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SALT LAKE CITY — Laura Warburton understands the role students have on each other's safety.
In 2013, her daughter was injured in a car accident. As she recovered, severe emotional stress began to take its toll on her, even though she was receiving neuropsychiatric treatment and physical treatment.
Last year, the 16-year-old took her own life.
"We did everything we could," Warburton said. "At least we felt we did."
It wasn't the only time her daughter attempted suicide. The first time, a friend found out and contacted school leaders, who then contacted Warburton.
"That kept her alive for another six months," she said. "The kids help the kids."
Utah students may be able to use a smartphone application to anonymously report bullying and violence at their schools and get immediate help for students with thoughts of suicide.
Last year, the Legislature funded a pilot program that created a phone line that students could call to report such problems. SB175, which was unanimously approved by the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday, would make it a permanent program and allocate $150,000 in ongoing funds to ensure that a licensed social worker be available to talk to students at any time.
"I think it's a vital piece to what our community needs," Warburton said.
To remove confusion about the correct number to call, the bill would also allow the School Safety and Crisis Line Commission to implement a smartphone application provided by a private donor.
When students report violence or harassment through the application, that information would be sent directly to the school resource officer. If a child reports having thoughts of self-harm, the application would immediately connect them to a licensed social worker at the University of Utah's Neuropsychiatric Institute.
Bill sponsor Sen. Daniel Thatcher, R-West Valley City, said he anticipates large success with the program because 90 percent of Utah students use smartphones, and the new program would ensure the user's anonymity.
"This will be able to help the vast majority of our children," Thatcher said. "And with a smartphone app, it doesn't matter what the phone number is. That's where we got hung up last year. You will be connected immediately with the appropriate place."
Sen. Jim Dabakis, D-Salt Lake City, said he wonders whether the money could be better spent on training for teachers to better recognize and address issues of student safety while in the classroom.
"I just have some concerns if this is the right thing, a kind of vendor bill for electronically hooking the world up," Dabakis said. "I'm not convinced (it's) the best way to deal with a serious problem."
Missy Larsen, spokeswoman for the Utah Attorney General's Office, agreed that teacher training is a "critical" part of ensuring student safety. But the bill would ensure 24-hour access to much-needed resources both in and out of the classroom, she said.
"The baseline of that clinical support is so important for those kids to be able to connect to real social workers," Larsen said. "Those calls peak at 5 p.m. It's after school."
Similar initiatives have been implemented in some parts of the state. Last fall, a text-in tip line was implemented in Ogden to allow students to report potential suicides, bullying, abuse and drug use to the Ogden Police Department.
The program began seeing success in its first few weeks of operation, with students reporting potential suicides, a bomb threat and acts of bullying.
Thatcher said he hopes providing constant access to psychiatric care through the program will improve outcomes even further.
"The reality is, are different schools doing different things? Absolutely. Some of them may be successful. Unfortunately, I fear that many of them are not," he said. "What I have not been able to find at any district or any individual school is a 24/7 connection to a licensed clinical social worker."
The bill now awaits Senate approval. Email: mjacobsen@deseretnews.com Twitter: MorganEJacobsen
