Pictured: Jean Stevens, Chief
Probation Officer Juvenile Probation; Cherri Tolliver, Human Resource
Coordinator; and Becky Brunner, Media Specialist/Librarian.
Becky Brunner, Jean Stevens, and
Cherri Tolliver are involved with a new program in Guernsey County aimed at
reducing teen suicide. Suicide is an invisible problem. The challenge is to
reach out to teenagers because teens prefer to interact with their peers rather
than share their thoughts and problems with an adult.
Stevens reported that in the
United States suicide is a serious, but underreported problem. She added that
across all age groups—adult and teen—someone is lost to suicide every 15
minutes. The suicide rate in Guernsey County is high and makes the county one
of the top twenty in the state.
The goal of this suicide
prevention program is to establish a core group of teens in each high school.
The teen volunteers will serve as advocates for troubled teens. Other students
will know that they have someone their own age to talk to.
The teen volunteers will
receive training and will take the lead in planning suicide prevention
activities. Currently, there are 38 students in four school buildings involved
in the planning. Brunner, Stevens, and Tolliver are serving as advisors.
Each school will choose its
own suicide prevention activities which are intended to open up communication
between teen volunteers and teens who are depressed. Activities can include
weekly announcements about the facts of suicide, presenting a 1 act play about
suicide, inspirational speakers, presentation of the “S Talk” video or the “Darkness
into Light” program.
Plans for an expo in May
located at the county fairgrounds are in process. In order for the expo to
occur, the planning committee must solve some logistic problems that include
busing 2000 students to the expo and feeding them once they arrive. Planning
for the expo is in process. Invitations are being sent to county social
agencies, businesses and potential employers located in the county, to law
enforcement agencies, and to service clubs.
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