suicide

"Genuinely, I do believe that the death, the bullying, all that could have been prevented," said AJ Wilt, a student at Union-Endicott High School.

"We had kids that came to ninth grade who hadn't been in school for two years. So they didn't develop the social skills that they needed."

Experts raise staffing, funding and infrastructure concerns as the official launch approaches.

Overall, annual suicides increased by 43.6 percent between 2005 and 2017. Among veterans, that increase was 6.1 percent.

If you or someone you know has an urgent mental health concern please call the national suicide prevention lifeline 1-800-273-8255.

A recent study, partly conducted in rural high schools in western New York and the Finger Lakes region, looks at the influence of student-adult relationships on the rate of suicide attempts in high schools.

"These don’t have to be psychiatrists or neurologists, just people who generally provide health care to recognize tell-tale signs. We’ve done some of this in mental illness and it’s much improved.

"We have an obligation to provide resources and promote safe, supportive environments so people we serve know that there are places to turn if they are in crisis."