Suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth in Indiana. According to the Indiana Youth Institute’s 2016 Kids Count Data Book, one out of every six Indiana high school students have considered attempting suicide, and one out of eight have made a plan for attempting suicide. These rates are some the highest in the nation.
Tragic statistics like these are familiar to Madeline Zielinski, the Youth M.O.V.E. Indiana state coordinator at Mental Health America of Indiana.
“Youth M.O.V.E Indiana works to provide youth representation on the Indiana Suicide Prevention Advisory Council to empower youth whose lives have been touched by suicide to use their voices in making sure issues surrounding youth are heard,” Zielinski said. “We also provide suicide alertness trainings to anyone 15 and older to help recognize the signs of someone thinking about suicide, how to ask and how to refer them to the help that they need.”