Senate bills encourage better suicide education

The Missouri Senate sent the House two measures Thursday that encourage more suicide education in schools.

First came a 30-0 vote for Sen. Jamilah Nasheed's bill requiring state colleges and universities to advise students and staff on suicide prevention programs.

The bill also would require Missouri's public colleges and universities to provide all incoming students with information about depression and suicide prevention resources available to them and to post the information on the school's website.

Nasheed, D-St. Louis, was attending a conference at Harvard University, so Sen. Gina Walsh, D-Bellefontaine Neighbors, handled the bill for Thursday's vote.

The vote approving Nasheed's bill was followed by an identical vote for Sen. Jill Schupp's bill addressing elementary and secondary schools.

The Creve Coeur Democrat cited work by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to develop model policies for schools districts to review for their own policies for suicide prevention and awareness.

It also would "help teachers, through professional development opportunities, learn about the signs and symptoms (of suicide) and to hopefully prevent the next child from becoming a suicide victim," she said.

Sen. Bob Onder, R-Lake St. Louis, reminded Schupp of Megan Meyer's suicide in 2007 after the parent of a fellow high school student was bullying her online.

Schupp said Missouri educators supported the bill.

She said her bill and Nasheed's took different approaches because, "as you might imagine, the way you deal with something in college is a bit different from the Kindergarten through 12 level."

She said Missouri's suicide rate is higher than in other parts of the country, especially among young people.