Byesville Rotary learns how teens can help teens--suicide prevention efforts at local schools

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.

 

Byesville Rotary meets 7:30 am every Tuesday at the Stop Nine Senior Center at 60313 (GPS use 60299) Southgate Road, Byesville. Anyone interested in learning more about the Byesville Rotary can call Membership Chairs Marty Patchen, 740-685-3828, or Evelyn Spring, 740-439-4343.