Tigers Show Their Support for Mental Illness and Suicide Prevention

At Carl B. Middle School, the walls of the hallways are always cluttered with the usual stuff such as flyers about upcoming events, announcements, and leftover decorations from days passed.

But in the month of September things changed in the hallways. It switched to hand-drawn, brightly colored, strategically placed posters with very powerful messages.

On Wednesday, Sept. 17, district leaders from Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools visited the school to judge student-created posters in honor of Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month.

It was an opportunity to highlight student creativity and their commitment to raising awareness about mental health and suicide in the Wyandotte County community.

Students in family advocacy classes created the posters to symbolize what mental health and suicide awareness meant to them.

The elaborately crafted posters were judged based on the clarity of the message, creativity and originality, visual design and impact. “Our students are very creative,” said behavioral health coordinator Angela Dunn.

“The posters were unique and included pictures, inspiring messages and resources to promote suicide awareness. We saw phrases like ‘please stay’ and ‘you matter’ as well as colorful and creative images displaying pain, beauty and growth.”

Suicide is the second leading cause of death in young people ages 10 to 24. “Talking about suicide is an essential way to break down the stigma and bring this very real issue to light. It allows young people to put their feelings into words and know that it's okay to talk about it,” Dunn added.

Students listed helpful advice and resources on their posters such as ‘talk to a counselor or social worker’ and ‘dial 988,’ which is a suicide and crisis lifeline.

988 offers 24/7 and statewide access to crisis services via phone call, text or chat. Trained crisis specialists are available and can help anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts, substance use, and/or mental health crisis or any other kind of emotional distress.

“It's so important for kids to know who they can talk to inside and outside of school,” said Dunn.