Check on Your Friends

September was National Suicide Prevention month. You may have heard the phrase “Check on your friends” a lot last month. This ever-important message, not solely meant for the month of September, reminds us to reach out to those around us. Find your friends, neighbors, coworkers, allies, etc., and ask them how they are doing. As we know in the counseling profession, people are not always great at asking for help. You may find yourself planting the seed and waiting.

This message of “check on your friends” can also serve as a gentle reminder to check in with your representatives and senators at the local and state levels on topics like suicide prevention and mental health. These elected officials – who represent you, the constituent of their district or state – are your allies, too. In the many years that I have been a member and served in SDSCA leadership, I have known certain legislators as tried-and-true allies to all things involving mental health and school counseling. These were the people who really get the importance of suicide prevention, mental health and certified school counselors. The overwhelming impact that these topics have on everything in our communities, state and across the nation, was not lost on these individuals.

Early on, I asked myself why is it that these certain legislators understand it, yet I find other legislators who do not get it at all. As I racked my brain, researched and finally asked one legislator, a common thread began to appear: education. The ones who got it had been truthfully, honestly educated on the topic, knew the statistics, and heard the personal stories. This then opened a Pandora’s box in my brain as to the how of that education.

In some cases, the education came at the hands of a constituent taking the time to check on the senator or representative and educating them on these important topics. Items such as the statewide adoption of the 211 Help Line or the passing of SDCL 13-42-71 (also known at the Jason Flatt Act, which requires anyone applying for or renewing a teaching certificate to have taken a minimum of one clock hour of suicide awareness and prevention training) came about because someone took the time to educate our elected officials about suicide prevention and mental health. For other legislators, this check-in took the form of sharing their own personal experiences with suicide and mental health.

I will readily admit that not every elected official is open and willing to talk about suicide prevention and mental health. However, I encourage you to still check on your friends. They may or may not be ready to hear the message; plant the seed anyway.

Contact Ashley Seeklander, SDSCA Government Relations chair, at Ashley.Seeklander@k12.sd.us.