This website was a gift to SPEA from Scott Zimmer of zimmerdesign and volunteer web designers at the 2010 Cleveland GiveCamp.

For more information about GiveCamp, including how to volunteer at future events, please visit the national GiveCamp website.

SPEA teaches teens to be the “first line of defense” in preventing suicide, since teens who make a plan to end their life tell a friend. SPEA has delivered its proven program, Recognizing Teen Depression and Preventing Suicide, to more than 92,000 students since December 2000 and currently serves 116 Northeast Ohio high schools.  SPEA’s professional instructors teach teens to identify peers who may be suffering from major depression or may be at risk of suicide; how to respond; and where to refer.  Self-referral is also encouraged.

Our goal is to cause at-risk students to seek and receive treatment from a mental health professional, as treatment is life altering and often lifesaving. Evidence-based research validates our program’s success. SPEA saves families from the unfathomable loss of a child to suicide and helps teens live healthy, productive lives.  With your help, we will serve 15,000 teens during 2012.

Click here to see some people you might know who have suffered depression or bipolar disorder.