Program seeks to prevent suicide of children, teens

A free depression/suicide screening program is being offered to schools.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
BOARDMAN -- At least 40 area children and teens are treated for near-fatal suicide attempts each year.
It's a statistic that D & amp;E Counseling Center, with the help of the Mahoning County Mental Health Board, is hoping to eliminate.
D & amp;E is offering a free depression/suicide screening and education program to all schools in Mahoning County this fall.
The Mahoning County Mental Health Board has committed to funding the pilot program for two years, to the tune of $60,000 a year, so there is no cost to participating schools, said Joe Shorokey, D & amp;E outpatient services director.
The agency and health board invited counselors and superintendents from across the county to a recent luncheon in Boardman to explain the program.
Janet Misel, hired as the program counselor, said a check of local hospitals shows that the majority of the 700 annual admissions to local inpatient children's psychiatric units are the result of suicidal thoughts and near-lethal attempts.
At least 40 children and teens are treated for near-fatal suicide attempts in this area each year, she said.
Statistics show that 9 percent of children between ages 12 and 16 suffer from depression, said Gregory Cvetkovic, D & amp;E executive director. Less than one-third of them get treatment, he said.
About the program
The free program offered by D & amp;E is a positive, proactive effort to deal with emotional obstacles children face and the schools are a logical place to intervene, Cvetkovic said.
"Nobody's immune to this," said Rocco Nero, superintendent of the Lowellville schools, who related how two student deaths within an eight-month time span have affected pupils at Lowellville.
The deaths had a major impact on the student body, he said, adding, "I really didn't know how bad those kids were hurting."
"It was an absolute mess" at school after the second death, Nero recalled, noting that the district launched a suicide prevention program this school year, reaching down as far as the eighth grade to intervene with children having a difficult time dealing with the deaths.
Next year, the program will expand as low as the sixth grade, Nero said, pointing out that it is better to prevent suicide than to treat those left behind to deal with its consequences.
Misel said D & amp;E will get as involved as a school wants it to be.
The agency will just send someone in to talk to staff, or it can conduct workshops, provide training materials, handle referrals for treatment and more, she said.
"I'm only asking for you to let me into your schools," she told the group.
Depression can be difficult to diagnose, Misel said. Some children act out, but others may retreat into silence, she said.
Between now and the start of classes in the fall, Misel said she will be contacting the schools and arranging visits to customize the intervention program for each school.
Combined school/mental health programs have been show to decrease pupil absence, decrease pupil disciplinary problems and increase pupil test scores, she said.
gwin@vindy.com