Fanelli
said it takes “the right type of person” to be a Teen Lifeline
mediator. “The individual must be selfless, a good listener,
patient and open‑minded,” she said.
Fanelli,
who will major in psychology at Chapman College in California
this fall, emphasized that she has received as much as she has
given to the organization. “The experience changed me,” she
said. “I’m so much broader minded after being exposed to the
problems of people from all walks of life.”
Williamson,
a senior at Chaparral High School, said he’s now much better
equipped to help his friends deal with their problems. “The
Teen Life experience also helped me realize just how good my
life is,” he said.
“There’s
so much hurt out there,” explained Williamson. “So many of the
calls we receive are from kids who think no one cares about
them.”
Tovar
said there is a misconception that only those teenagers who
are poor students or have drug problems think about and commit
suicide. “Quite often our calls come from the super‑achiever
who thinks he or she is failing to live up to personal expectations
or those of his or her parents,” she said.
“Teens in general are particularly susceptible to suicide
because they have so many stressors but haven’t had time to
develop coping mechanisms.”
Gina
Durbin, director of student support services for Cave Creek
Unified School District, said her counselors never take the
issue of suicide lightly. “When we hear of someone with a problem,
we immediately follow up to assess the student,” Durbin said,
adding the school district hasn’t experienced a suicide in several
years. “If we believe the threat is real, we refer the student
to Empact, an accredited suicide prevention center in Phoenix.”
Boys
commit suicide more often than girls, often using firearms to
kill themselves; girls usually use pills, according to the American
Academy of Pediatrics’ Web site. The academy attributes
the increase in youth suicides in recent years to easier access
to suicide tools, the pressures of modern life, competition
for good grades and college admission, and violence depicted
in the media.
The
academy also reported that higher youth suicide rates may be
associated with a lack of parental interest. Many children grow
up in divorced households, while others have two working parents
so the family spends little time together; and many suicidal
teens complain their families don’t understand them, the academy
reported.
Teen
Lifeline employs teenagers because speaking with an adult can
be intimidating, Tovar said.
Tovar
says the average call to Teen Lifeline lasts from 15 minutes
to a half‑hour. Suicide isn’t the only topic, she went
on to say, adding counselors field calls from teens with concerns
about drugs, pregnancy, sexual abuse, relationships and school.
The
counselor’s role, she said, is to gauge risk and then help the
caller develop an action plan to deal with his or her feelings.
Most often, the plan centers on helping the caller identify
an adult to speak with about his or her problems. That adult
could be a parent, teacher or school counselor.
The
teen counselors have been trained to listen for cues that the
caller may harm himself, Tovar said. If so, the call is transferred
to a Master’s degree‑level clinician who is always available.
All
calls to the hotline are anonymous. For statistical purposes,
the caller is only asked his or her age and what school he or
she attends.
To
educate the community about Teen Lifeline and the problem of
teen suicide, Tovar visits schools to speak with students and
administrators. The organization also mails service materials
three times a year to all middle schools and high schools throughout
the state.
Reach
the reporter at barry@thedesertadvocate.com.
