PROPOSAL BY JESSICA PEABODY

Suicide:
Life in Jeopardy

2014

[TYPE

THE COMPANY ADDRESS]

Introduction
Suicide rates in New Mexico have risen over the years and Albuquerque ranks the fifth city of the United States of the with the highest suicide rates. Many hotlines, clinics, and counseling are available for the suicidal, but only help the suicidal that seek their help. To prevent more suicides and lower the high rates in Albuquerque, I have devised a plan. To put the plan into action and save lives, APS will play the most important role by adding a required class to freshmens schedules on suicide. Because suicide not only hurts the one committing, it hurts everyone around the victim; family, friends, class mates, and coworkers.

Background
Suicide is the second leading cause of death in teens and young adults, following car accidents (ABQ Journal). Females are more likely to attempt suicide than males; however, males succeed at committing suicide more than females (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)). I will discuss a number of causes of suicide and what will happen if nothing is done about suicide. Next Ill provide my plan to needed to help lower the suicide rates and prevent more suicides. Following my plan I will provide the qualifications needed for the plan as well as the costs and benefits of my plan. My proposal is directed to New Mexico State Legislature and Board of Education for APS because NM State will pay the teachers that APS will be needed for my plan of having classes taught at high school level on suicide to reduce suicides and New Mexicos rates.

Current situation
The most basic definition of suicide is death caused by self-directed injurious behavior with any intent to die as a result of the behavior. In the US suicide costs society $34.6 billion a year in combined medical and work loss costs, therefore the average suicide costs $1,061,170. There are many hotlines, clinics, and counseling provided for the suicidal but people who engage in suicidal behavior never seek health services or any kind of help. There are many possible causes that lead people to suicide. The causes are the same in Albuquerque as they are in any other city and state. The possible causes include bullying, depression, divorce, alcohol and/or other substance abuse, domestic violence, physical and/or sexual abuse, mental health disorders particularly clinical depression, cultural or religious beliefs (e.g. the belief that suicide is a noble relief from a personal dilemma), emotional neglect, unemployment, local epidemics of suicide, family history of suicide and/or of child maltreatment, isolation or feelings of hopelessness,

easy access to lethal methods, and impulsive or aggressive tendencies. Males are more successful at committing suicide than females based on studies that brought out the results of traditional gender roles. A traditional gender role of males emphasizes greater levels of strength, independence, and risk-taking behavior. For causes of suicide, depression is the number one cause of suicide and most other causes of suicide first lead to depression that leads to suicide. The bar graph below shows the rates of females and males committing suicide. The graph includes a race for each bar as mostly beliefs play different roles in different races to why they commit suicide.

A great number of suicides can be prevented and most parents discuss how they could have saved their children from committing suicide. Many warning signs and behavioral changes present themselves in those thinking about attempting or committing suicide, such as withdrawal from family and peers, loss of interest in previous pleasurable activities, difficulty concentrating on schoolwork or work, neglect of personal appearance, obvious changes in personality, sadness and hopelessness, changes in eating patterns (sudden weight loss or gain), changes in sleep patterns, lack of energy, and symptoms of clinical depression (CDC, National Center for Biotechnology Information). Despite help from hotlines and counseling and clinics, Albuquerques rate of suicide remains high and still rises each year due from population growth and many more suicides not prevented.

Project plan
Since hotlines, counseling, and clinics are not enough and suicidal people do not seek help, then the help needs to be brought to them. Education on how to cope with or how to curtail the possible causes of suicide is key to preventing more suicides and reaching those that would possibly commit suicide. For all APS high schools, one more required class will be added to the curriculum for freshmen and graduation. Included in this plan are also spokespersons to speak for seniors before graduation on employment in business cycles of expansions and recessions as unemployment and loss of jobs is a cause of suicide more for males than females.

Objectives
Teachers will teach the class for as long as any other required class to freshmen a school year, or semester when on a school schedule like Highland High School. This class will teach what suicide is and all possible causes. It will teach the students how they may raise their self-esteem (not believing or caring what bullies call them) and self-confidence to take correct and necessary action against bullies, domestic violence, physical and substance abuse, and health factors. This class will teach the students how they may help others in need as well. For seniors, a spokesperson (volunteer speaker or faculty) will speak before graduation on employment and how business cycles of expansions and recessions work with being laid off or let go and rehired in the future for the purpose of understanding how unemployment is a cause of suicide and how to prepare for employment and avoid loss of jobs. The credit hour(s) of the class will be added to the amount needed to graduate.

