 |
|
 |
| On-Line Resources for Youth in Crisis |
| http://www.thetrevorproject.org/ “The Trevor Project is a nonprofit endeavor created by the makers of TREVOR to promote tolerance for gay and questioning youth, and to aid in suicide prevention among that group. TREVOR is a 1994 Academy Award winning short comedy/drama about a gay 13-year old boy named Trevor who, when rejected by friends and peers because of his sexuality, makes an unsuccessful attempt to take his life. The Trevor Project established the first national 24-hour toll-free suicide prevention hotline aimed at gay and questioning youth. The Trevor Helpline is managed by Dr. Jay Nagdimon, Director of the Suicide Prevention Centre in Los Angeles. It's open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Teens with nowhere to turn can call 800-850-8078, where they can talk to trained counsellors, find local resources and take important steps on their way to becoming healthy adults. All calls are free and confidential.” The website also has sections on how to help a suicidal person and provides information for support groups and other resources. The information presented on the website is very concise and easy to follow without overwhelming the person looking for help. Links are organized in a very accessible manner. http://www.oocities.org/WestHollywood/Village/1484/teensuicide.html This is a website created by a gay male who has attempted suicide. His website contains a personal message to suicidal gay teens. The message is very compelling. The author shares his experience and hardships of being gay and, as a consequence, his attempt at suicide. He talks directly to the youth, acknowledging the pain they might be feeling and letting them know that they are not alone and that there are other choices they can make. The creator encourages youth not to give up and to think about the reality of suicide before they make an irreversible choice. The website is very well designed, easy to follow and understand. It is written with care in the language that teens would easily relate to and provides easy access to other help resources, including a hotline as well as a connection and invitation to e-mail the author if they feel there is nowhere else to turn. http://dev.healthyplace.com/communities/gender/gayisok/journal.html The site tells a fictional story about a gay teen who discovers his own homosexuality, falls in love, loses his partner to a hate crime, attempts suicide, survives it and finds his way in the world with a new found sense of self-worth. The author tells a very engaging story in the form of his journal. The site can be a wonderful console to a gay person feeling depressed, cornered and suicidal, as despite the hardship the author has to endure, he finds ways out and asserts himself in life. The story is quite lengthy but can easily keep the reader’s attention. At the end of the story, there are links and resources to help-sites and hotlines. http://www.glnh.org/ “Gay and Lesbian National Hotline is a non-profit organization, which provides a vital service to the gay community by providing nationwide toll-free peer-counseling, information and referrals.” Along with the toll free number, the website offers communication through e-mail. The information available through the hotline or e-mail includes crisis/suicide intervention and listing of shelters, runaway/throwaway services and recovery services. Trained volunteers handle the calls and e-mails, providing immediate emotional support and referring to other appropriate services. The website does not cover any other subject except how to contact the organization and list of services. It, however, does provide a variety of useful links to the websites addressing gay issues in the following categories: General Information; Youth; Religion; Women; Magazines; Cybersites, etc. Its friendly design makes it easy to find necessary information and follow the links. http://www.yellowribbon.org/ This site is created by Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program, an outreach program of the Light for Life Foundation International. It is specifically designed for teens at risk of suicide, although it is not GLBT specific. Right at the top of the page, it urges to get help now and provides a toll free number. It also has a clear message that it is OK to ask for help. The main site has links to teen and parent sections. The teen section has links to teen advocates, where one can find e-mails of members of the International Yellow Ribbon Youth Council across the US and Canada. It also has links to other webpages designed by teens and/or for teens contemplating suicide. As well, the website offers helpful sections on lifeskills, coping techniques and warning signs of depression and suicidal behaviour. The design of the website is straightforward and efficient. It could, however, benefit from more contributions on the part of teenagers sharing their experiences and sending positive messages. http://www.metanoia.org/suicide/ Even though this site is not GLBT specific, it could be very helpful to the person contemplating suicide. Starting with the direct statement, “If you are thinking about suicide, READ THIS FIRST”, it addresses directly the person accessing the website. It attempts to hold the person’s attention for as long as possible while explaining why the person might be feeling suicidal and giving coping techniques and alternatives to him/her. It also provides helpful information on how to help a suicidal person and includes links to help-lines and other resources on-line. The information is delivered in a very caring and effective manner. The design of the website is very simple and efficient with some graphics appropriately accompanying the message. It contains just enough information possibly to steer the youth away from suicidal actions. http://www.befrienders.org/mainindex.htm Befrienders International, a network of 357 befriending centers worldwide, maintains this website. These centers are run by trained volunteers who offer a free confidential service through telephone, in face-to-face meetings, by letter and by e-mail. The website provides links to suicide help lines worldwide, including Canada. One can also find brief but sufficient information to support and to prompt action on the following topics: Feeling suicidal or depressed? Worried about a suicidal friend? The warning signs of suicide; Suicide helplines - Online directory; Suicide statistics; About depression; About self-harm. The site is easy to follow, simple in use of directories, positive and encouraging. http://www.save.org/ “Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE) is an organization dedicated to educating the public about suicide prevention.” Although not GLBT or youth specific, the sites can be helpful to anyone depressed and/or contemplating suicide. It provides a national toll free number to call in case of a suicide emergency and urges a person in need to contact a professional for help. Along with sections covering signs of depression and suicidal intentions, how to help oneself or a loved one in crisis, the site addresses misconceptions about suicide and gives some book reviews on the subject. From the site, one can request that the following articles be sent as text files to a provided e-mail address: What To Do if Someone You Know Becomes Suicidal; Q & A on Depression - Joseph H. Talley, M.D.; Help for Friends with Depression. The site has numerous web awards for its content and simplicity in design: It is easy to navigate and read. |
|
|
|
| Navigate our page |
 |
 |
| The following write-ups are courtesy of Nooshka. Please do not duplicate any or part of the script without getting permission from Nooshka. Contact ms_rieder@yahoo.ca for more info. . The represented web sites are only few among the wealth of information available on line. They were selected on the basis of usefulness and relevance of information. The descriptions of the links may contain excerpts from the statements found on the websites. For brevity, some of these statements have been modified. All excerpts have been placed in quotation marks. |
 |
|
| Challenging Homophobia At Thompson |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Outside Links |
|
|
|
|
|
|