The Fayette Citizen-News Page
Wednesday, February 10, 1999
Officials: Suicide a community issue

By PAT NEWMAN
Staff Writer

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Reactions of shock, grief, sorrow and disbelief echoed throughout the county once again last week when it was learned another teenager had taken her life. Classmates, family and friends last week were mourning the death Jan. 29 of 16-year-old Amanda Lambert, a starting guard for the Sandy Creek High School Lady Patriots basketball team

Three high school students and one recent graduate have committed suicide in less than a year, according to school officials and local law enforcement agencies. School counselors and area mental health providers are becoming all too familiar with crisis intervention. But what is being done, particularly in the Fayette County School System to prevent these tragedies?

It starts early, according to Larry Reeves, Director of Pupil and Personnel Services and Karen Spangler, Family Intervention Specialist, often as soon as a child enters kindergarten. Students learn problem-solving skills and develop life skills in the elementary grades through daily practice in the classroom and programs implemented by the school counselor, they said.

"Learning skills such as courage, flexibility, integrity and dependability help students build resiliency," Reeves said. "We want our students to look forward to a bright future," Spangler added. "If students establish goals, have a sense of future and a sense of hope, they are far less likely to consider suicide."

A support program called CARE (Children at Risk in Education) is another facet in the school district's approach to early intervention. Spangler explained that CARE is the cooperative effort of the schools, parents and community resource groups to identify and help students who are having problems in school or in their homes. These difficulties can be related to grades, emotional stress, financial problems, personal relationships or substance abuse.

Each county school has a specially trained CARE team composed of staff members, administrators, and counselors. District administrators believe that if the program is working at its best, results should include fewer discipline problems, better grades and attendance, lower dropout rates, positive relationships and improved self-esteem.

Spangler considers the ongoing parent education program "one of the greatest strengths in the school system." Topics such as "Is Your Child and Family Over-Scheduled?" and "When Perfect Isn't Perfect" are two in a yearlong series of 12 sessions scheduled at schools throughout the county. "We're trying to help parents do a better job of parenting and hopefully create an open dialogue," Reeves said.

STEP (Systematic Training for Effective Parenting) classes are also underway at Tyrone Elementary with another cycle of classes beginning in the spring at Peachtree City Elementary.

To assist children experiencing grief or loss caused by the loss of a parent through death, divorce, or incarceration, there is Rainbows for the elementary level and Spectrum for middle and high school.

Spangler explained that the 12-week program helps children and young adults "process the information" about what is happening to them, recognize that they are not alone in the situation and help them develop a sense of self-worth. J.C. Booth Middle School initiates Spectrum starting next week.

The teacher mentoring program is another tool used in making connections between students and adults "We try to match-up a student with a teacher who share a similar interest or background," Spangler said. "The teacher speaks to the child everyday and once a week for about 30 minutes, will do something with him, for example, eat lunch with him, shoot hoops, read a book or play a board game," Spangler said.

She and Reeves agree that it is important for every child within the school system to have an adult in their school environment whom they can communicate with, be it the assistant principal, a science teacher, cafeteria worker or custodian.

Peer mediators and student mentors are other resources students who need someone to talk to can rely on, they said. Students work in pairs and are trained to listen closely to their peers. They cannot give advice or offer solutions to problems or disputes, but act as facilitators in the process.

In the classroom, the subject of suicide is covered in the ninth grade health course. A video accompanies the text which, according to Reeves, helps raise student awareness to the signs or behavior exhibited by someone contemplating suicide. Reeves said that mood swings, aggression and giving away prized possessions can be signals of an impending suicide attempt.

Teachers are also alerted to be aware of papers or drawings dealing with death and violence. "We're looking at the whole profile," noted Spangler. She added that depression, low self-esteem, lack of social skills and excessive perfectionism are other possible conditions to be aware of.

Spangler and Reeves agree that early intervention is the key to turning things around for students before a tragedy occurs. Help is also available to students outside the school community from area psychologists and psychiatrists who offer initial consultations free of charge to students referred by the school district.

In the aftermath of these recent suicides, Spangler and Reeves said the school system will be "fine tuning" and "stepping up the pace" of existing programs and implementing more of the optional programs in schools that do not have them.

When asked if there would be specific forums scheduled to address teen suicide, Spangler said, "I don't see that happening. I don't see that as the best way to approach it."

The schools' role in suicide prevention is only part of the overall prevention plan, according to Reeves. "This is a community problem. The schools, parents, churches, and community agencies all have a role in this," he said.

He compared suicide prevention education to sex education. "There will be some parents doing it (educating) their children at home, and others who say 'not my child' when it comes to dealing with it in school," Reeves said. "This is something the school district has to deal with," he said.


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