Why Focus Groups?
Youth and Young Adults want to be part of the work and they want to share their voices and experiences to help make positive change. Youth have shared that attending monthly Committee or Advisory Group meetings is not the most accessible way for them to engage in the work and that having one-time focus groups offered periodically would allow them to participate on issues that matter to them and would be a better format for engagement.
Focus group topics are selected based on specific Committee or Advisory Group requests and the information is shared back to the group who requested the information as well as the full Alliance and other groups when available.
01
HB 3139 (2021)
During the 2021 Legislative Session, HB 3139 passed through the legislature. This legislation doesn’t change existing rules as it was already a requirement that providers had to follow – when there is imminent risk of a suicide attempt, notifications need to be made and a safety plan should be created. This legislation reiterated the requirement and also put into place exceptions when caregivers wouldn’t have to be notified, such as in cases of abuse.
Focus groups were held in December 2021 to gather feedback from youth and young adults around what they thought providers and caregivers should take into consideration as well as what they want other youth to know about the requirements.
Below you will find the focus group findings as well as materials created from the focus groups.
02
Mental Health Resources in Schools
During the 2019 Legislative Session, SB 52 ‘Adi’s Act,’ passed through the legislative process. This legislation requires school districts to develop and implement a comprehensive student suicide prevention plan. The current focus area of the Alliance’s Schools Committee is to monitor implementation of Adi’s Act and provide guidance both to the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and the Oregon Department of Education (ODE).
Focus groups were held in June 2023 to gather input and feedback on youth and young adults perception of their individual schools’ mental health resources – what was helpful, what they saw as barriers, and how they thought things could be improved.
03
Crisis Line Messaging
The Lethal Means Safety Committee wanted to learn how youth and young adults learned about and used different crisis and warm lines to provide meaningful recommendations to Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and the Oregon Department of Education (ODE).
Focus groups were held in August 2023 to gather input and feedback on what lines they use, if the lines they use change depending on if they are in a crisis or if a loved one is in a crisis, and what their overall experiences were with using the lines.
Information gathered was shared with a variety of groups including the Oregon School Counselor Association, OHA’s 988 messaging team, OHA’s System of Care Council, and ODE.