By Tony Pennington
Transcript Staff Writer
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 10- to 24-year-olds in Oklahoma. There are many factors that push the state’s youth to the brink where they feel there are no other options. Audrey Hatley was one of those children.
At 14, Norman resident Audrey took her own life. Now in the year she would have graduated from Norman Public Schools, Audrey and her family are getting a rare opportunity a few suicide victims and their loved are given, a chance to transform a tragedy into a guiding light.
Heartline Inc., formerly Contact Crisis, will present the first Audrey Hatley Award Sept. 7 at its fundraiser “Festival of Hope” at the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club. The event will lead into National Suicide Prevention Week, Sept. 10-16. Heartland selected Norman Public Schools as the recipient based on the district’s efforts to promote education and prevention of self-harm, depression and suicide. Audrey’s mother will attend the ceremony and present NPS Superintendent Dr. Joseph Siano and Director of Guidance Sharon Heatly with a $500 check and plaque.
Sherry Crosthwait, director of suicide prevention outreach programs for Heartline, said NPS deserved the recognition for its continual focus on the issue of suicide.
“Norman is very dedicated to their students and very conscious of the well-being of their students,” Crosthwait said. “The district works very hard to maintain the physical and emotional safety of their students.”
Crosthwait has seen NPS in action. She said the district and Heartline have a three-year relationship that helps to protect the health of Norman’s youth while providing training and program implementation.
Heatley also is appreciative of the collaboration between the two entities. She said Heartline has given NPS direction and an avenue to reach students.
“They responded to our needs as a district,” she said. “We wanted more education for our students and teachers. Because we had a few deaths, we couldn’t stand the thought of losing another child to suicide.”
Together NPS and Heartline set up multiple training dates for district staff and developed a program that has served about 5,000 Norman students. Heatly said the education opportunities also focused on the high risk behaviors — alcohol and drug abuse — that could be a link to suicide.
“Sometimes high risk activity leads into situations where a student doesn’t have the coping skills,” she said. “Sometimes they also don’t have the support system and feel there is no way out.”
While the district is honored to receive the award, Siano said NPS owes it to the families and students to create services that address those complex issues.
“We believe it is the responsibility of the district to provide for our students resources and support not only to be successful academically, but to have the tools to deal with the many social pressures they experience,” he said.
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