Another first — joined ‘Say Something’ campaign

Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced an executive order March 1, 2018, that creates the Arkansas School Safety Commission to identify ways to help secure the safety of Arkansas students. The recommendations provide support to all students’ safety with consideration to their mental health needs.

Pea Ridge School District became the first school district in Arkansas to utilize the Sandy Hook Say Something Program as this year Pea Ridge Schools began working, along with the Sandy Hook Foundation, to help support the mental health and safety of our students with the Say Something Program. The Say Something program aligns with the Governor’s executive order by providing an anonymous reporting system for students to report concerns relating to themselves or others when they fear someone is at risk of harm.

On Oct. 7, the Middle School and High School students were trained how to use the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System (SSARS). The system is set up as an app, website or a number to text. Students were trained on how to make a report, and what type of reports can be made.

The system is operated by trained crisis counselors employed by the Sandy Hook Foundation.

When a report is sent in, the crisis counselor attempts to provide emotional support to the reporting party and gather as much information as possible to determine if the report is a life safety report or non-life safety report. Once the report is made, the information is sent in real time to the appropriate school or safety personnel. It is the goal for the school and safety personnel to help follow up on any concerns that maybe happening. Once a report is made, it is documented to help prevent duplicate reports being addressed.

Before beginning the program, District leaders worked with area Districts on understanding how the system had worked fro them, one District being Bixby School District in Oklahoma. Bixby reported the program being extremely successful for students. Pea Ridge is excited to announce this program and has already seen success within its first week.