Schools seek to reduce youth suicide
The TruthAug 19, 2018
In
Mental health officials and counselors fear that suicidal thoughts and attempts may be more likely during the school year when pressure to do well in class, extracurricular activities and social life can take stress and anxiety to higher levels.
"For some kids it creates more anxiety when they are back at school, but I think the opposite is true, too," said
England said school staff is on the lookout for youths who seem more anxious, more angry or exclude themselves from social settings. Schools advise parents to be aware of other indicators such as changes in sleep or appetite.
A new state law implemented this school year requires schools that teach any grades between fifth and 12th to ensure teachers receive training in youth suicide awareness and prevention once every three years.
Elkhart Community already trains mental health first aid to every staff member in its secondary schools every other year.
"It kind of takes the model of first aid," said
If a student may be contemplating suicide, a social worker employed by the schools makes an assessment and advises student services, which recommends what further action should be taken. That may include helping the student to the ER, a mental health facility or following up with parents, said
Nearly every Elkhart Community school has a social worker. The schools work with the mental health treatment provider Oaklawn, which has three full-time employees dedicated to the schools.
"And those folks are good contacts when we are going through these assessments and we see somebody who might need some additional services," England said. "They will help with the family and then get the kid services."
But it's not all about what staff and specialists can do.
Students also take part in creating a place of well-being for each other, some through the student-led Move 2 Stand initiative, which empowers students to raise awareness of bullying and mistreatment. Organizers also bring together 100 students from each high school for what Kelly describes as summit days.
"And we just talk about what's going on with bullying and different things to bring things out, and then talk about different healthy ways of dealing with things. The kids have a lot of fun and talk about what's working and what coping skills are appropriate," he said.
Every second year the schools invite
Minority members, particularly high school students identifying as gay, lesbian or bisexual, are many times more likely to consider or attempt suicide than others, according to the
"One of the things we do is target our social workers so that they understand that information, and they do," England said. "I think with any students of color, understanding that the social pressures that are on the students in different populations is a big deal. So we have put together some training several years ago and continue to move forward with Dr.
Nineteen people 24 or younger died from suicide in
No matter the cause of death of a student,
"They are our first call any time we lose a student because our students and our staff are reeling and need help, and Ryan's place is there pretty quickly to come and assist us, work with our staff, work with our students," England said. "And that's a time when our social workers are also going, 'OK, if we've lost a student, who do we know is going to be impacted and how do we pull that particular person in?'"
"We always find students we hadn't anticipated, and Ryan's Place is really good at providing the extra support we need," he said.
According to the
FIND HELP
For help in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or contact the
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