Mental Health: Catholic Lifesavers Corps – Cohort 1 SUCCESS!

It is with great joy that I share the final report of our Catholic Lifesavers Corps (CLC) Cohort 1 training experience. With the amazing support of the Fulcrum Foundation, student leaders and their SEL Counselors from Archbishop Murphy High School, Everett, and Pope John Paul II High School, Lacey, were fully trained in Living Works – SafeTalk and Asist Trainings to build “suicide safer Catholic Schools.” This new suicide prevention program was designed to support our Catholic high schools with direct, positive impact with peers accompanying peers.

Many want to see lives saved from suicide, but few see immediately that “wanting to help” and “being prepared to help” are miles apart when it comes to suicide. Hundreds of caregivers have given two days for CPR training, when the demographics show, that we’re more likely (6x more) to encounter someone thinking of suicide, than to encounter someone who is experiencing a heart attack. All trainings have a real place in the structure of our high schools, but we have a preferential need to really walk with our youth NOW to shift the culture and reduce the stigma of mental health. Hence, the Catholic Lifesavers Corps initiative was designed and fully funded through two key grants. One private gift and one gift from our friends at the Fulcrum Foundation. (Thank you!)

Please pray for our student leaders (Juniors) and their adult CLC support team.  Their eyes are open, they are responding with love and care, and they are committed to transforming the culture of their Catholic high school as they learn the skills, strategies, and support mechanisms to activate this peer-to peer suicide prevention program in their respective high schools.

Special thank you for the boots on the ground offered by Joe Cotton, and to David and CJ Pina for leading the faciliation of the comprehensive training.

Please read our CLC Final Report: CLC Project Report.

We are grateful to the Fulcrum Foundation for investing in this CLC Mental Health initiative for next year! We will be able to launch CLC – Cohort 2 next Fall 2022. YAY!

If questions, please contact:

Joe Cotton
Director of Pastoral Care & Outreach, Archdiocese of Seattle
O: 206-382-4847 | C: 206-472-4270 | joe.cotton@seattlearch.org

Sandra Smith, Assistant Superintendent for Mission and Catholic Identity, O: 206-382-4842 or sandra.smith@seattlearch.org