13 Reasons Why or 300 Reasons Why Not? Community forum to address suicide

Best selling book and Netflix series "13 Reasons Why" has sparked conversation about mental health and suicide among youth after the lead character leaves behind 13 tapes after she kills herself. Each tape tells a different person the part they played in her death.

As a response to the movie and how students will react to it, Lake Tahoe Unified School District intervention counselors will be holding a community panel discussion called "300 Reasons Why Not" on Tuesday, May 30 at South Tahoe Middle School's Multi-Purpose Room starting at 6:00 p.m.

A recent assessment test of South Tahoe Middle School students showed that several of them are at risk for depression, suicide or self-destructive behavior, just as young teens across the country are. The LTUSD counselors immediately met with those students to get them on a positive path.

1 in 65,000 children ages 10 to 14 commit suicide each year. There are two times as many deaths due to suicide than HIV/AIDS.

Suicide is not an easy topic to discuss with teens, but being open about it can be beneficial.

The public is invited to the May 30 forum which will feature a panel of those LTUSD intervention counselors as well as a suicide prevention person from outside of the district.

"The intent is to draw parents and the community in to help get conversations going about mental health and suicide, both of which are important topics," said Jeanne Nelson, of National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) El Dorado County.

LTUSD Psychologist Natalie Collins organized the event which will have intervention counselors, NAMI, Suicide Prevention Network and others on a panel and available for conversation.