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Cochise County expands suicide‑prevention training for schools with ADE pilot and new materials funding
Summary
Cochise County staff said an Arizona Department of Education pilot will expand evidence‑based suicide prevention trainings in local schools; the county will receive an extra $30,654 to buy training materials directly and offer SafeTalk, ASSIST and other programs to students and staff, including outreach to tribal communities and Fort Huachuca.
Cochise County will continue and expand a pilot suicide‑prevention program with the Arizona Department of Education that county staff said has operated in three local districts during the past year.
County staff told the board at a Nov. 13 work session the intergovernmental agreement with ADE was amended this year to add $30,654 so the county can purchase training materials directly instead of relying on ADE to procure and ship them. The county was selected as a pilot to develop and deliver suicide‑prevention education across schools in Bisbee, Benson and Valley Union, staff said.
Zachary Ploukas, the county program manager leading the effort, told supervisors the curriculum packages are evidence‑based and described the difference between SafeTalk (identification and referral), ASSIST (intervention) and the Signs of Suicide and Sandy Hook Promise curricula used for different age groups. "It is evidence based — it's gone through studies to make sure it works," Ploukas said, adding the trainings include culturally competent approaches for tribal communities.
Supervisors pressed staff on age limits and cultural sensitivity. Ploukas said SafeTalk can be presented to audiences as young as about 15, while ASSIST is for older adolescents because of the direct intervention material; he also said county trainers will incorporate culturally relevant practices when working with Indigenous students and communities.
School Superintendent Jackie Clay and other presenters described logistical challenges, including difficulty recruiting certified bilingual teachers for jail‑based instruction and school trainings. County staff said they will continue outreach to Fort Huachuca and military family support teams so service members with lived experience can participate in community education for older students.
The program team said the county will provide additional materials and microlearning (podcast/YouTube) resources for age‑appropriate stress management and resiliency lessons and will supply the board with county suicide rate comparisons and more precise youth‑specific counts at the next meeting. No formal action was taken at the Nov. 13 work session; staff said the amended IGA and budget details will appear on Tuesday's regular agenda for potential approval.
