Safe Communities is inviting schools and youth-serving institutions in Dane County to participate in the implementation of Sources of Strength, a best practice youth mental health promotion and suicide prevention program.

Funding eligibility: any Dane County youth-serving institution. Examples include elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, community centers, after-school programs, and more.

Institutions may receive funding to support the following:
• training and materials
• first-year licensing fee
• Adult Advisor stipends
• access to ongoing training and technical assistance

Why Sources of Strength?
• Evidence-based program for increasing student mental health literacy, reducing stigma, and preventing suicide, violence, bullying, and substance misuse
• Designed to harness the power of peer social networks to create healthy norms and culture
• Track record of positive impact on overall school climate. As much as it is a student focused prevention program, the initiative is also a Staff Wellness model. It is not just helpful for young people – this is helpful for humans!

Over 300 schools or districts across Wisconsin have successfully implemented peer-to-peer student programs within the last 10 years with great results, and 7 schools in Dane County have joined the Sources of Strength initiative to date! 

The mission of Sources of Strength is to prevent adverse outcomes by increasing wellbeing, help-seeking, resiliency, healthy coping, and belonging. Sources of Strength moves beyond a singular focus on risk factors by utilizing an upstream approach for youth suicide prevention. This upstream model strengthens multiple sources of support, or protective factors, for young people so that when times get hard, they have strengths to rely on.