Supporters of a new law designed to help reduce teen suicides in Ohio expect that over the next several months the number of school employees statewide trained to watch for warning signs in students will increase significantly.
The Jason Flatt Act, in honor of Joseph Anielski, mandates that public schools train their staff to better recognize students potentially at risk of harming themselves. The law also provides school districts free access to training resources from the Jason Foundation, a suicide prevention organization, that can be used in the training.
The act took effect earlier this year as public schools were approaching the summer recess. Backers expect training will jump this fall as schools get back in session. They held a news conference Tuesday to focus on the law and teen suicide.
“We must do something to help our youth who are suffering from this epidemic in silence,” said Rep. Marlene Anielski, a Republican from Independence and a driving force behind the legislation. The bill is named, in part, for her late son.
“Empowering our dedicated professionals, working with our children, to recognize the signs and symptoms of students who may be at risk, is an important step to stop this epidemic,” she said. “Education and awareness can help reduce the stigma often associated with depression. It will enable our youth to seek help and discuss their feelings before it is too late and they make the wrong decision.“
The legislation was passed with the support of the Jason Foundation, named for Jason Flatt, a suicide victim. Twelve states have approved similar acts. Ohio was the eleventh.
Clark Flatt, the foundation’s president and Jason’s father, said that as the educational programs have spread in Tennessee, his home state and the first to enact the law, suicide rates among teens have declined. They are down 28.3 percent over the last two years.
Attorney General Mike DeWine and former Ohio State University President Gordon Gee also participated in the news conference.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), suicide is the second leading cause of death among Ohio youth aged 15-24 years. The CDC’s 2011 Youth Risk Behavioral Survey found that:
- More than one out of four of Ohio’s youth (27.1%) reported experiencing the feeling of hopelessness and sadness for a constant period of two weeks or more.
- Nearly one out of seven of Ohio’s youth (14.3%) had seriously considered suicide.
- Nearly one out of seven of Ohio’s youth (14.5%) had made a plan to commit suicide.
- More than one out of 11 of Ohio’s youth (9.1%) attempted suicide.
The rate of attempted suicide is nearly 50 percent higher than the national average.
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