# Presentation: 851915

## COLLABORATION—
The Maine Experience

- COLLABORATION—
- The Maine Experience

## National Strategy for Suicide Prevention

- Goal  Three
- “Develop and implement strategies to reduce stigma associated with being a consumer of mental health, substance abuse and suicide prevention services”

**Notes:**
1999 Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent Suicide
2001 National Strategy issued—11 goals and 68 objectives
Goal 3—see above; has 4 objectives
MYSPP has a State Plan that mirrors the National Strategy
CMHR was an opportunity for the Program to work on Goal 3 and geared at an age group that we wanted to reach.

## Maine Youth Suicide Prevention Program

- Established in 1997
- Initiative of the Children’s Cabinet (Departments of Corrections, Education, Health and Human Services, Labor, and Public Safety)
- State Plan modeled on National Strategy
- History of collaboration

**Notes:**
1996—Task Force; recommendations led to the creation of MYSPP
Small number of staff (2) so need to work with many partners

## Steering Committee Membership

- Representatives from Children’s Cabinet agencies including Office of Substance Abuse, Teen and Young Adult Health Program, Children’s Behavioral Health, Coordinated School Health Program and others
- NAMI Maine
- Center for Grieving Children
- Parents
- Survivors

## Key Partners for campaign

- NAMI Maine
- Teen and Young Adult Health Program
- DHHS media liaison
- Maine Youth Suicide Prevention Program
- SAMHSA Garrett Lee Smith Act
- Children’s Behavioral Health
- Office of Consumer Affairs

**Notes:**
Timeline
September—attended regional meeting in D.C.
October and November—meet with State partners to inform and seek input
December—inform Steering Committee and ask for help—3 people volunteer
January—initial (and only) planning committee meeting
John Martins not part of original committee but was very helpful

## Initial Plan

- Divide Maine by counties (16) and identify a “Champion” for each county
- Focus on May–National Mental Health month

**Notes:**
Developed before meeting and presented for consideration and refinement

## Final Plan

- Divide Maine by media markets and identify  one person/group to act as champion
- Champions came from substance abuse agencies, mental health agencies, Healthy Maine Partnership, and NAMI Maine
- Tried to identify large agencies with a marketing director

**Notes:**
11 media markets—easier to avoid duplication of effort
TV coverage—3 major markets (Portland, Bangor and Presque Isle)
Champions identified through existing relationship and/or interest in this topic

## Sample sheet

**What A Difference Media Campaign**
**Media Markets**
**Aroostook County**
- _Weekly Newspapers:_
*Caribou:* Aroostook Republican & News
- Houlton Pioneer Times
*Presque Isle:* The Star-Herald
*Madawaska:* Saint John Valley Times
- _Radio Stations:_ *(all in Presque Isle, unless otherwise noted)*
*Houlton:*** **_**[WHOU - 100.1 FM](http://www.whoufm.com/)**_ - 80's, 90's and Now
- _[WEGP - 1390 AM](http://www.wegp.net/)_ - Talk
- _[WUPI - 92.1 FM](http://www.umpi.maine.edu/~wupi/)_ - Alternative (UMPI)
- WQHR - 96.1 FM - Adult Contemporary
- WBPW - 96.9 FM - Country
- WOZI - 101.9 FM – Oldies

**Notes:**
Prioritize radio stations by ability to reach intended audience

## Sample Sheet (cont.)

*Presque Isle:*** **_**[WAGM TV 8](http://www.wagmtv.com/)**_ - CBS Affiliate
*Presque Isle:* Time Warner Cable Channel 9 (Community Access TV)
- Mars Hills Access Channel
- Madawaska HS Channel 7
*Ft. Kent:* Community Access TV

## Keep it simple!

- Initial contact by phone or e-mail
- Time limited
- One face-to-face meeting
- Encourage involvement with NAMI representatives
- Any involvement would be viewed as a bonus

**Notes:**
We had no financial resources to devote to this campaign and all people had full-time jobs.

## Support materials

- Information for Local Coordinators
- Fact sheet with background and research
- Press release
- Selected slides from Power Point (regional meetings)
- Local Media Action Plan
- Ideas for extending campaign
- Brochure on ADS Center
- NAMI contact information

**Notes:**
Pointers for contacting media came from John Martins
Family of stations, newspapers identified

## Successes

- WTOS radio station
- TV coverage in Bangor
- Brochure—4500 plus partners ordered additional ones on their own
- Extensive coverage at college level
- Collaboration with NAMI Maine

**Notes:**
Brochures sent to crisis agencies; colleges—Orono, USM, UMF, Fort Kent, St. Joseph’s College, UMA

## Challenges

- Approval to attend information meeting
- Touching base with State partners to move forward
- Print materials not ready
- Real coverage would have been through weekly newspapers
- No funding to continue distributing brochures
- Cost of tagging

## Contact information

- Linda Williams
- 	Director, Training and Education Project
- 	Maine Youth Suicide Prevention Program
- 	(207) 622-7566 ext. 243
- 	lwilliams@mcd.org
-     www.mainesuicideprevention.org