Kaia is a middle schooler who seemed to be doing just fine, enjoying life as a kid. But when she participated in The Children’s Cabinet’s Signs of Suicide (SOS) program at school, her screening showed something no one had seen on the surface: Kaia was experiencing suicidal thoughts.
Her parents were blindsided. They hadn’t realized how deeply their daughter was hurting. Like so many families, they only discovered the truth through the SOS program, a program designed to teach students to recognize warning signs in themselves and others, and to ensure no child slips through the cracks.
Because of that one screening, Kaia was connected with free family counseling at The Children’s Cabinet. Week by week, she and her family have been learning new ways to cope, to talk with one another, and to begin healing together.
She also receives wraparound case management, which ensures her family has steady support and resources as she continues her journey.
Today, Kaia is stable. She’s still in school, still attending counseling, and still doing the hard work of healing, but she is no longer facing it alone.
Kaia’s story is proof of why early intervention matters. A single screening made all the difference.
