What is Sources of Strength?
A best practice youth suicide prevention project designed to harness the power of peer social networks to change unhealthy norms and culture, ultimately preventing suicide, bullying, and substance abuse. The goal of Sources of Strength is to prevent suicide by increasing help-seeking behaviors and promoting connections between peers and caring adults.
Core Values
- Radically Strengths-based – We believe in the presence of strength in every individual and community, and that stories of strength are transformative.
- Bring the Joy – We embrace fun, laughter, play, and joy as powerful tools for healing, connection, and positive change.
- Practice Holistic Humility – We recognize our place in a larger whole; we stay grounded when we celebrate and learn from the collective efforts of those we serve, our partners, and one another.
- Work the Wheel – We are committed to authentically practicing what we teach by pursuing wellness, kindness, and strength in the world, in our company, and in our own lives.
- Embrace the Journey – We will never fully arrive; we accept hard facts, hold ourselves accountable, and are resilient as we continuously learn and grow.
WHEEL OF STRENGTHS
Sources Secondary Model -Sources of Strength for middle and high school trains groups of Peer Leaders supported by Adult Advisors to run ongoing public health messaging campaigns to increase wellness and decrease risk in their schools.
Sources Elementary – is implemented as a universal classroom based Social Emotional Learning curriculum. The model incorporates the Sources of Strength protective factor framework, more robust language on mental health, and a prevention lens that many elementary SEL models lack.
Sources of Strength is currently being supported by a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health, providing this program for free to all schools in Kentucky. Participating schools will be expected to review their current policies related to substance use/misuse and suicide prevention and also participate in an evaluation process. This information will be discussed in detail and a letter of agreement would be signed prior to receiving training or materials for implementation.
If you are interested in hearing more about Sources of Strength from your RPC, please contact us!
