SOUTHLAKE — The tragic death of two Carroll high school students earlier this month has served as a wakeup call to many parents, according to Laura Hill, a Southlake parent and the co-founder of SPARK (Students and Parents Against Risks to our Kids).
The Carroll school district and SPARK are teaming up to reach troubled teenagers in the community.Depression, suicide and stress will be the focus of a SPARK forum Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. in the Carroll Senior High School auditorium, 1501 W. Southlake Blvd. Teenagers in seventh grade and up are invited to attend the free meeting where Vanita Halliburton of Plano will be the key note speaker.Halliburton founded the Grant Halliburton Foundation to raise awareness of mental illness and suicide after her son, Grant committed suicide in 2005 at the age 19. The Plano West Senior High School graduate was struggling with depression and bipolar disorder, Halliburton said. Her message will empower teenagers to identify signs of suicide or depression in their peers."They are the best gauge of their own generation’s mental health," Halliburton said. "They need to take that responsibility to heart."Halliburton said she remembers when her son’s friend told school officials that Grant was cutting himself at age 14."We got a chance to get involved when he obviously needed help," she said. "I didn’t know what cutting was."Carroll seniors Chase Nunez, 18, and Kyle McNutt, 17, of Grapevine died Jan. 5 from apparent drug overdoses. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner has not ruled on the cause of death. Grief counselors were brought to Carroll Senior High School earlier this month to help students cope with the loss.Mayor John Terrell addressed the recent tragedies at the Jan. 15 City Council meeting, saying he has met with Carroll trustees and that safety is the top priority for everyone."This community has experienced the loss of numerous students at an alarming rate from drugs and overdoses, suicides and certainly tragic accidents," Terrell said.A new support group has been formed at Carroll Senior High School to give teenagers a safe place to talk about their problems.The voluntary meetings are hosted by Teen Lifeline in the counseling office at the school. The group will meet for seven weeks and will cover how to find and use resources, manage stress and build relationships. Adult facilitators will teach life skills. Students must have a signed permission slip from parents or guardians to attend."Students will find that this group is a safe place for them to talk about what is going on in their world," Hill said.Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
