Suicide Prevention Resources Now On Student IDs

02Sep
by Leticia Chavez-Garcia

California has passed a state law requiring that all school districts include vital and potentially life-saving information on the back of all high school and middle school student identification cards. The law went into effect in July and requires California schools to print the number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on all student IDs for grades 7-12th grade in public, private and charter schools.

The law also says that student IDs may have information on the Crisis Text Line — which can be reached by texting HOME to 741741 — as well as local suicide prevention resources.  

At a time when we are seeing an epidemic of kids in crisis, the student ID puts important information at the fingertips of teens across the state.  A study published in the medical journal JAMA found a significant increase in the suicide rates among 15- to 24-year-olds between 2000 and 2017. It’s also an issue that La Comadre has written about many times. The ID cards also amplify the issue of suicide by making this information so profoundly accessible.  

Students are required to carry their student IDs (in most schools) every day.   

Other information and resources:

To get help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). There is also a crisis text line. For crisis support in Spanish, call 1-888-628-9454.

SB 972, Portantino. Pupil and student health: identification cards: suicide prevention hotline telephone numbers.

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Leticia Chavez-Garcia

Leticia Chavez-Garcia is a Mother, Grandmother, former Middle School Teacher, former Member of a School Board of Education and an Education Advocate for hundreds of parents and students in the Inland Empire. Having become a mother at 15, Leticia knows what it’s like to be a single mother trying to navigate the education system. Leticia received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science and Public Administration from California Baptist University and a Masters’ Degree in Education Technology from Cal State Fullerton in her 30’s. Leticia has used her knowledge and experience to help hundreds of families as an Education Advocate in the Inland Empire and currently works as an Education Specialist.

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