LOCSTORY2

CAUSE OF DEATH FOR PEOPLE AGES10 TO 34.

SOME SAY THE TRAININGTHAT ASSEMBLY BILL 1808 OFFERSCOULD SAVE LIVES.

BUT STATEFUNDING DOESN'T ALLOW ALL KERNCOUNTY SCHOOLS TO USE IT.ACCORDING TO A KERN COUNTY CHILDDEATH REPORT.

25CHILDREN AGES 10 TO 17 IN KERNCOUNTY COMMITTEDSUICIDE BETWEEN 2014 AND 2018.BAKERSFIELD BEHAVIORALHEALTHCARE HOSPITAL'S AMBERSMITHSON SAYS THERE ARE MANYFACTORS IMPACTING MIDDLEAND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS' MENTALHEALTH."WHEN IT COMES TO STRESS ANDYOU'RETALKING ABOUT ADOLESCENTS,YOU'RE LOOKING AT BODY IMAGE,GRADES.CERTAIN GROUPS CAN HAVE A HIGHERSTATISTIC, LIKE THE LGBTQ+COMMUNITY.ONES THAT ARE LONERS, PER SAY.ONES THAT ARE PERFECTIONIST ANDARE TRYING TO HAVE PERFECTGRADES AND THE PERFECT LIFE."ASSEMBLY BILLS 2246 AND 1767REQUIRE ALL CALIFORNIAREQUIRE ALL CALIFORNIA SCHOOLSGRADES K THROUGH 12 TO HAVE ASUICIDE PREVENTIONPOLICY.LICENSED MARRIAGE AND FAMILYTHERAPIST JASON GIFFARDSAYS SUICIDE PREVENTIONEDUCATION IS CRUCIAL FORTEACHERS AND SCHOOL STAFFMEMBERS WHO SPEND NEARLYEIGHT HOURS A DAY WITH THEIRSTUDENTS."SCHOOL'S REALLY THE, ALMOST THEFIRST LINE OF DEFENSE.

THOSE ARETHE PEOPLE THAT INTERACT WITHTHECHILDREN ON A DAILY BASIS.

THEYKNOW THE CHILDREN, KNOW THEM THEBEST.

YOUKNOW, OFTENTIMES THEY SEE THEMBEFORE THAN THEIR PARENTS DO."PREVENTION PROGRAMS COORDINATORSAL ARIAS SAYS THESUPERINTENDENT OFFICE HOLDS KERNCOUNTY SCHOOLSACCOUNTABLE.EACH YEAR..

SCHOOLS MUST SHOWCERTIFICATIONPROVING THEY COMPLETED TRAININGSAND PROCEDURES."IT'S A REQUIREMENT AND THEYGOTTACERTIFY TO LET US KNOW THATTHEY'VE DONE THOSE UPDATES,UPDATEDTHOSE POLICIES AND PROCEDURESTHAT ARE REQUIRED OF THEM."ASSEMBLY BILL 1808 PASSED TWOYEARS AGO.

REQUIRING THESTATE TO PROVIDE SCHOOLS WITH ANONLINE TRAINING PROGRAM ...BUTARIAS SAYS THE MAJORITY OF KERNCOUNTY SCHOOLS AREN'TGETTING THE HELP THEY NEED."UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, KERNCOUNTYIS A BIG COUNTY.

A LOT OFSTUDENTS, A LOT OF TEACHERS.

SO,YOU KNOW, THEAMOUNT OF, THEY'RE CALLEDLICENSES, THAT WERE GIVEN TOKERN COUNTY ARENOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO MEET THENEEDS OF THE ENTIRE, OF ALL THEDISTRICTSIN KERN."A 90-MINUTE ONLINE MODULE CALLEDLIVINGWORKSSTART.

THE TRAINING REQUIRES ALICENSE TOACCESS IT.STATE LAWS MANDATE THIS KIND OFTRAINING.

BUTTHE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OFEDUCATION SAYS THEY ONLY HAVEFUNDING TO GIVE 600 LICENSES TOEACH COUNTY... WHICH ISN'TENOUGH FOR BIGGER COUNTIES.

