Jordan Porco Foundation Earns Best Practice Status in Teen Suicide Prevention
/The Jordan Porco Foundation’s Fresh Check Day has been designated as a best practice for suicide prevention for colleges and universities by the Suicide Prevention Resource Center. The Suicide Prevention Resource Center is funded by SAMHSA, a division of the Department of Health and Human Services.
“We have always known that our Fresh Check Day program was saving lives, increasing awareness, reducing stigma, and helping students find the resources they need on campus,” said Marisa Giarnella-Porco, Co-founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of the Jordan Porco Foundation. “Obtaining this distinguished designation and seal further demonstrates our commitment to meeting students with upstream primary prevention programs that they can relate to.”
In order to carry out their mission, the Jordan Porco Foundation offers multiple uplifting and affordable programs to bring mental health and suicide prevention awareness to youth and young adults all over the United States. Programs include Fresh Check Day, 9 Out of 10 Ambassadors, What’s Next, Check In and In It 4 Life.
Underscoring the importance of their work, the organization notes that suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people ages 10-24, and that each year over 1,100 college students ages 15-24 die by suicide while approximately 24,000 attempt suicide. A 2021 national survey found that 10% of youth in grades 9-12 reported that they had made at least one suicide attempt in the past 12 months.
“I can’t emphasize enough how crucial community support is in helping bring more lifesaving programs to our college and university students,” Giarnella-Porco added. “The statistics describing the mental health crisis don’t explain the ripple effect anxiety, depression, and other disorders have on our young adult population.”
The Foundation, based in Wethersfield, focuses on the issue of youth suicide by working to:
· Help challenge stigma by talking openly about mental health issues
· Offer engaging and uplifting programming, emphasizing peer-to-peer messaging
· Promote help seeking behavior, self-care, and coping skills
· Educate about the risk factors and warning signs of suicide and other related mental health concerns
Officials stress that “our approach to the mental health crisis is through education and with prevention in mind. Prevention matters during times of reduced access and limited resources.”
The Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) is the only federally supported resource center devoted to advancing the implementation of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. SPRC is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Jordan Matthew Porco died by suicide in 2011.
