Sometimes students report to counselors suicidal thoughts or other indicators that warn of suicide. Other times it is a student's friend who reports their concerns to a counselor, who then meets with the student to investigate these concerns. We deeply appreciate and depend on these reports. In both cases the counselors evaluate the situation, contact the parents, and make referrals to the appropriate resources. In addition to responding to individual students’ needs around the issue of suicidal thoughts as they arise, counselors at the middle schools and high schools are also addressing this topic in various ways. To spotlight a couple of examples:
In October 9th graders at Milford High School heard Jeff Edwards speak on the topic of Mental Illness, Youth Depression, & Suicide. He will be delivering this message to Lakeland students in April.
On December 11 Oak Valley Middle School is bringing Real Talk to all 8th graders. Real Talk focuses on opening up discussions to improve communication between peers and adults. It helps create a more supportive, caring community.
Throughout the 2018-2019 school year Lakeland High School and Milford High School counselors are conducting random wellness checks. Each counselor randomly selects 3-5 students per week with whom they meet in order to create a connection. The hope is that by reaching out to random students, we will shrink the crack through which students might slip.
If you have a concern about your student or another as it relates to this or any mental health issue, please contact your child's counselor. Their contact information can be found below.
