MENTAL HEALTH: PARENTS STILL WAIT FOR ACTION ON SUICIDE PREVENTION

The parents of Jason Ricciuti, the young hockey player who died by suicide
last fall, say they hope the Central Okanagan school board will act on some
of the suggestions that came out of last weekend's community forum on youth
suicide.

"A forum on suicide for high school kids during school would be a great
idea," said Terry Flamond. "What better input than from the kids themselves?"

Saturday's forum attracted a crowd of about 250 people to the Kelowna
Community Theatre to hear a presentation from Jennifer White, director of
the Suicide Prevention Information Resource Centre at the University of
British Columbia.

Afterwards, a panel of community representatives listened to presentations
from the audience and fielded their questions as best they could.

One question that school district representative Greg Walker was unable to
answer was from Ricciuti's aunt Pam Pilon, who demanded to know if the
school board was reviewing its suspension policy.

Both Ricciuti and another 13-year-old from Constable Neil Bruce middle
school took their own lives last fall after learning they were facing
disciplinary action for using marijuana.

While Ricciuti was on a hockey road trip not connected to the school
district, the other boy was sent home alone with his parent's permission
after being suspended.

Walker told Pilon that he couldn't answer policy questions because he was
not a school trustee but did talk about the interventions that are
performed on students identified as being at moderate to high risk for suicide.

School board chairwoman Moyra Baxter said yesterday the school board is
waiting for a report from senior staff on programs and policies relating to
suicide.

"The issue has been identified as a grave concern," she added.

Flamond said he would also like to see a program beginning in elementary
school where kids are taught coping skills for dealing with crises.

"They have to be made aware that life isn't rosy and you will have to deal
with life's problems at some time," he said.

"That may have been the breakdown for Jason. He didn't have the coping
skills to deal with the situation.

"It might help the kids who don't necessarily display the signs. Give them
more awareness.

"If they're taught that, somehow the kids that fly under the radar will
learn that too."