in crisis. This week, KSL is highlighting solution-based efforts.. to help our youth.
And we found the state
earmarked funding for mental
health screenings in schools.
Deanie spoke with a state
lawmaker who wants to know..
why so many schools aren't
using the money?
Especially since
schools routinely screen for
vision and hearing problems.
Why wouldn't schools do
the same for arguably their
biggest health risk of all?
We asked several districts
and found, as parents, their
decision impacts you.
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"WE WANT TO ADVERTISE IT AND
GET THE MESSAGE OUT."
Bingham High just got a new
mental health room.And these
students, "YEA, WE'RE GETTING
SOME IDEAS DOWN." want
their peers to know.They're
members of the suicide
prevention group Hope Squad.
And their urgency boils down
to this: Suicide is the
#1 cause of death among Utah
teens. About 40 Utah
teens each year, die by
suicide. LUCY HERRING/HOPE
SQUAD MEMBER: "WE SPEND A LOT
OF TIME FOCUSING ON OUR SCHOOL
AND THE KIDS IN OUR SCHOOL WHO
NEED HELP BEING HEARD AND
BEING SEEN." "IN A 5-ALARM
FIRE."Thousands of Utah
teenagers are áthinking about
suicide. Student Health
and Risk Prevention--or
SHARP--surveys, administered
every two years, show in a
classroom of 30 10th graders,
20-percent--or 6 of them--have
seriously considered it. and
almost as many, actually made
a plan. "MICHAEL
STALEY/SUICIDE PREVENTION
RESEARCH COORDINATOR/OFFICE OF
MEDICAL EXAMINER: "BY NOT
ADDRESSING IT, WE'RE BASICALLY
JUST LETTING THEM SUFFER IN
SILENCE." And that
was why Rep. Steve Eliason
passed a law in 2020, that
provides 500-thousand dollars
each year for schools to
provide mental health
screenings. "FOR DECADES
SCHOOLS HAVE SCREENED SCHOOLS
FOR VISION ISSUES, HEARING
ISSUES..." "BUT FOR MENTAL
HEALTH ISSUES, WHICH IS THE
NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF DEATH FOR
CHILDREN IN UTAH, WHICH IS
SUICIDE, WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING
FOR A LONG TIME." Right
now, fewer than half of Utah's
school districts participate
in the screening program.
Here is the list of 17
districts that have opted in.
ELIASON: "THEY'RE MISSING OUT
ON ONE OF THE GREATEST TOOLS
AVAILABLE TO THEM."
Schools aren't the only ones
missing out. Parents can
also apply to use their
district's pot of money to
help pay for counseling,
insurance deductibles, or
other things when the
screening recommends treatment
they can't afford.But when the
district opts out, that
funding isn't available.
So few districts applied, a
new bill poses a deadline:
July 1st, districts have to
report, they're in or they're
out. "IS IT FRUSTRATING TO
YOU? VERY FRUSTRATING." TROY
SLAYMAKER/DAD: "I WOULD GIVE
ANYTHING TO HAVE MY BOYS BACK,
ANYTHING." Troy
Slaymaker lost his 14-year-old
to suicide. "HE WAS THE
GLUE IN OUR FAMILY."
Three years later, his oldest
son also died by suicide.
Slaymaker knew there were
issues, but didn't realize how
serious, or know what to do.
TROY SLAYMAKER: "THAT'S ONE OF
MY BIGGEST REGRETS, THAT I
DIDN'T GET MY OLDEST BOY
HELP." TROY SLAYMAKER: "WE
HAVE THE ABILITY TO ASSESS IT
AND ALSO THE RESOURCES TO GET
THEM HELP. THAT'S A NO
BRAINER." DEANIE WIMMER: "SO
WHY DON'T MORE DISTRICTS TAKE
PART? THE STATE SCHOOL BOARD
LETS THEM DECIDE FOR
THEMSELVES AND ACKNOWLEDGES
SOME MAY BE LEERY OF SCREENING
FOR MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS,
WHEN THEY DON'T HAVE THE
RESOURCES TO HELP STUDENTS."
STALEY: "WHAT HAPPENS WHEN
SOMEONE SAYS YES TO THESE
QUESTIONS, WHERE WILL THEY GO
FOR HELP THEN?" Many
districts not taking part in
mental health screenings are
in Central Utah Staley
says these areas also tend to
have the most access to guns,
alcohol and fewest resources.
Yet this is precisely
where the state shows teen
suicide rates are in some
cases double. STALEY: "IF WE
DO THESE SCREENINGS AND I
THINK WE SHOULD, AND PEOPLE
ARE IN NEED, LET'S FIGURE OUT
WHERE TO TAKE THEM." We
asked districts why don't they
take part? In Davis,
BRAD CHRISTENSEN/DIR. STUDENT
AND FAMILY RESOURCES, DAVIS
DISTRICT: "WE HAVE
PARTNERSHIPS THAT HAVE BEEN
ESTABLISHED FOR YEARS, BECAUSE
OF THAT, WE HAVE A SYSTEM IN
PLACE THAT IS WORKNG AND
CONTINUES TO WORK." Davis
already offers student and
family mental health screening
events. Sevier says they
appreciate the support, but
they're "hesitant to implement
mental health screenings right
now because they're already
doing so much in this area."
Granite District plans to
opt into the program next year.
Jordan District does all
the things the state asks with
screenings, but didn't apply
for funding.Leaders say
screenings have saved lives by
getting families resources and
starting difficult discussions.
MCKINLEY WITHERS/HEALTH AND
WELLNESS JORDAN DIRECTOR:
"IT'S ALWAYS HELPFUL IF IT
FACILITATES OPEN, CARING,
CONNECTIONS AND CONVERSATIONS,
BECAUSE THAT'S THE KEY TO KIDS
HAVING WHAT THEY NEED TO GET
THROUGH A DIFFICULT TIME."
Representative Eliason has
another reason he's pushing
for screenings. To prevent
school shootings. The same
screenings that identify
suicide risk could also flag
other mental illness, before
it leads to scenes like these.
REP. ELIASON: "I WOULDN'T WANT
TO BE A MEMBER OF A SCHOOL
BOARD THAT HAD WALKED AWAY
FROM A PROGRAM LIKE THIS AND
DECIDED NOT TO GIVE PARENTS
THE OPTION TO HELP THEIR
CHILDREN AND LATER FIND OUT A
CHILD IN THAT DISTRICT HAD
DIED BY SUICIDE, OR HEAVEN
FORBID A MASS SHOOTING."
He hopes those serious
issues will encourage more
districts to get on board.
If you want to know whether
your district takes part the
state's funding for
screenings, we'll have the
list, along with our story on
KSLTV.com.
And then, all day
tomorrow, KSL is dedicating
our coverage to Teens In
Crisis. A recent CDC survey
showed increased sadness and
mental distress among teen
girls, LGBTQ+ youth, and
minorities groups. We look
into what efforts are being
made right here in Utah to
help our teens.
TO WX
One low pressure system over