention: For School Communities in Suicide Crisis Situations
No administrator is ever given a guide on how to deal with the loss of a student or staff member to suicide. Moving forward after a suicide can be very tricky. This presentation teaches the community how to grieve and how not to let the loss(es) define who the school community is.  My main message is one that centers on – “It’s okay to ask for HELP!” I assist and encourage students to find trusted adults and not to be afraid to talk to them.  I engage my audience(s), I bring seriousness with a touch of humor, and I talk about difficult, hard truths. This is an investment into the well-being of your school climate and culture. We need to do everything possible to prevent another suicide. We need to become a more proactive, positive resource for our youth by implementing “Trusted Adults” and “Trusted Peers” on campus. Also, it is my mission to help change the culture and attitudes of the community through my speaking, by being a positive presence in the hallways, in meeting with teachers, by attending sporting events, and by my encouraging parents to be more involved. During the parent and community presentation, I will teach how to recognize the signs, symptoms, and threats of suicide as well as the appropriate action to take if there are visible “Red Flags”. I explain to every client, “I am the guest, I respect all your staff and teachers, please use me as a tool however you see fit and don’t worry about working me too hard. This is why I am here, and together we are going to tough hearts . . . and change lives.” School designated student leaders will also go through training, earning “Trusted Peer” status. Each designated “Trusted Peer” receives a symbolic green bandana and a t-shirt.  Green bandanas signify to other students that they are “Trusted Friends”: peers they can talk to without being judged. Teachers, staff, and students go through in-depth training in order to learn how to respond to a situation when a student is in crisis. They will learn the questions to ask, how to recognize “red flags,” and what to do when they see them. They will learn signs, symptoms, direct verbal clues, indirect verbal clues, behavioral clues, and situational clues. Through role play, they will learn how to handle a variety of situations and think on the spot. Their responsibility is to persuade and refer the student to a counselor, a social worker, or a school psychiatrist. I will also help your school create a “Trusted Club” on campus that will be headed by a counselor or two. They will meet once a month with open enrollment for students interested in learning more about mental health and self-care. Monthly activities should include stress-relieving practices such as yoga, meditation, and mindfulness practice. The purpose of the “Green School Program” is to save lives through trusted relationships and to let every student know that they are cared for, that school is a safe place, and that there is more to life than academic prowess or athletic achievement.