A safe and secure school environment is essential to the learning process. An important ingredient in achieving safe and secure schools remains alert eyes and ears. Safety is achieved when an atmosphere exists in which students are comfortable talking with adults about their concerns.
One such tool available for students is the Union Student Safety Help Line that is accessible twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week to anyone who wants to report a concern. The caller may leave a message so his or her call can be returned, or they may choose not to be contacted. You can also call COPES if this is a mental health emergency.
Union Student Safety HelpLine
918-461-HELP (4357)
COPES
(Suicide Prevention Hotline)
918-744-4800
Not only does Union want students to be proud to attend school, but to feel safe and actually be safe at school. Preparation and awareness are key elements.
Suicide Prevention - 918-744-4800
Family & Children's Services is a member of the National Suicide Prevention Hotline, making it part of a network of more than 140 crisis centers across the country providing counseling and mental health referrals 24 hours a day.
The agency's COPES handles all calls made in the Tulsa area.
"It's so important to be able to assist these callers on a local level with the emotional support and care they need," said Stacie Barnett, director of COPES, which stands for Community Outreach Psychiatric Emergency Services. "We have firsthand knowledge of our resources and the ability to mobilize when needed to assist individuals in crisis.
"It adds extra value to have people familiar with local resources and providers and the local stressors and barriers that people face. We'll be able to better get people to the access and care they need."
According to the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people in Oklahoma, and 15 percent of youth surveyed in Oklahoma report that they have seriously considered suicide.
The national hotline can be reached at (800) 273-8255. To call the COPES line directly, call 744-4800.