Parents Against Teen Suicide, Inc. (PATS) was incorporated as a 501 © 3 organization in 1987. It's missions is to serve North Carolina's youth who are at risk for drug use/abuse, domestic violence, and suicide by providing education in prevention and intervention activities for youth and their parents.
Education classes are conducted in schools, colleges, universities, churches, and civic groups in North Carolina. PATS follows the systematic procedures set forth in their program called LIFELINES which involves the total community. PATS has been conducting Awareness and Education Classes since September of 1987, presenting several different types of programs to over 145,000 people.
The Teen Education And Crisis Hotline (TEACH) is a separate service operated by PATS as the second component of the program for crisis intervention where salaried hotline coordinators supervise a round-the clock, toll free telephone crisis line. Each volunteer hotline worker has access to a sophisticated phone and computer system containing a referral database for all types of services in the state. Calls can be connected to three way telephone lines for consultation with the appropriate helping agencies (mental health, social service, law enforcement, emergency services, etc.). When sufficient information is available a case file is opened. When a case file is opened the caller is tracked to see that they receive the proper information, interventions and/or preventions services.
TEACH has received over 280,000 calls, opened 80,598 case files and made 2,025 crisis interventions ( a crisis intervention is a direct intervention by law enforcement/emergency medical personnel to prevent someone from killing himself or another person) since February 1990. TEACH follows the philosophy, policies and procedures promoted by the American Association of Suicidology. Components of crisis services therefore include: Lethality assessments; rescue service; services for victims of violence or traumatic death; and community education. Secondary prevention and intervention services are also provided through Smoky Mountain Counseling, for persons who have attempted suicide, for the chronically self - destructive person, and for victims of violence, since these critical factors increase ones vulnerability to substance abuse and crisis.
PATS has entered into a cooperative agreement with Mountain Youth Resources and Hawthorne Heights an emergency residential care and treatment center to provide education/training in substance abuse, domestic violence and suicide; and to provide after hours emergency intervention services through the TEACH hotline for the seven western counties. Negotiations are underway for several other agencies in the state.
To assure assessments and services are consistent, all staff and volunteers are trained by professional and follow written principles and procedures. Based on the knowledge learned. PATS expects that hotline workers demonstrate; techniques of crisis management; efficient and effective mobilization of community resources in substance abuse education and prevention. As TEACH expands it's service area, negotiations with local provides are always undertaken to assure a mechanism for client follow-up, consistent with concern for client confidentiality.
