Fayette County's rash of teen suicides in recent months has caused at least two parents here to step up their efforts toward suicide prevention programs in the community, particularly in middle and high schools.

Dr. Michael Carpenter, a Fayette resident who heads the Student Assistance Professionals Association of Georgia (SAPA), and Kathy Bruce, an organizer and moderator for Survivors of Suicide support groups, say they can offer suggestions and programs for a proactive approach to the growing problem of teen suicides. The two have been used as resource persons in "postvention" situations, most recently at Carroll County's Central High School following the deaths of two students there.

Bruce recently moderated a focus group of about 30 students at a local church, "to listen to the concerns of the students regarding depression and suicide issues and to develop recommendations that would be presented to the Board of Education," she says. Bruce maintains that many teen suicides are impulsive and can be prevented, but teens, parents and school personnel have to be educated on the subject.

"Suicide is not something anyone likes to talk about," Bruce says, "but young people need to know who they can talk to, about anything, and who they need to tell if one of their friends starts talking suicide. Then parents, counselors and teachers have to know what to do next."

She asserts that "talking it out" is helpful to grief-stricken persons after the fact, but sometimes it takes a while to be able to do that, as it did with her after the suicide of her husband five years ago. She says that generally "everybody connected with the family already knows; people want details sometimes, and if everything is kept secret, then the death is given far too much power over the survivors' lives."

Bruce says many programs already in place through the school system are very positive for teaching both parents and teens "how to cope, how to recognize that there are much better ways of solving problems than suicide." She cites the Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (STEP) classes available to elementary parents, but says she believes that few programs about communication and coping skills are offered for middle or high school parents.

"Signs and symptoms" of suicide need to be so well-known that they will be easily recognizable to students, teachers and parents, Bruce says. She says that suicides need to be reported by the media "as gently as possible" and not sensationalized or glamorized. Friends of the Carroll County students, she says, have been pestered by calls from national networks and talk shows.

"That's not good," she says. "I don't believe that it contributes to preventing suicide to talk about things like 'star-crossed lovers' as if these deaths were so romantic. There's nothing romantic about this kind of loss."

Carpenter says the students who attended the recent forum, representing all four Fayette High Schools, revealed that "they are talking to other kids, but do not trust their counselors, with few exceptions," and say the teachers are "more concerned with academics and less about the emotional needs of the students." Getting access to counselors seems to be a recurring problem too, Carpenter added. He is also a board member of the Suicide Prevention and Advocacy Network (SPAN) and the National Association of Student Assistance Professionals.

The recommendations that Bruce and Carpenter will present to the school board include:

Develop and bridge the gap between staff and students by developing Natural Helper Programs (training as peer counselors or trusted friends) or other programs in middle and high schools.

Examine the counselors' role, training and access to students. Encourage counselors to form support groups and offer classroom guidance activities.

Educate students, staff and parents on suicide signs and symptoms, what to do, and other pertinent prevention information.

Develop a plan to support families which have been immediately impacted by a loss.

Develop a comprehensive county, feeder-cluster and school level plan for prevention, intervention and postvention for an untimely death.

Develop a 24-hour crisis response line.

Meet with media and develop a plan to prevent cluster suicides by educating media on not sensationalizing a suicide.

Recognize that not all students are college bound. Create extra curricular activities aimed at interest areas not presently available and recruit community mentors to develop such clubs. Examine a comprehensive vocational education program for non-college bound students.