<\/p>\n
Although Montezuma County has the second-highest per capita suicide rate in Colorado, according to Coroner George Deavers, it\u2019s still a difficult subject to discuss.<\/p>\n
But after two girls took their own lives last year, a community group formed, then created a task force that continues to work to prevent and understand suicide.<\/p>\n
Henk Huetink, a community volunteer, became the project leader in December and helped organize Wednesday\u2019s Suicide Prevention Community Summit at Montezuma-Cortez High School.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome of the people did some investigation, and there was some input from the school counselors that was especially alarming for me,\u201d Huetink said. \u201cWe made some recommendations, and one of the key recommendations was to have this summit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan Becker, a psychology professor at Colorado Mesa University, was Wednesday\u2019s keynote speaker.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe rate in your region was 28 per 100,000 in that time period,\u201d Becker said. \u201cFor every death due to suicide, there are on average six recorded attempts. In Western Colorado, that number is much closer to 11.\u201d<\/p>\n
Deavers put the average at 12 suicides per year.<\/p>\n
She spoke openly to the crowd about warning signs and action plans and asked the audience to practice asking one another if they were considering suicide. \u201cWhy practice?\u201d she asked. \u201cPractice until you can say the words without tripping over it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Becker laid out action steps of approach, ask and agree. She emphasized that it is important to approach the subject, ask the question, then get them to agree to be safe until more help is found.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re building hope for them because you are with them, and they are not alone anymore,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
However, she said, those action steps won\u2019t work well with a child.<\/p>\n
She encouraged audience members to speak up during the keynote speech.<\/p>\n
A school counselor in the audience said that she hears students saying alarming phrases such as, \u201cThis school would be better without me, none of the kids like me anyway,\u201d every day.<\/p>\n
Phrases that infer that the person thinks of themselves as a burden, changes in appearance or lack of hygiene, unfounded anger and withdrawing from activities can all be warning signs, according to Becker.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the schools, one of the things they talk about a lot is when they see these kids (without proper hygiene), they are either really depressed or they are homeless,\u201d Becker said. \u201cIn either case, you need to have a conversation about how they are doing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kylie Caraher, who lost her child in November 2016, came to the summit from Durango.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy hope is that it can bring a sense of compassionate listening, something that Susan talked a lot about today,\u201d Caraher said. \u201cJust being open and wanting to listen \u2013 I feel like that is really powerful in easing someone\u2019s suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n
Becker also discussed how bullying can be a factor for suicidal thoughts in schools.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing bullied and being the bully both are very much signs that someone can be at risk,\u201d Becker said. \u201cBeing the bully means you are not a happy person, and you are in some kind of pain that you are trying to deal with that way.\u201d<\/p>\n
The topic of cyberbullying was also discussed by Becker, administrators and teachers.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt used to be when a student had a bad day at school, they would go home and recoup, but with social media, the pressure that they have is 24\/7,\u201d Lori Haukeness, Montezuma-Cortez Re-1 Superintendent, told The Journal at the event. \u201cI think it is very important that administrators, educators, teachers \u2013 educators in general \u2013 really understand the pressures and what we can do to support the students so basically the students never get to the point where they think this is their only option.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know cyberbullying is a huge issue, Nicholaus Sandner, drama teacher at Montezuma-Cortez High School said. \u201cI have had kids who have been targeted by some pretty nasty cyberbullying issues, and I may not have any idea about it until it has gotten really bad.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kristina Ricca, from Dolores, took her daughter, Jordan, out of public schools after bullying that began in sixth grade became an overwhelming issue. Both attended the summit on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople my age are looking to go out and get help, and we need to bring it closer to them, doing more things in high schools,\u201d Jordan Ricca said. \u201cThere should be ways in high school to be able to reach out anonymously and make it easier to talk about such a hard subject to talk about.\u201d<\/p>\n
Haukeness and Sandner highlighted a program in Montezuma-Cortez schools called \u201cSafe to Tell<\/a>,\u201d which encourages students to tell an adult if they know someone who is struggling with suicidal thoughts.<\/p>\n \u201cI am not comfortable with high school students carrying the burden of responsibility of \u2018safe until we get more help,\u2019\u201d Becker said. \u201cWhat we have been talking quite a bit about with high schools in our area is about an adapted intervention training for high school students where you could seek a trusted adult.\u201d<\/p>\n Becker said she would love to share that training with Montezuma-Cortez schools, but for now, she is focused on making sure kids know to tell an adult and that the adult knows what to do next.<\/p>\n