July 9, 2018, WPSD-TV, Paducah, KY Kentucky lawmakers meet about school safety, mental health https://www.wpsdlocal6.com/2018/07/09/kentucky-lawmakers-meet-about-school-safety-mental-health/
At the Interim Joint Commission on Education meeting Monday, lawmakers from across Kentucky gathered to learn about school safety options. The focus was on mental health. The meeting was less of a brainstorming session and more about learning what some Kentucky schools are already doing from people with hands-on experience…. “Rather than react and respond, how can we positively engage our kids and our adults with each other?” Principal Shannon Burcham asked that question after a student died by suicide and another attempted suicide last fall…. The program focuses mainly on suicide prevention, but students say it is targeting mental health issues in general. Part of the program is about spreading positivity through activities such as passing positive notes around. The students also serve as mentors. “Any big events that have happened in school, it has all been surrounding mental health,” Knight said. “That’s the first question that is asked.” State Sen. Reginald Thomas, a Democrat from Fayette County, asked Republican State Sen. Danny Carroll, who represents District 2, asked about how the program deals with real threats of self-harm or harm to others. “I can see trust being lost very quickly, if they go to you to talk to you about something and you immediately go to one of the teachers or one of the other adult members of this group,” he said. … This program has only been at Trigg County High School since March. There are 60 students in the program….