Schools across Kentucky will soon enact new suicide prevention measures put in place by the state legislature in hopes of bringing mental health resources to students as young as fourth grade.
Each year, students from sixth to twelfth grade are given a mental health screening at the beginning of the school year that tracks stressors and potential trauma that could impact their education. The enacted changes will make those screeners mandatory for students in fourth and fifth grade as well, allowing school counselors to flag mental health struggles earlier on, ensuring that students receive needed care.
Until now, students have also been required to attend one suicide prevention education program per year. With the new regulations, those programs will now be held twice per school year. The goal is that in opening more conversations surrounding suicide, those considering it will feel more comfortable speaking to a classmate or trusted administrator.
A licensed clinical social worker said lot of people think that if we talk about suicide that it is going to actually promote suicide, which is actually the opposite. Research has revealed if there is an openness to discussing it, the risk for suicide goes way down.
While the screenings and added programs are a step towards progress, social workers hope to see a larger-scale mindset change soon, with a focus on continued conversations with families to ensure all students are receiving what they need at school and home.
The changes will be implemented beginning in the fall of this year.
Source: WBKO
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