On April 19th we rushed to the Arizona State Senate building. A friend called and said we were in trouble. We had been fighting to ensure that every school district in the State would be required to provide training in suicide prevention to their teachers and other school personnel who work with our students.  Senate Bill 1519, also known as the Governor’s School Safety Plan, originally included a provision to make that happen. On the morning the bill was scheduled to be heard in committee, an amendment was introduced to remove the requirement for school districts to provide this training, and instead, the bill would give schools the option.  Nothing currently precludes a school district from providing such training so all substance was eviscerated with a simple change from a “SHALL” to a “MAY.”   This almost unnoticeable change essentially gutted the entire provision. There is already a law on the books that allows teachers to take Mental Health First Aid training and have it count towards continuing education credits. Unfortunately, many teachers don’t take the free training provided by Mental Health First Aid, or they don’t know about it. We knew we had to act.

You may ask why this is important. In Arizona, Suicide is now the leading cause of death for kids aged 10-14 and the second leading cause of death for individuals aged 15-34.  Statistically, a child is four times more likely to die by suicide than by homicide. In Arizona, we have seen a steady increase in suicides for the last 18 years, and the madness needs to stop. We believe teachers can be the difference between life and death. Our educators are an extension of our family, they are our eyes and ears when we are not there.  We owe them the tools to recognize students at risk, intervene, and know the appropriate steps to take when a child is at risk. We don’t want to burden our educators, we know they have a lot to deal with and oftentimes during the school year, they see our kids more than we as parents do. Many households in America are required to have dual breadwinners. Teachers have a unique insight; they see student interactions at school that parents may not be aware of and if they understand the signs of suicidal ideation, they may be able to intervene before the teen reaches crisis mode. Their experience and daily exposure to kids of all backgrounds may give them a unique perspective about what behaviors constitute typical adolescent angst and what may be a sign of a deeper problem.  With evidence-based training, teachers may be the key to helping save lives!  Teachers care deeply about our children and are devastated when tragedy strikes. We need to provide our teachers with the appropriate tools.

My husband took the afternoon off work, I rearranged my schedule and we headed down to the Capital and requested to speak before the Senate. I have to admit, I was absolutely terrified. If you have never spoken before your legislators, the people in the audience, and watching via internet, it can be quite intimidating. Our names were called and we told our story. We spoke of Jake, how many students we are losing to suicide, and the influence our teachers have over our children. We finished our 2-minute testimony and left hoping we had made a difference. We did, and so did everyone else who testified and wrote their Senator.

The bill was finalized and approved by the entire Senate on Tuesday, May 1st 2018, and the language was changed back to “SHALL”. This is proof that together we can make change.

Never believe that your voice doesn’t matter. Advocacy can be tough but it is worth it. Don’t stop believing, never stop fighting. Now before I start quoting an entire  Journey song, think of what is important to you. What do you want to change? You may be surprised at what you can accomplish. Never sell yourself short. You matter, your beliefs matter, your voice matters.