In light of Suicide Prevention Month, the Arizona Department of Education created Project A.W.A.R.E. to provide mandatory, virtual training on suicide prevention awareness to school staff members.
Founded by the Arizona Department of Education, the Arizona Project A.W.A.R.E., which stands for Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education is a five-year grant recipient, funded through the Department of Health and Human Services.
The project is to “increase awareness of mental health issues in young people, train school personnel to detect and respond to mental health issues, and connect youth and their families to behavioral health resources,” according to the Arizona Department of Education’s website.
The Department of Education and its partnership with the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, is working to implement the suicide prevention training throughout Arizona.
#ProjectAWARE with @azedschools provides suicide prevention resources, including workforce development training, to 5,000+ school staff, and awareness training to community members. #SPM20 #WorldSuicidePreventionDay pic.twitter.com/pLA26QioMU
— AHCCCS (@AHCCCSgov) September 10, 2020
The training sessions will provide participants with a certificate of completion that complies with the requirements of the Mitch Warnock Act, according to the AZDE. The act requires all 6-12 grade staff, for public and charter schools, to take an approved evidence-based suicide prevention training once every three years.
The goals for Project A.W.A.R.E. are “to build sustainable infrastructure and capacity to foster mental health and wellness for students, to provide professional development and training to school personnel, students, their families,” according to the AZ Department of Education.
In addition, they also aim to “conduct outreach and engagement to students and their families and increase mental health awareness, reduce stigma, and promote resilience.”
“This has been a difficult year for AZ schools and stigma around mental health can be reduced with recent efforts to provide school staff with free training,” said Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman, during a virtual press conference.
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Some of the types of training being provided include teaching the warning signs of a suicide crisis, how to recognize if someone is having suicidal thoughts, connecting them with community resources, and how to help someone who is experiencing a mental health problem or crisis.
Nearly 21% of Arizona students have contemplated suicide, according to Dr. Cara Christ, the director at AZDHS. More than 40% reported feeling sad, which is 4% higher than the national average.
Suicide is the eighth leading cause of death in Arizona and the second among 15- to 29-year-olds worldwide, according to the AZDHS.
On average, someone dies from suicide every 12 minutes — and over the past two decades, suicide rates have increased in every state across the country, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
“Last year, 1,500 Arizonans died by suicide, and one loss of life to suicide is too many,” said the Arizona Department of Educations spokesperson, Morgan Dick. “We know that students are not immune, and we continue to provide resources to students, school staff, and schools which end up being the first responders to such a crisis.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255). The Maricopa County suicide hotline is available at 800-631-1314, with its teen lifeline available for call or text at 602-248-TEEN (8336).
Contact the reporter at ptmajor@asu.edu.
