Cochise County extends school suicide‑prevention pilot with ADE, adds $30,654 for local materials

The Cochise County Board of Supervisors reviewed an intergovernmental agreement with the Arizona Department of Education to continue a pilot suicide‑prevention program in county schools and to add $30,654 to purchase training materials directly, county staff said.

Zachary Ploukas, the county’s program manager, described the curriculum as "an evidence based program" that has been evaluated for safety and effectiveness and said the additional funds will let the county order materials without routing them through ADE. "It’s keeping the understanding that different cultures have different understandings," Ploukas said, adding the training includes cultural‑competency elements to avoid unintended harm in tribal communities.

The pilot has provided trainings in several districts, including Bisbee, Benson and Valley Union, and staff said the program also has coordinated sessions with the sheriff’s office and with Fort Huachuca to reach service members and families. Ploukas said the program uses tiered curricula: SafeTALK for younger teens, ASSIST for older adolescents, and Sandy Hook Promise modules for junior‑high and high‑school settings; staff noted some content is age‑restricted and the grant team defers to curriculum developers on the youngest appropriate ages.

The county said the grant‑funded work also supports lethal‑means reduction and local suicide‑mortality review efforts. Supervisors asked staff to provide specific county‑level suicide counts for school‑age children at the follow‑up meeting; program staff said they would supply the latest numbers.

No formal vote was recorded at the preview session; the IGA and funding amendment are on the board’s upcoming regular agenda for formal action.