Of course not every freshman taking the course will be suicidal. However, the class is necessary to reach the ones that could be suicidal. Within two years, thanks to our APS teachers, knowledge of suicide and prevention will stay with the students for their lives. Suicide rates will be lower. Many more suicides will be prevented. The cost to society will be greatly reduced. More importantly there will be much less pain and suffering from families and friends

once the rates are lowered. The rates will continue to drop to an all-time low for as long as the required class reaches all students.

Qualifications
To make this plan work, special teachers are needed to teach the class. Teachers that are qualified in psychology and/or counseling are needed and these would be level three teachers. Level three teachers must have Masters Degrees and those can contain Psychology or Counseling. Past experience in counseling and psychology will be a great benefit in the teachers but are not required with level three teachers. Level three teachers with psychology and/or counseling contained in their Master degrees are required to teach the classes to make this plan a success and lower suicide rates.

Costs and Benefits

The costs to this plan are the new wages for the new teachers that would be hired to teach the class. At the most 16 teachers would be needed to be hired to teach at a high school that has a grand total of 2,000 students. Wages for level three teachers start at a salary of $50,000 a year and that would add up to $800,000 a year for 16 teachers. The state provides the income for teachers and the state will be able to compensate for the extra wages with the amount of money that would normally have to be used for medical expenses and disposal of those that committed suicide that will now be prevented and no longer cost the society. One suicide prevented will nearly cover the costs for the teachers at two schools. Nine prevented suicides a year will cover all the costs for the new teachers salaries with extra left over. The costs and salaries will also be lower if teachers already employed will teach an extra class. The benefits to Albuquerque will be fewer suicides; 342 people die from suicide in New Mexico, including senior citizens. The cost to society will be greatly lowered and Albuquerque could fall off the list of the fifteen most suicidal cities in the US. One of the greatest benefits Albuquerque will experience within a year or two of this class starting is less pain and hurt of families and friends from those that would have committed suicide but are now prevented.

Conclusion
To conclude, bringing the help to the suicidal that normally dont seek help, the high suicide rates will drop to low figures. Many

people that would otherwise commit suicide will be saved and prevented. Many more families and friends will not know the grievances of those loved ones lost to suicide. Costs to society will drop and offset the salaries for newly hired teachers. There will be fewer caskets to fill. Our children, family, friends, and peers will grow up with more self-esteem and self-confidence to internally fight against those that wish to push them to the ground. They will direct their lives in a positive and stronger manner. Thank you for reading my proposal. For any questions, please feel free to contact me at Jessica Peabody, 3344 Fairway Rd. Suite 16, Albuquerque NM, 87119 (505)9X8-092X, notarealemail@live.com.

References
Pictures/Images from Google; searched teacher and students in classroom Graphs are from the website of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd. Atlanta, GA 30333, USA, January 2, 2014. Taken from: http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/suicide/statistics/rates02.html Wikipedia: The free encyclopedia, February 25, 2014. Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_differences_in_suicide Patrick Hudson MD, MA, MS 2009-2013. Albuquerque Physician Care. Taken from: http://abqmd-psychotherapy.com/special-interests/physician-suicide.html Business Insider Inc. 2014. Business Insider. Taken from: http://www.businessinsider.com/most-suicidal-occupations-2011-10?op=1 New Health Guide, 2013. Taken from: http://www.newhealthguide.org/Highest-Suicide-RateBy-Profession.html Author Gary Herron/ Rio Rancho Observer Staff Writer, published November 3, 2013. Albuquerque Journal. Taken from: http://www.abqjournal.com/293495/riowest/teen-suiciderate-increasing.html and http://health.abqjournal.com/TextItem.aspx?id=3620 New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator, May 2008. National Center of Biotechnology Information. Taken from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18471219 Kelly Bush, 2009. Articles Base. Taken from: http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-healtharticles/startling-suicide-statistics-1070721.html Bernalillo County Community Health Council, 2009. Journal of Forensic Medicine, May 2008, volume53, number 3. Taken from: http://www.bchealthcouncil.org/Resources/Documents/BernProfile%20for%20web%20to%20L Caswell%20FINAL%208%2030%2010.pdf