By Heather Muh
RUMSON – Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School students are taking part in National Suicide Prevention Week by spreading awareness from Sept. 11 – 19 and encouraging their peers to do the same.
The Peer Leaders of RFH Regional High School is selling wristbands during observance that bear the message “I can NOT be replaced.” Volunteers from the organization have spent their lunch periods selling the wristbands all week long. The proceeds of the sale will benefit Children’s Crisis Intervention Services (CCIS) at Monmouth Medical/St. Barnabas Health in Long Branch.
The wristbands were originally designed by a New Jersey couple, Melissa and Chip Dayton, youth speakers who founded “You Can NOT Be Replaced®” in wake of a suicide cluster in their community. When their daughter, Emily, asked the question “Don’t they realize they can’t be replaced?” the Daytons decided to create the wristbands to hand out to local teens.
According to ycnbrtalk.com, the Daytons have sent out more than 23,000 wristbands throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia since they first came up with the idea two years prior.
The initiative of the Peer Leaders of RFH is to keep with Emily Dayton’s desire to have the wristbands passed around as an act of kindness and encouragement, and to help people realize that they are irreplaceable.
“Selling these bracelets is just to remind people that it’s the little things that are important,” said Peer Leader Anna Babiak, a junior.
Suzanna Fico, the Student Assistance Counselor at RFH and the advisor for the Peer Leaders, helped to organize the sale. She stressed the importance of supporting CCIS in its mission to serve children and adolescents.
“CCIS Director James Romer and the Crisis Counselors work extremely hard throughout the year to assist me and my peers with interventions when students experience significant emotional difficulties,” Fico said. “They are the only facility in Monmouth County with beds available for adolescents experiencing suicidal or homicidal thoughts.”
Fico said the Peer Leaders’ goal is to sell 500 bracelets for $1 each. The students sold 132 wristbands on their first day.
“This money will go towards CCIS, who is responsible for supporting RFH counselors, as well as all caregivers throughout Monmouth County, in caring for and effectively intervening, when a child is experiencing serious suicidal thoughts,” Fico said.
National Suicide Prevention Week has been recognized annually in the United States since 1975. According to the American Association of Suicidology, the observance takes place surrounding Sept. 10, which is World Suicide Prevention Day. The week features activities and programs around the country designed to inform the general public about suicide prevention, as well as the warning signs of suicide.
Along with the wristband sales, the Peer Leaders of RFH have also been showing their support by adding facts and inspirational messages to the school’s morning announcements.
Suicide is the leading cause of death in U.S. teens and adolescents between the ages of 10 and 24, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Teen suicide is a growing problem in not just the U.S, but worldwide. In 2012, the CDC reported that one in six students had seriously contemplated suicide, while one in 12 had actually attempted it.
Monmouth Medical Center’s CCIS is working to lower these statistics. As stated on barnabashealth.org, CCIS is a 19-bed facility that provides inpatient care for children and adolescents ages 5 through 17.
Along with CCIS, portions of the proceeds of RFH’s wristband sales will also benefit “You Can NOT Be Replaced.” This money will be used to support student empowerment programs hosted by the Daytons.
RFH’s Peer Leaders are a group of 30 students in grades 10 – 12 who are selected by a panel of staff members. They focus on the prevention of drug and alcohol abuse, as well as offer coping skills and conflict mediation.
Recognizing the growing numbers of teen suicide in the community, the Junior League of Monmouth County’s Community Planning and Advocacy team is sponsoring a forum on teen suicide from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 26 at the Junior League of Monmouth County headquarters at 55 Center St.
Mental Health experts Stacy Doumas, MD, a psychologist at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Red Bank Regional Source Head Clinician Stacy Liss, LSCW and Therapist Alicia Zink, LCSW will lead a conversation on the subject.
