One in four school districts in Illinois participates in new program to protect students from threats

DIXON, Unwell. (CBS) – Safe2Help is a brand new statewide 24/7 helpline. The premise is to safeguard college students’ psychological well being and bodily security by stopping self-harm, bullying, college shootings, and extra.

Nevertheless, a CBS 2 Investigation found that comparatively few of the states 850-plus public college districts at present take part.

A kind of that does is the Dixon college district.

“We’re a stunning, rural group in northwest Illinois,” mentioned Margo Empen, Superintendent of Dixon Public Faculties.

The city, about two hours west of Chicago, is the boyhood residence of President Ronald Reagan.

It was additionally the location of a taking pictures at Dixon Excessive Faculty in Could 2018. 

“You by no means suppose it is going to occur,” mentioned Empen.

When it does occur near residence, Supt. Empen thinks about prevention. 

“How did we miss this? What was it that we should always have identified?” she mentioned. “What can we put in place to assist us and others sooner or later?”

Illinois appeared west to Colorado. That state had been engaged on an answer for the reason that Columbine college bloodbath in 1999.

SAFE2TELL COLORADO

The Columbine shooters talked about their plans earlier than carrying them out. That is why the state launched Safe2Tell within the aftermath. The nameless reporting helpline started as a non-profit in 2004 and have become a part of state legislation three years later.

This system submits annual studies to the legislature and supplies different knowledge on its web site.

Within the 2021-2022 college 12 months, this system acquired 19,364 studies, 70% greater than the earlier college 12 months. 97% of these studies have been legitimate. The most typical situation reported was suicidal ideas, adopted by bullying.

There are some individuals who abuse the system deliberately. However it’s uncommon. The latest annual report famous that 2% of the studies have been false.

Legitimate studies get despatched to high school leaders, psychological well being counselors, mother and father and legislation enforcement, relying on the character of the data.

SAFE2HELP ILLINOIS

Two college taking pictures incidents in 2018 opened the eyes of college directors in Illinois.

One occurred in Parkland, Florida the place 17 folks have been killed, and the opposite at Dixon Excessive Faculty the place nobody was injured. “The blessing for us is that there have been no casualties and we obtained to study from the state of affairs,” mentioned Jared Shaner, the Dixon Excessive Faculty Principal.

In 2021, Dixon and one other district in Illinois joined a pilot to check Safe2Help Illinois, a program just like the one in Colorado.

“It has been an amazing program for us,” mentioned Shaner.

He mentioned it is modified the best way his college students ask for assist. 

“When a scholar makes use of the Safe2Help app, we get an alert on our cellphone,” Shaner mentioned. “There’s completely different classes of what a scholar could also be contacting us about, after which we reply appropriately.”

Shaner says the commonest report he has acquired throughout the previous couple of years has been for suicidal ideas. 

“Normally, they arrive at evening or on the weekends or on holidays,” he mentioned.

Statewide from October 2021 by means of December 2022, the helpline acquired 1,161 studies. Greater than 15% of these have been marked important, reminiscent of studies about suicidal ideas.

These important studies have been possible escalated to 911. 

“We attempt to reply instantly,” Shaner mentioned. W”e often ship an officer to the home.”

There are different classes reported statewide. A complete of two.6% concerned the specter of a deliberate college assault. That is roughly 30 studies that particularly educated dispatchers, college leaders and police responded to throughout the 14 months this system has been in place.

Supt. Empen believes the numbers show this system has been profitable. 

“I’ve little question that it has saved lives from college students who’ve points with self-harm; from college students who’re bullied, to make sure that get at it; we cabn cease it,” she mentioned.

Safe2Help obtained written into State Regulation this 12 months. To this point solely 202 of the state’s 850+ college districts have signed up for this system.

“One of many greatest challenges is altering the mindset of this may not occur right here. Sadly, 20 years after Columbine, that mentality nonetheless exists,” mentioned Samantha Kanish, the Faculty Security Coverage Advisor for Safe2Help Illinois.

This system is free to all faculties Ok-12 within the state. And extra are signing up, 30 districts since final fall.

“I am alerted to every thing inside the district when it is available in that is occurring at every particular person constructing,” mentioned Supt. Empen.

She added that for 90% of the studies coming in by means of Safe2Help, the data was not shared beforehand with an grownup in particular person. 

“This can be a secure house for them to offer this data,” Empen mentioned.

Safe2Help permits folks to report in quite a lot of methods, many acquainted to younger folks. Utilizing an app is an choice, in addition to a textual content message.

“That is data that might escalate,” mentioned Supt. Empen. “if we will get to them early sufficient; if we will discover out what is going on on and supply these interventions and people helps to our college students and even perhaps their households, we will cease what might occur sooner or later,” 

Reporting by cellphone, e mail and on-line are additionally choices.

In case your district is involved in Safe2Help, click on right here.