Family and Children’s Services has launched a community awareness campaign focused on treating anxiety and depression among high school and college students in an effort to prevent suicide.
The campaign – “It’s OK to Ask for Help” – has two major goals: to provide immediate help for young people who may be suffering from anxiety, depression or suicidal thoughts and to focus the community’s attention on the national and local epidemic of mental health challenges, particularly during the pandemic.
The suicide prevention campaign kicked off on Jan. 30 with an op-ed in the Tulsa World, written by FCS CEO Gail Lapidus, and will continue through September – National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.
The campaign includes several high-profile initiatives in the community, including rotating digital billboards placed in high-traffic areas across Tulsa County. All materials will link members of the public to the FCS COPES hotline, which provides immediate help for those in crisis.
