One out of every 12 teenagers attempts suicide every year. Eighty percent of those young people attempting suicide could be detected and helped beforehand. Many states in the U.S. support school-based mental health services, but Michigan lags behind in this critical area.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and the current Congress have virtually no commitment to public schools protecting children and adolescents growing up at risk in traumatic environments.

This is only one of the many reasons on Aug. 7 we will be voting for David Benac, Democratic candidate for the US Congress in Michigan’s sixth District. Adopting David Benac’s proposal to put social workers in all Michigan schools will save lives and prevent an increasing burden on our overwhelmed health care, child welfare and justice systems.

Larry & Durie Bennett

Galien