Suicide Prevention

Selected Program: The Incredible Years

Overview

Idaho consistently has one of the highest suicide rates in the United States, currently ranking 5^th with a rate 57% higher than the national average (Suicide Prevention Action Network of Idaho, 2017b). Suicide is a problem across all age groups and demographics. It is the second leading cause of death among males age 15-34 and age 10-14 (Suicide Prevention Action Network of Idaho, 2017b). The Idaho Youth Risk Behavior Survey (Idaho State Department of Education [ISDE], 2017) revealed that more than 1 in 5 Idaho high school students have seriously considered attempting suicide.

Preventing suicide needs to start long before these 10-14 year olds, high school students, and adults begin to think about suicide as an option. The Incredible Years is a program that aims to reduce risk factors and build protective factors from a very young age. These factors not only influence suicide risk, but risk for substance abuse, teen pregnancy, and poor academic performance as well.

Rather than one specific program, The Incredible Years consists of a variety of programs which agencies can choose from in order to fully customize the intervention to their specific population and needs. There are options for children ranging from birth to 12 years old, as well as interventions for parents and teachers. There are fun interactive components such as the use of puppets, videos, and games in each program.

Parent groups are 12-20 weeks long and range from 2-3 hours, depending on the particular program selected. The child treatment program for kids who have behavior/conduct problems or who are at higher risk than their peers is delivered in 12-22 weekly two-hour group sessions. The classroom prevention program has over 60 lesson plans for kids aged 3-8; the teacher determines which lessons fit best with their class. The teacher programs contain 42 hours of content typically delivered over six days, with one day-long workshop per month for six months (The Incredible Years, Inc., 2013).

Please visit the program website for specific details about each of the many individual programs.

Goals

To promote protective factors against suicide, including responsive and positive parent-teacher-child interactions/relationships, emotional self-regulation, and social competence
To prevent key risk factors for suicide, including conduct and substance use disorders (in the long run)
To prevent and treat behavioral problems
To promote social, emotional, and academic competence

Links

Program Website: Incredible Years

Age Group

Different programs available for children ranging from 0-12 years old; programs for parents and teachers as well

Gender

Male, Female

IOM Classification

Universal direct if implemented as a whole-class program or selective if you conduct the program separately with the children who have more risk factors and/or behavior problems

Possible Implementation Settings

Depends on the program selected
Classroom
Community settings (for the parent and teacher groups)
Day cares
Home
Outpatient mental health treatment centers
School counselor’s or nurse’s office

Cost Associated and How to Purchase/Access

Many different programs and add-ons with varying price points. Price list available at The Incredible Years

Discounts available, call for details and to see if you qualify

Program staff can help you choose which specific programs and options would be the best mix for your population and implementation setting, call for details

How to Access

Download the price list/order form. (Don’t be intimidated by the price list. It’s very long and looks like the program could get very expensive, but start small and only purchase the items you need to get started. You can add on more program options as you determine need and gain access to more resources.)
Choose what you would like to purchase from the price list
Call (206) 285-7565 toll free 10 am – 5 pm (Mountain Time) to place your order OR email order to orders@incredibleyears.com

Program Contact

Lisa St. George

(888) 506-3562

lisastgeorge@comcast.net

Training Information

Not required, but highly recommended

Closest training site is in Seattle, WA.

Cost: $175-400 depending on the training selected (varies from 1-3 days)

Can schedule training at your site if at least 15 people will attend.

Cost: $1500-2000 per day plus travel expenses (including airfare, baggage fees, ground travel, meals, and lodging)

Self-study protocols available in lieu of in-person training.

Pros & Cons

PROS	CONS
A variety of programs available, you can completely customize the intervention to your population and needs	Need DVD player
Most programs have a lot of language options	Puppets used in classroom programs will be on backorder for 6-8 months after purchasing because they are made by hand; need to keep that in mind when planning implementation timeline
Parent group options include multiple age groups and special versions for parents of children with autism or language delays	Required to provide childcare during parent groups
Program staff are very accessible (easy to contact and stay in touch with) which is helpful when implementing a new program
Wally and Molly puppets available in different ethnicities

Why I Chose This Program Over Others

I chose this program over others because it aims to prevent suicide from a young age by reducing risk factors and building protective factors. I liked how this program was made for very young children rather than adolescents because prevention is best started at an early age. This program is highly customizable, with options for many different age groups and characteristics, and it has creative activities such as puppet shows. Overall, The Incredible Years has a fun intervention for almost any population.

Honorable Mention