Speak Up, Speak Out: Teen Suicide

Awareness and Prevention

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS), in 2021 Arkansas lost 24 teens to suicide. Since 2000, suicide has been the second leading cause of death for Arkansans 13-19 years of age. In this course, we will share the stories of two teens who died by suicide in 2021, and we will witness the effects those deaths had on families, peers, and communities.

Recognizing warning signs and risk factors can help prevent deaths by suicide. Ms. Shawna Burns discusses with our host, Chris Kane, what we should look for and ways to approach someone who may be having suicidal ideations. Mr. Greg Adams shares statistics and the preferred terminology to use when discussing death by suicide. Then we learn from Travis Barrentine, the principal of Greenbrier High School, who shares about a time when his own school faced a student's death by suicide. Mr. Barrentine discusses the steps the school, the students, and the community took and how they came together to make changes for others who may need help. Finally, we hear from Dr. Tricia Benish, the psychologist from Greenbrier High School at the time of the student's death by suicide, who provides us with resources and ideas that teachers and schools can use to help other people who are struggling.

This course meets the requirements of Arkansas Act 770 of 2011.

Arkansas PBS and the Arkansas Department of Education have partnered to provide teen suicide awareness and prevention training resources for Arkansas schools for more than ten years. These resources and more can be found within our online professional development courses in the ArkansasIDEAS learning management system.