The Guidance Center

Our agency is comprised of more than 180 mental health professionals, support staff, administrators and interns who serve nearly 3,400 disadvantaged children and families annually. We offer a broad array of programs, including comprehensive services in the clinic, in the field, and in over 20 schools in the Long Beach Unified School District. Our services include clinic and field-based therapy; school-based therapy; family preservation; psychological testing; ages 0-5 specialized treatment; trauma-informed community-based prevention and early intervention; and training.

LIFE-SAVING IMPACT BEGINS WITH YOU
We know that suicide is prevalent and affects people of all ages, but it is oftentimes an avoidable outcome. Funds raised through Long Beach Gives will support specialty suicide assessment and treatment training for Guidance Center staff as well as professionals and paraprofessionals throughout the community. Your donation will have a direct and life-saving impact; every single client will receive this crucial assessment during their first visit with us.

WHY NOW?
In the last ten years, rates of suicide and suicide attempts have increased dramatically. Limited access to mental health care, heightened use of social media, poverty, and community violence have all played a role in this alarming increase. This was magnified even further by the isolation we all experienced in light of the pandemic. If not now, then when? If not soon, will it be too late? Every donation makes a difference, and every child's well-being is worth fighting for.

SUICIDE PREVENTION IS EVERYONE'S BUSINESS
Through your generosity, we aim to make suicide prevention training more accessible, and by doing so, we strive to save lives. Donations will contribute to providing three monumental and highly effective training models known as AMSR, CAMS, & YMHFA.

1) Assisting and Managing Suicide Risk (AMSR): research-based training model that helps behavioral health professionals and nonprofessionals feel confident navigating challenging conversations and offers strategies for providing compassionate care to people at risk for suicide. The goal is to address the pain the young person is experiencing and to reduce hospitalizations.

2) Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMS): evidence-based therapeutic assessment and treatment model that emphasizes collaboration and transparency between therapist and patient. CAMS-4 Teens will aid Guidance Center mental health professionals working specifically with teens and families to learn how to work collaboratively with patients to devise treatment and stabilization plans that build trust and mutual understanding.

3) Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA): a community training to help people who work with youth to look for risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems in adolescents, builds understanding of the importance of early intervention, and teaches individuals how to help an adolescent in crisis or experiencing a mental health challenge.

IT'S NOT AN OPTION, IT'S A PRIORITY
o Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10 to 14 in the US (CDC)
o Nearly 20% of high school students report serious thoughts of suicide, and 9% have made an attempt to take their lives (NAMI)
o Unintentional and intentional self-harm is among the top 10 leading causes of death in Long Beach (CDPH)

PLACING OUR YOUTH AT THE FOREFRONT FOR POSITIVE CHANGE
o Approximately one in five of Guidance Center clients enter treatment with a history of or current suicidal risk that requires immediate intervention
o Based on the Child Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) assessment:
▫ 18.4% of clients have a history of suicidal risk
▫ 4.5% have current risk that interferes with functioning
▫ 0.02% have suicide risk that needed immediate attention & was disabling

These numbers reflect only those youth who are willing to disclose their thoughts and ideation upon the first meeting with a therapist. The actual number who have such thoughts is likely much higher. Our goal at The Guidance Center is to address both health equity and increase social and community support and access to quality behavioral healthcare.

HOW YOU CAN HELP - MAKE A DONATION TODAY
Every gift counts - no matter the size. Suicide is real, suicide is permanent, but suicide is preventable. Let's set an example for those around us and let the youth in our community know that their lives are meaningful and matter.

Testimonials

Here are quotes from mental health professionals who recently received this specialty training:

"Thank you very much for this training! I did not know how much I did not know about assessing and managing suicide risk. I am feeling much more at ease and prepared."

"I plan to be more intentional in my interactions with my clients and lose the discomfort in asking questions that need to be asked."

"Please continue to provide the training on Assessing and Managing Suicide Risk as it is so highly needed...