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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah educators are stepping up their efforts in keeping children from committing suicide by looking for their first-ever suicide prevention specialist.
They hope the new position will go a long way toward stopping a serious issue in Utah.
"We have a problem in terms of trying to help our youth understand that they have other alternatives," said Brenda Hales, Utah State Office of Education deputy superintendent.
A recent study put Utah in the middle of the country's "suicide belt." Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among youth ages 10-17, and the state ranked fifth in the country for its overall youth suicides.
Hales said suicide can spread like a contagion.
"When other youth see that happen in their area, it can look attractive, like, ‘Here's a way for me to resolve my problem,' " she said.
Related:
Utah at center of 'suicide belt'; youth suicide rate troubling
Utah ranks in the top 10 for suicide — the region is known as the "suicide belt." But an even more concerning statistic is that the state is ranked fifth for youth suicides.The new prevention specialist position is a requirement set by recently-passed legislation, and there are several parts to the job. Hales said the new specialist will help students understand there are ways to get help if they need it.
"The second big part of it is to make sure that there are programs in place for parents (to) know, understand and recognize the symptoms that go along with suicide," she said.
The suicide prevention specialist will have to help parents and other students spot the warning signs that precede suicide. Also, they will have to provide mental health treatment for students who do make an attempt on their own lives.
Educators hope to have the position filled by July. In the meantime, Hales said other state employees are gathering suicide prevention materials to distribute to school districts.
"Some of the bigger districts have what they call ‘student support supervisors' or ‘coordinators' who [the specialist] will be working with," she said.
