National Suicide Prevention Lifeline On School IDs

New Hampshire has passed a new law that requires all school IDs to include the Suicide Prevention Lifeline and the number 988. The Senate Bill 243 was passed and signed by governor Chris Sununu for the state’s crisis number to be on school IDs from 6th grade to college and universities. This is provided for people to seek help through the hotline with mental challenges they may be facing. It’s believed that providing the hotline on the IDs can help more people than just students.

The Senate Bill 234 is named for a Merrimack Valley High School student named Jason Dickey who took his own life at the age of 19. His parents Martha and Paul Dickey decided to spread the prevention of suicide through the legislation and include the hotline. They wanted to provide help on the school IDs since Jason would always carry his school ID around with him wherever he went and his parents used that. Martha Dickey states, “I always say if we help one person and we don’t even know who that is, it makes our loss more bearable, a bit less like Jason died in vain. We couldn’t help him, but we don’t know if these supports were there, would he have been able to draw on that back then?”

The idea behind the number is to help those who are struggling and have the resources right in their hands. This requirement applies to all schools, colleges, and universities for those who use ID cards. School districts have received letters about the bill being passed along with information about the effects. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline has started providing support as callers have started dialing 988 and it has been functioning well.

This is a big change throughout school districts as more people start to become more aware about the issues of mental health of young students. The Timberlane school counseling office has followed the law by including the hotline number on the back of the school IDs to help students in need. If anyone is struggling mentally, they can reach out for help and speak to an adult that can provide guidance for them.