TXT4LIFE aims to help prevent youth suicide

The TXT4LIFE program provides a 24-hour text counseling portal with connection to follow-up mental health services.

Research shows that young people are more willing to reveal sensitive and sometimes difficult thoughts, behaviors and values through electronic means at far greater rates than if they had to articulate them.

Initially to be offered in the Arrowhead Region, including Koochiching, the effort is expected to link youth texters to a community call center as funding is increased, volunteers trained and community support and awareness is raised.

The idea hit home in Koochiching County, which is among seven Arrowhead Region counties with the highest suicide rates of all of Minnesota’s 87 counties.

“If this prevents even one suicide...” said Koochiching County Community Services Director Terry Murray. “I hope it’s far reaching.”

A recent survey of teens taken by the Minnesota Department of Health shows that Koochiching had the highest rate of respondents among grade 12 boys indicating they made suicide attempts and had suicidal thoughts in the past 12 months.

What’s alarming about those statistics for Murray is the other counties in the region — Carlton, Aitkin, St. Louis and Itasca — have much higher populations.

“One of the things that struck my eye was the information we received on suicide. I wasn’t aware we were so high compared to the rest of the state and counties,” Murray said. “That was concerning, of course, so that’s one of the reasons we’ve got the program.”

Murray said there are several theories about why Koochiching and the other Arrowhead counties have higher rates of suicide and suicidal attempts. However, he said just knowing it’s an issue is reason enough to take part in the program.

Murray also notes that from 2000 to 2005, Minnesota’s rate of suicide increased by 15.7 percent, while the national rate increased by only 4.2 percent.

“It is increasing,” he said.

Armed with the statistics and spurred by recent suicides in the community, Carlton County took the lead in working with HSI-Crisis Connection to develop the new program. HSI was founded in 1969 at the University of Minnesota and is now a primary phone crisis service for the nine-county Twin Cities metro area.

With much of the funding for suicide prevention slashed in recent state budgets, the program is funded with a $400,000 grant from the federal government.

“The need for such a program was definitely shown,” Murray said.

The goal of the program is to reduce by a minimum of 20 percent the incidents of thoughts of suicide and suicide attempts for northern Minnesota youth.

The texts sent by the Carlton County student before his death made it clear that a new approach to youth suicide prevention was needed.

“They have found teens and young adults text — they don’t call 800 numbers, they’re more apt to text and they found that was a better alternative,” said Murray.

The program will be introduced to the three Koochiching County school districts by training counselors and teachers to provide information about the program and also to be aware of signs of suicidal indications, said Murray.

Murray said another technology that young people use frequently will be employed to raise awareness of the program.

The owners of Facebook are working with the program to include it on the social networking system.

“I am not sure how it will work to target the region, but Facebook is one of the main ways to get to kids,” Murray said.

Murray said the program has already proven its worth.

“They’re doing the right things,” he said. “They made note shortly after they implemented it, they had one suicide they know was prevented.”

While Murray said the TXT4LIFE program will be available to people across the nation, the mental health service follow-up will be unavailable.

“It’s not just for us, even though geared for our area, but the follow-up services in our area,” Murray said. “I hope it’s a hit and will be statewide.”