Photo courtesy of Hoover City Schools.

Students at Spain Park High School are encouraged to share what keeps them going during difficult times during a previous Suicide Prevention and Awareness Week.

With suicide being the third leading cause of death among people ages 10 to 24 in Alabama, and increasing across the country, Hoover school officials say they take the matter seriously.

"In ages 10-14, we have seen an alarming increase in suicides, and the number has doubled in the past decade, making it the second leading cause of death for that age group," said Terri Coleman, the lead counselor for the Hoover school district.

There are multiple factors that contribute to suicidal thoughts, including mental health conditions, substance abuse disorders, a sense of hopelessness, impulsive tendencies, a history of trauma or abuse, major physical illnesses, a family history of suicide, job or financial loss, loss of relationships, easy access to lethal means, local clusters of suicide, a lack of social support and a sense of isolation, Coleman said.

Also, the stigma associated with asking for help and a lack of health care availability contribute to the problem, especially access to mental health and substance abuse treatment, she said.

"We want to best prepare our students, faculty and staff by providing warning signs, risk factors and information on how to get help if they experience suicidal ideations or know someone who does," she said. "We recognize that suicide is a silent epidemic, and no one is immune from feelings of hopelessness and depression in the world in which we live today."

A big educational push is made during September, which is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.

At the high schools, the Peer Helper groups each year come up with different campaigns to highlight the issue of suicide, said Kathryn Stewart, the Hoover school district's mental health specialist. That frequently includes things like posters, bulletin boards, intercom announcements and participation in things such as the Out of the Darkness Walk put on by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. This year's walk is scheduled for Nov. 3 at Veterans Park.

A big emphasis is making sure students know where to go to get help if they or a friend are having suicidal thoughts, Stewart said. "This is big information. It's serious information," she said. "What trusted adult do you have in your life that you can share that information with?"

Even if a student seems to be just joking around about it, that's the kind of thing that students need to share with adults, Coleman said. "We don't want you to hold that type of information. That's too much for a child," she said.

In the middle schools, each school does things a little differently, but usually a counselor will share about suicide during physical education class, discussing warning signs, what to do and resources available, Stewart said. The Crisis Center also frequently will speak to middle school students and sometimes 10th graders, she said.

At the elementary schools, age-appropriate information is embedded in the curriculum, including how to properly manage emotions and people with whom students can talk, Coleman said. There also is communication with parents about suicide, she said.

Faculty also receive suicide awareness and prevention training every year. It's a requirement of the Jason Flatt Act, passed by the Alabama Legislature in 2016.

The programs the district uses are going well, but "we are constantly looking for ways to improve," Coleman said.

District officials this summer received a grant of more than $50,000 to help fund an additional suicide prevention and support program called Thriveway in all Hoover schools, Coleman said.

When school officials learn of a suicide attempt, school counselors and mental health counselors in the district are available and trained in suicide protocols, and when a death does occur, the HEART team of counselors throughout the district is activated to assist as needed, Coleman said.