Six Snoqualmie Valley Community Network representatives attended the National American Association of Suicidology Conference in Seattle on April 29th to learn more about suicide and ways reduce the risk of youth suicide in the Valley.

The group attended classes in Adolescent Suicide 101, Community Prevention Strategies, and Crisis Management in the Schools.

The Network elevated youth suicide to a top priority with youth substance abuse for their prevention work when the 2004 Healthy Youth Survey reported that 17 percent of Mount Si 10th graders had attempted suicide. Nearly 20 percent of Cedarcrest High School seniors reported that they had seriously considered suicide.

Several risk and protective factors related to substance abuse are present in depression; so many prevention strategies are the same. The network implements strategies that influence elements in the community, families, and schools contributing to these factors.

This school year, the Network sponsored training for all teaching staff in middle and high schools in Riverview and Snoqualmie Valley and parent education in partnership with Snoqualmie Middle School PTSA and Cedarcrest High School PTSA.

Cedarcrest’s parent education night with Sue Eastgard of Youth Suicide Prevention Program was May 10 in the library at Cedarcrest High School in Duvall.

If you have a passion to improve the health of youth in the community, the Network and Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition welcomes your involvement.

For more information, contact Kristy Sullivan at the Snoqualmie Valley Community Network. svcn@msn.com. Or call (425) 333-6614 or visit the Web at www.snoqualmievalleycommunitynetwork.org.