The Peabody School Committee received a report on the district’s suicide‑prevention screening and broader mental‑health outreach.

Dr. Vedala told members that Higgins Middle School ran the Signs of Suicide (SOS) program for seventh graders on Nov. 18, describing it as "an evidence based, grade 6 through 12 suicide prevention program" that uses a seven‑question student self‑screener and a tiered intervention model. He said students who trigger high‑risk responses receive same‑day follow‑up with a counselor and parents are notified to coordinate wraparound services; lower‑level flags are scheduled for counselor contact within two weeks.

"Any student who says yes on 4 or more questions around depression, or if they say yes to question 4 or 5… they have immediate follow‑up that day with a counselor," Dr. Vedala said, describing the district’s partnership with MindWise to collect data and help with referrals.

Committee members praised the combination of staff training and student screening. Dr. Vedala said participation and student engagement were better this year and thanked the Dirty Hands Project for funding training.

Separately, Mister Swanson summarized the work of PB Promise (formerly the mayor’s task force), noting a new district landing page and four action teams focused on community education, outreach, community projects and school‑based resources. He described the Student Resource and Support Center (SRSC) at Higgins, staffed with district partners and community organizations, and announced a community meeting scheduled for Dec. 1 to report progress.

"We identified, through the mayor's task force, the need not only at the school level, but at the community level," Mister Swanson said, describing PB Promise as a coordinated set of supports aimed at reducing stigma and expanding access to mental‑health resources.