Teen suicide has risen more than 80 percent in Arizona in recent years. One school district in the Valley is trying to change that — with one simple change to student IDs.
All 14,000 students at Tempe Union High School District will soon have IDs bearing the number to the Teen Lifeline, a hotline where young people can get free, anonymous counseling. Jennifer Liewer, a spokeswoman with the district, said officials at Tempe Union know students are under a lot of pressure, especially between academics and social media.
“We are really hoping that this can have an impact, and in addition to having the phone number, it also helps us create a dialogue with students,” she said, “and that is just as important, if not more important, than the act of putting the phone number on the back on the ID.”
Liewer said Teen Lifeline is peer counseling, staffed by trained teens all day and into the night. During late hours, adults at a local crisis center answer the hotline, making help available 24 hours a day.
The Teen Lifeline can be reached by call or text at (602) 248-8336 (TEEN)or statewide at (800) 248-8336.
