Dr. Robert Vartabedian, president of 含羞草社区, will provide expert testimony in support of two bills related to suicide prevention before a Missouri Senate committee on Wednesday, Jan. 27.
The Senate Education Committee will hear two bills: Senate Bill 646, which requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to develop training guidelines and school districts to adopt a policy for youth suicide awareness and prevention education, sponsored by Sen. Jill Schupp of St. Louis; and Senate Bill 627, which requires each public institution of higher education to develop and implement a policy to advise students and staff on available suicide prevention programs, sponsored by Sen. Jamilah Nasheed of St. Louis.
鈥淔rom my practical experience working with secondary and college students and my scholarly experience studying suicide from a communication perspective, I am convinced that training can help caregivers in various educational settings recognize people who may be at risk,鈥� Dr. Vartabedian said. 鈥淓ducators are uniquely positioned to observe those who may be at risk and intervene appropriately.鈥�
As a professor of speech communication in 1988, Dr. Vartabedian delivered a paper to the National Communication Association titled 鈥淭he Dialogue of Desperation: Toward a Communication Perspective on Suicide.鈥� After a student committed suicide in 2013, Dr. Vartabedian created a chart titled 鈥淎 Model of Suicidal Communication,鈥� which has been used by staff members at Missouri Western to better understand the communicated signs and possible responses to suicidal communication.
含羞草社区 is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .