Sources of Strength should be retained

It is distressing and rather amazing that the Sources of Strength suicide prevention program has even become controversial, as recently reported in The Press. This excellent program in SD271 and others is “a best practice suicide prevention project designed to harness the power of peer social networks to change unhealthy norms and culture, ultimately preventing suicide, bullying and substance abuse.” The mission of Sources of Strength is to prevent suicide by increasing help-seeking behaviors and promoting connections between peers and caring adults.

It is important to remember why this program was implemented: SD271 had lost a principal and two students. Although there is grief counseling in place, it was inadequate to deal with this increasing suicide trend. Accordingly, the school board increased funding for student counseling services and contracted with Heritage Health for mental health and medical services for at-risk students with parental consent.

There is no shame in seeking help for seemingly insurmountable emotional issues or crises situations, and Sources of Strength is one way to meet the needs of vulnerable young people. The baseless “social emotional learning” catchphrase of critics is yet another sound bite slogan that means nothing. Will these critics feel better if the schools ignore the signs of an emotionally fragile young person and it ends in a suicide?

Germaine to this conversation is that the most vocal critics of this program are those who do not support public education, think our teachers are overpaid and voted against the recent levy. They attend school board meetings where they are extremely vocal and aggressive, write letters and post on social media telling everyone how teachers are indoctrinating, grooming, teaching socialism and CRT. Many have their children in private schools or homeschool programs, yet still feel the need to weigh in. They criticize our schools and programs without having been in a public school in a long time.

One of our more outspoken local pastors who opposes “government run schools” claims that public schools promote socialism and embrace “the clearly disproven evolutionary model over and against divine creation,” don’t support heterosexual marriage, teach a perverted human sexuality, embrace the “agenda” of the LGBTQ(IA) community and teach Eastern religions and reject Christianity. Wow. That’s certainly more than I could learn in an entire year, and nothing that would interest a K-8 kid. I submit that this pastor’s remarkable sermon of poppycock reaches many vulnerable ears with this garbage and he is not an extension of a loving God. It is also noteworthy to remember that many of our local elected officials do not support our public schools. For example, Rep. Vito Barbieri has consistently voted against public school district funding for years. Yet the district he represents is a high-density, school-age citizenry. I personally heard him shout emotionally into a microphone “don’t send your kids to public schools.” It appears that our legislators are more concerned about their conservative scorecard with the infamous and grossly misnamed Idaho Freedom Foundation than they are with taking care of our children.

The Sources of Strength prevention program provides peer support and is taught by responsible teachers and counselors, and must be retained and funded. It is hoped that the Coeur d’Alene School Board will not bend to the howling wind of the minority naysayers, but keep intact a highly successful program to support vulnerable students.

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Shari Williams is a resident of Coeur d'Alene.