The four counties were selected for the study because they experienced suicide clusters among teenagers and have historically high suicide rates.<\/p>\n
\u201cDevastation, shock, confusion, paralysis, exhaustion (and) urgency,\u201d were some of the words focus group members used to describe the profound effects deaths by suicide have had on communities, according to the report.<\/p>\n
Youth suicide is a problem that has been on the rise in Colorado and nationally. From 2015 through 2017 in Colorado, there were 222 suicide deaths among 10- to 18-years-olds, the report said.<\/p>\n The study was also inspired by the rise in students reporting threats of suicide to Safe2Tell, a statewide anonymous hotline overseen by the Attorney General\u2019s Office that students can use to report concerns about their safety or the safety of others.<\/p>\n Health Management Associates was contracted to complete the study. It held focus groups with adults and teenagers in each community, including six in La Plata County. The report also relied on interviews with representatives from public health, behavioral health, schools and youth-serving organizations in each community.<\/p>\n In La Plata County, it was nearly impossible to identify focus group participants who had not been directly affected by a suicide, according to the report.<\/p>\n \u201cIt shines a light on something we have been dealing with in the community and schools for a long time,\u201d Bayfield School District Superintendent Kevin Aten said.<\/p>\n All four communities shared many risk factors that can contribute to suicide, such as substance abuse, depression and anxiety, and a history of trauma. It also called out the need for greater connection between teens and adults and the extensive amount of time teens spend on social media, which can limit their face-to-face interactions with others.<\/p>\n \u201cThe findings reinforce the notion that suicide is not just a mental health issue. It\u2019s a community-wide concern that needs support and leadership from a variety of professionals, agencies and organizations, parents, youth and elected officials,\u201d said Durango School District 9-R Deputy Superintendent Andy Burns, in an email to The Durango Herald<\/em>.<\/p>\n Teens in all the communities said they wanted to have more authentic relationships and conversations with adults, according to the report. Young people reported that the adults\u2019 response to suicides is inadequate.<\/p>\n \u201c(Young people) sense that adults are fearful of saying the wrong thing and, unfortunately, this leads to no conversation about suicide at all, or an intense reaction where conversations feel like an inquisition of one\u2019s potential suicidality,\u201d the report stated.<\/p>\n Teens said they wished adults could be with them in their pain without jumping to assessments or solutions, the report stated.<\/p>\n Strong relationships between young people and adults are key to suicide prevention, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.<\/p>\n However, knowing how to build those relationships is a skill both teens and adults have to practice and develop, Kinsella said.<\/p>\n Celebrating Healthy Communities and San Juan Basin Public Health<\/a> have held trainings to help teens and adults develop some of those skills. They expect to hold more trainings in the coming year, she said. Celebrating Healthy Communities works with adults who work with teenagers professionally, as well as members of the general public, she said.<\/p>\n [Image:4,mugshot]Durango School District 9-R staff has been attending trainings to better understand youths and challenges they face to help foster healthy relationships between staff and students, Burns said.<\/p>\n \u201cUnderstanding our students and their background is a key component to establishing healthy and effective relationships with trusted adults. The study finds merit in strong youth-adult connections, and we (are) trying to enhance those relationships around our district,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n For example, trainings have focused on tolerance and understanding of LGBTQ topics and cultural awareness about the district\u2019s Latino and Native American populations, he said.<\/p>\n Schools in Durango, Bayfield and Ignacio have started a suicide-prevention program called Sources of Strength. Through the program, students develop their own campaigns to encourage connections between teens and adults, among other healthy behaviors.<\/p>\n The program is doing well in Bayfield, and the district plans to expand it from the high school to the middle school, Aten said.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re building up the community based on the strengths of the kids with the kids. \u2026 You\u2019re not going out and buying a program off the shelf,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n A lack of access to extracurricular activities such as sports and band among students without financial means to participate or who are geographically removed is also a problem across all communities, according to the report.<\/p>\n [Image:3,mugshot]One way to address the problem is to ensure those organizing youth activities consider how to involve students who may face financial barriers to participation, said Laura Warner, director of health promotion services with San Juan Basin Public Health.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s going to take lots and lots of people thinking through how to reach those that are unreached,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n For example, a mountain bike team could provide free bikes for those who can\u2019t otherwise participate, she said.<\/p>\n The report also found that suicide among adults may be contributing to the problem because it creates the perception among teens that suicide is a normal behavior, according to the report.<\/p>\n All four counties lack the resources to effectively implement youth suicide-prevention and intervention activities, according to the report.<\/p>\n The communities do not have enough mental health providers that accept Medicaid, work specifically with teenagers and have training and experience working with suicidal individuals, the report said. They also do not have enough funding for public health and social service programs.<\/p>\n Ignacio School District Superintendent Rocco Fuschetto said he largely agreed with the findings of the report, and he was concerned about the lack of professional support to help with students\u2019 mental health.<\/p>\n \u201cMy counselors do a great job up to a certain point. After that point, we need more professionals to handle the tough situations,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Part of the problem in La Plata County has been a lack of coordination among organizations that work on suicide prevention, but that is changing, Warner said.<\/p>\n Kinsella said there are probably enough resources to effectively prevent suicide in the community, but they perhaps have been overlooked. For example, the Boys and Girls clubs in La Plata County provide opportunities for teens to form relationships and participate in healthy activities away from substances, which can prevent all kinds of risky behaviors, including thoughts of suicide, she said.<\/p>\n Community members can also participate in suicide prevention by building meaningful relationships or by participating in a suicide-intervention training, Warner said.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are things that people can do right now to increase the connectedness that we have in our community and therefore prevent suicide,\u201d Warner said.<\/p>\n Additional funding for suicide prevention could be forthcoming in La Plata County because it is one of six Colorado counties selected to participate in a suicide-prevention effort with state and national organizations, Warner said.<\/p>\n The goal of the Colorado-National Collaborative<\/a> is to create a suicide-prevention model to reduce suicide 20 percent statewide by 2024.<\/p>\n The collaborative plans to apply for funding that could be distributed among state, federal and county partners, she said.<\/p>\n