HAVEN: A Suicide Prevention Program Administered in Black Churches

Patricia Larke, a Senior Information Analyst at the University of Rochester School of Medicine presented to UCLM’s membership at the October 8, 2022 meeting. Here are the key points from her presentation:

·      HAVEN, a suicide prevention program stands for Helping Alleviate Valley Experiences Now.

·      The program was developed by Dr. Sherry Davis Molock, who became aware of black students voicing concerns about suicide when she was teaching at George Washington University. She also found that suicide among Black Students ages 13 to 19 was escalating.

·      Through research she developed this program and decided it should be implemented in Black Churches, where traditionally suicide was a taboo subject, but were trusted institutions in Black communities. 

·      The University of Rochester funded the pilot. New York City’s First Corinthian Church and Rochester’s First Genesis Baptist Church participated in the pilot. First Corinthian is now its second round. Other churches have signed up and will begin in January 2023.

·      The program is based on four core elements: balance, kinship, guidance and purpose. The logic is that by instilling these values youth never get to the point of considering suicide. Faith is also an important program component.

·      Churches introduce the program through sermons and recruit one or two trusted champions to lead the program. They are trained by the U of R psychiatry division.

·      Students attend three two-hour sessions at the church.

·      Feedback has revealed that the program helped students identify strengths they didn’t know they had and that they would like to continue meeting beyond the initial three sessions.

·      The success of the program has led to funding from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

·      Patty Larke’s role is to engage churches and bring on champions and trainers to launch the program in their church.

·      This program is about saving lives and it is important work… Kingdom work.

·      UCLM’s Dr. John Walker is a strong partner in bringing HAVEN to Rochester.  He has always advocated for a mental health component in the church.

·      For more information, read the HAVEN overview and timeline and Partnering with Churches, Psychology Team Targets Suicides among Black Youth | GW Today | The George Washington University (gwu.edu)