School district focuses on suicide prevention
Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among those ages 10 to 24, according to statistics provided by the Center for Disease Control.
To address this issue, California passed legislation last fall becoming the first state in the nation to provide official suicide prevention education.
Donna Mayo-Whitlock, director of educational services for the Galt Joint Union Elementary School District, who helped write a new district policy addressing the issue, believes it is part of the new push to educate the whole child.
“What schools take on nowadays is not just educating a child, but their mental status, too,” she said, adding that she’s excited about the focus shift on children’s well-being.
“Mental health is really moving to the forefront of educating a child.”
The bill, signed by Governor Brown last September, requires the adoption of suicide prevention, intervention and follow-up plans by local California school districts with students in grades 7-12. Co-authored with The Trevor Project, Equality California and Assemblyman and former teacher Patrick O’Donnell, DLong Beach, AB 2246 is the first state bill of its kind in the nation, as it mandates that all schools in California put into place suicide prevention policies that specifically address the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youths. The bill requires local education agencies to develop their policies in conjunction with suicide prevention experts, school and community stakeholders, and school mental health professionals.
On Wednesday, Galt elementary trustees received the district’s policy for the first time. It will return to the board at the August meeting for adoption.
Lodi Unified School District officials said this week they have a policy and are in the process of updating it.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lesbian, gay and bisexual youths are up to four times more likely to attempt suicide than their straight peers, and nearly half of transgender people have thought about suicide.
“Our social workers even have children at the elementary school that have expressed thoughts of suicide,” Mayo-Whitlock said, adding that this upcoming school year is the second one in a row that mental health staff has been increased.
O'Donnell believes that suicide prevention training for teachers and schools is crucial for saving young lives. “As a classroom teacher, I know from experience that educators often serve as the first line of defense when a student is suffering from depression or suicidal thoughts,” he said in a prepared statement.
“AB 2246 will provide parents, teachers and schools with the tools they need to help save the lives of atrisk youth.”
Mayo-Whitlock agreed that the district’s teaching staff is the first connection to the student and are often in a position to recognize the warning signs of suicide and to offer appropriate referral and/or assistance. That is one reason under the new policy that they will each receive a newly created handbook this fall with input from school counselors, social workers and other staff.
However, the district will focus not so much on the warning signs of suicide, but the positive processes already put into place as interventions, according to Mayo-Whitlock.
Under the policy, staff is also working to promote a positive school climate that enhances students’ feelings of connectedness with the school and that is characterized by caring staff and harmonious interrelationships among students.