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The Red Flags program was created as a school-based depression awareness and intervention program by Mental Health America of Summit County. It is funded by the Ohio Department of Mental Health and endorsed by the Ohio Department of Education for school districts in Ohio.
Red Flags helps youth, parents and building staff recognize and respond to signs of depression and related mental health issues. The three-component program includes materials for building personnel, a 1-5 day curriculum for the students, and resources for parents and the community.
The curriculum for the students is based on a short film entitled Thick 'n Thin: Understanding Teen Depression. The story focuses on the relationship between best friends as one of them struggles with depression. Upon completion of the curriculum, students should be able to identify the signs and symptoms of depression, and know how to seek help for a friend.
The Center for Disease Control lists depression related suicide as the leading disease-related cause of death and disability in children between the ages of 11-24. As a Universal Prevention program, Red Flags involves the entire community and has been proven to reduce stigma, enhance emotional intelligence, and improve school climate. It is flexible, simple to implement and low cost.
The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Mental Health America evaluate Red Flags annually to assure its effectiveness and value.
The Red Flags Program was created in 1997 in response to a challenge given to the Ohio Department of Mental Health during an in-service presentation by Penny Frese, Ph.D. As the mother of Claire, a middle school student diagnosed with depression, Penny was aware that it is not enough to educate children about the symptoms of depression if they do not receive support and understanding from their teachers and friends. She challenged the State Department to work toward a goal: yearly depression education in every Ohio middle school's infrastructure.
Red Flags is the result of that challenge. Materials were developed by a task force of educators, counselors and mental health professionals at Mental Health America (formerly Mental Health Association) of Summit County.
- Red Flags was piloted in 10 Ohio middle schools during the 1998-1999 school year, reaching 3,150 students, parents and school personnel.
- Students significantly increased their knowledge of clinical depression based on pre/post testing and all participating schools indicated the program was "very needed".
- The Ohio Department of Mental Health and the Ohio Department of Education have since made Red Flags Program Kits available to every public middle school in Ohio. A private donor made the kit available to all non-public ones.
- More than 1 million children and adults nationwide have received the informational booklet, Red Flags in Children's Behavior.
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