Sources of Strength

Walla Walla Public Schools staff and students are training this week at SEATech as part of this year’s expansion of the Sources of Strength suicide prevention program. A comprehensive Sources of Strength program will be active at Garrison Middle School, Pioneer Middle School, Walla Walla High School and Lincoln High School.

Sources of Strength is a program that promotes seeking help, developing protective factors, and reminding young individuals that when times get hard they have strengths to rely on. Sources of Strength aligns with Goal Three of the district’s Strategic Plan which supports the social and emotional needs of all students.

District Mental Health Specialist Kristen Duede is serving as the district's Sources of Strength coordinator. 

Follow Sources of Strength on Twitter @sourcesstrength

Sources of Strength Mission: Our mission is to provide the highest quality evidence-based prevention for suicide, violence, bullying and substance abuse by training, supporting, and empowering both peer leaders and caring adults to impact their world through the power of connection, hope, help and strength.

Sources of Strength Vision: We believe that many strengths are more powerful than one, and our united goal is to activate and mobilize these strengths in ways that positively change individuals and communities.

What is Sources of Strength?
Sources of Strength is a strength-based, comprehensive wellness program that focuses on suicide prevention but impacts other issues such as substance abuse and violence. The program is based on a relational connections model that uses teams of Peer Leaders mentored by Adult Advisors to change peer social norms about help seeking and encourages students to individually assess and develop strengths in their life.

Sources of Strength is most often implemented as a school-based program in middle school, high school, or college. However Sources of Strength is also often used in community, faith-based, and cultural settings. It promotes and focuses on connectivity, school bonding, peer-adult partnerships, and help seeking behaviors.

Trained peer leaders use their network of friends to:
• Have one-on-one conversations.
• Develop a Hope, Help, Strength messages using local faces and voices.
• Present peer-to-peer presentations.