District Parent Letter

Dear Parent and Guardian:

The adolescent years are marked by a roller-coaster of emotions; it is sometimes difficult for students and their parents.  Hickman Mills C-1 School District is committed to maintaining a safe environment to protect the health, safety, and welfare of students.  It is easy to misread depression as normal adolescent turmoil; however, depression (among the most common of mental illnesses) appears to be occurring at a much earlier age.  Depression, which is treatable, is a leading risk factor for suicide. Suicide is a leading cause of death in youth ages 10-24 in Missouri and is a public health concern impacting all Missouri citizens.  

To proactively address this issue, the Hickman Mills C-1 School District will be offering suicide prevention and awareness training as part of the SOS (Signs of Suicide) Prevention program.  The SOS Prevention Program encourages students to seek help if they are concerned about themselves or a friend.  The SOS Prevention Program is the only youth suicide prevention program that has demonstrated an improvement in students’ knowledge and adaptive attitudes about suicide risks and depression, as well as a reduction in actual suicide attempts.   Listed on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices, the SOS Prevention Program has shown a reduction in self-reported suicide attempts by 40-64% in randomized controlled studies (Aseltine et al.,2007; Schilling et al.,2016). 

Our goals in participating in this program are: 

• To explain to our students that suicide is a preventable tragedy.
• To provide students training in how to identify potential risks in themselves or a friend.
• To educate youth so that they can help themselves or a friend by taking the steps of talking to a trusted adult about their concerns.
• To teach students who they can turn to at school for help if they need it. 

Hickman Mills C-1 school district started the implementation of the SOS Prevention program in the fall 2018 and will continue offering the SOS Prevention program to students in grades 5-12.  The school Counselors and teachers will be conducting training sessions for students.  Within the training, students will be watching a short video offered through the SOS Prevention program.  Students will also have the opportunity to ask questions and talk to the counselors located within their building.  The Hickman Mills C-1 school district will offer Suicide Awareness & Prevention training annually to both students and staff.  

Additionally, there is SOS Prevention program literature available within the counseling offices of your student’s school.  Resource information includes:  

• A parent newsletter with information about the SOS (Sign of Suicide) protocol that our students will be learning.
• Risk Factors and Warning Signs
• A list of local and national resources

To access information online, go to: https://www.hickmanmills.org/Page/10397

Sincerely,
Yolanda Cargile, Ed.D
Assistant Superintendent of Academic Services