LIKEKERN... THAT HAVEMORE THAN 600 SCHOOL STAFFMEMBERS..ACCORDING TO THE SUPERINTENDENTOFFICE... AROUND10 PERCENT OF KERN COUNTY'SSCHOOL DISTRICTS ARERECEIVING LICENSES.ARIAS SAYS BAKERSFIELD SCHOOLSWEREN'T GIVENLICENSES BECAUSE THEY CAN MOREEASILY ATTEND IN-PERSON TRAININGS THE DISTRICTOFFERS EACH YEAR."WE CAN ACTUALLY GET OUR RURALAREAS TRAINED WHEN NORMALLY YOUCAN'T BRING THE ENTIRE SCHOOLSTAFF TOBAKERSFIELD FOR THIS TRAININGVERSUS NOW BEING ABLE TO OFFERTHISTRAINING ONLINE."ARIAS SAYS ALL KERN COUNTYSCHOOLS ARE TAKING SOMESORT OF SUICIDE PREVENTIONTRAINING.

BUT THE LACK OFLICENSES FROM THE STATE MEANSSTAFF MEMBERS ACROSS THECOUNTY ARE DOING DIFFERENTPROGRAMS.THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OFEDUCATION TELLS 23ABC THEY AREMAKING A RESERVOIR OF EXTRALICENSES THAT SMALLERCOUNTIES DON'T NEED.THOSE LICENSES WILL BEDISTRIBUTED TO LARGER COUNTIESWHO REQUEST MORE.STILL.

DIRECTOR OF SCHOOLCOMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPDEBEE SCHMIDT SAYS THESUPERINTENDENT OFFICE RECEIVEDA GRANT THAT WILL ALLOW THEM TOPROVIDE ALTERNATIVETRAININGS."WE WORK IN A CONSORTIUM WITHTHE KERN BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND AGROUP OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS ANDWE'LL BEOFFERING WHAT WE CALL QPR ANDASSIST.

SO THOSE ARE SOMESUICIDE PREVENTIONTRAININGS IN THIS GRANT, SOWE'LL BE OFFERING THEM TO THOSEDISTRICTS."FOOTHILL HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISHTEACHER RYAN ALDRICH SAYSHELPING A STUDENT IN CRISISWAS NERVE WRACKINGBEFORE ANY TRAINING."THAT'S A VERY SEVERE, SCARYSITUATION WITH A LOT OFRESPONSIBILITY."BUT HE ALSO SAYS THE ABILITY TODO SO IS CRITICAL."THE ABILITY FOR TEACHERS TORECOGNIZE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMSEARLY AND CATCH THEM, ANDFOLLOWING THE PROPER PROCEDURESTO GET THE TEAM INVOLVED AND THEHELP THAT THESESTUDENTS NEED IS ABSOLUTELYVITAL."ARIAS SAYS THEY CAN'T MEASURETHE IMPACT THESE TRAININGS HAVEON SUICIDE RATES AMONG KERNCOUNTY STUDENTS."I DON'T WANT TO PUT A NUMBER,LIKESAYING OUR SUICIDES WENT DOWN BY2 OR 3, BECAUSE AGAIN GOING BACKTO WHATWE SAID, IT'S, ANY LOSS OF LIFEIS TERRIBLE.

IT'S REAL TOUGH TOMEASUREPREVENTION AND INTERVENTION."SCHMIDT SAYS THE REALMEASUREMENT IS THE CAPABILITYOF STAFF MEMBERS TO HANDLESITUATIONSAPPROPRIATELY..."JUST HAVING THAT TRAINING EVERYYEARTO BUILD THE CONFIDENCE IN THESTAFF THAT IF A SITUATION WAS TOARISE THEY CAN RECOGNIZE IT ANDKNOW WHAT TO DO."ARIAS SAYS THE COUNTY WILLREQUEST MORE LIVINGWORKSLICENSES.

AND HE HOPES ONE DAYEVERYONE CAN TAKE THETRAINING.BUT FOR NOW..

EACH SCHOOL WILLPROVIDE ITS OWN TRAININGS.ACTIVITIES.

AND EVENTS BASED ONINDIVIDUAL NEEDS.SAL ARIAS/KERN COUNTYSUPERINTENDENT PREVENTIONPROGRAMS COORDINATOR"WE'RE ALWAYS STRIVING TO PUTSUPPORTS FOR THE WHOLE CHILD, SONOT JUST FOCUS ON ACADEMICS.

BUTFOCUS ON THEIR SOCIAL, EMOTIONALNEEDS AND ANY NEEDS.