Center provides listening post for troubled teens

By KATE BLAIN- | Comments: 0 | Leave a comment

Rashaun, 15, laughs as he tells his story, posturing for his friends: He had an argument with his father, so he bought some kerosene and tried to immolate himself.

Quick to say that he no longer has suicidal feelings, he adds casually that he has tried to hang himself and "didn't make it -- I was too short."

TJ and Ernie, on the other hand, insist that they never felt like killing themselves in the first place. They've just come to the church hall at Sacred Heart/St. Columba parish on Schenectady's Hamilton Hill because they like practicing martial arts with the church's "Quest" program.

Place to talk

Quest began several years ago as an "artist-in-residence" program with the aim of helping people in the depressed neighborhood through music, dance and art. Recently, it took another turn when volunteers Harold Cannon and Judy Atchinson added an "adolescent suicide prevention center" to the program.

The idea came about after Mr. Cannon, a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology, visited the original program and asked how many teens had attempted suicide. More than 80 percent said they had. Knowing that a teen suicide attempt occurs every 15 minutes in the U.S., the psychologist decided to help.

About 30 teens, mostly Hispanic, now participate in the program.

Troubles

Rev. Michael Hogan, Sacred Heart/St. Columba pastor, says these are "among the worst kids on the hill." Many have already been thrown out of school for fighting or carrying weapons; all come from such severely dysfunctional backgrounds that they have attempted suicide. TJ and Ernie admit they've spent time in jail.

However, Father Hogan added, "they're the nicest kids in the world."

Mr. Cannon hopes to help these teens survive the war zone that is their neighborhood through suicide-prevention education. He begins by doing a psychological assessment on each teen who enters the program to decide whether they need hospital care or are able to do peer counseling. Those who are appropriate for the program get training in how to recognize suicidal feelings in themselves and each other, and give one another input on how to handle them.

Horror stories

Every teen, said Father Hogan, has a "personal horror story." One girl lives with her suicidal mother and her mother's boyfriend, a drug dealer. The teen has tried suicide twice.

Another young man was abandoned by his family, now lives with a grandmother, has been in trouble with the law -- and has tried to kill himself.

Even the teens who deny suicidal feelings to most adults have tried it, the volunteers say; they just don't open up because they don't trust anyone over 18.

"I still don't trust him," declared Rashaun of Mr. Cannon in an interview. "I feel the same; I act the same; I just talk to him."

Someone there

On the other hand, Mr. Cannon believes the program is working "because they show up every week. For kids in Hamilton Hill to show up anyplace every week is amazing. They do it because there's something there for them."

Rashaun agreed with some embarrassment. "I had to stop thinking about myself," he said of his suicide attempts. "I had to be thinking about how other people feel, too."

TJ and Ernie said they try to talk other teens out of wanting to kill themselves. The Quest program "is cool," said Ernie. TJ added that "it kept me out of trouble when I came out of jail."

Listen up

Mr. Cannon hopes to spread the word about the Quest program and encourage other parishes to start similar ones. His major concern is that families pass off suicide warning signs as typical teen behavior.

He stated that he would go to any church or organization that wanted him to speak on the subject, and was even willing to do assessments and make recommendations for troubled teens.

"My message: Get on the ball; your kids are killing themselves," he said succinctly.

(To find out more about the Quest program or schedule a speaking engagement, call Harold Cannon at 283-6658.)

(11-05-98) [[In-content Ad]]