• Ms. Ghafoori l 703-426-1064
• Ms. Naughton l 703-426-1155

• Screening will take place during Advisory on November 14 and 16
• On these dates, 2nd and 8th periods will be flipped, so that Advisory is first thing in the morning.

The SOS video and survey have already been used by other FCPS middle and high schools and have been used at Lake Braddock for several years. Parents are invited to review the materials by accessing the SOS Parent Portal at https://sossignsofsuicide.org/parent.  This portal is designed to provide parents with information about suicide prevention efforts, view the SOS videos, and access educational materials which are helpful tools for supporting your child’s mental health wellness.

If you do NOT wish for your student to participate in the 9^th grade presentation, please return the opt out form provided to your child on October 17 no later than November 9.

Dear Parents of 9th grade students,

On Monday, October 17, all 9th grade students will receive a letter to bring home regarding a county-wide initiative to identify and help students who are struggling with depression and possible thoughts of suicide.  On November 14 and 16th, all 9th grade students will participate in a presentation and survey about signs of depression in their Advisory class.   

The Signs of Suicide (SOS) program consists of an informational video that describes the Acknowledge-Care-Tell (ACT) message, a brief paper survey, and follow-up discussion with counselors and clinical staff (psychologists and social workers).  Counselors and clinical staff will also meet individually with any students who score at risk for depression or suicide and notify those students’ parents.

Why is there a county-wide push for depression and suicide screening? According to the November 2019 Fairfax County Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 30% of students in grades 8, 10, and 12 experienced symptoms of depression in the past year. The rate of students considering suicide was 14.3%, while 6% reported they attempted suicide in the past year.  In addition to events in recent years that have directly impacted communities within Fairfax County, we want to do our best to keep LBSS students from becoming part of these statistics. 

The SOS video and survey have already been used by other FCPS middle and high schools and have been used at Lake Braddock for several years. Parents are invited to review the materials by accessing the SOS Parent Portal at https://sossignsofsuicide.org/parent.  This portal is designed to provide parents with information about suicide prevention efforts, view the SOS videos, and access educational materials which are helpful tools for supporting your child’s mental health wellness.

If you do NOT wish for your student to participate in the 9^th grade presentation, please return the opt out form provided to your child on October 17 no later than November 9.

Please contact Ms. Ghafoori at 703-426-1064 or Ms. Naughton at 703-426-1155 if you have any questions.