Jennifer Hayes

I emphatically oppose HB1635. As a school counselor working in an elementary school, I can testify to the utmost importance of training all staff on suicide prevention. There is no greater tragedy than when a young person takes their own life and sadly it is only after this catastrophic event that their loved ones realize the warning signs. Suicide training helps to close that gap so that warning signs are noticed before a young person takes action. This allows communities (school personal, families, and outside medical providers) to work together to prevent tragedy. This should be a top priority for our state and any action that weakens these efforts is reckless.