The student shared that he was contemplating suicide. He had the means, he had the method and he was prepared to do it that day. 

 

The technician reached out to the school resource officer, who conducted a welfare check on the student. The student produced a suicide note and together the resource officer and the student reached out to his parents. Before that, nobody had any idea that he was struggling. Because of the courage to speak up and a safe place to reach out, the student was found in time and provided help. 

 

That safe place was OK2SAY, the confidential reporting system established in response to the mandate of the Michigan Student Safety Act of 2013. OK2SAY was launched in September 2014. It is designed to empower students to help prevent violence and make their schools safe by confidentially reporting threatening behavior. 
 

OK2SAY is operated through a partnership between the Michigan Department of Attorney General, Michigan State Police, state agencies, schools, parents, law enforcement and community leaders. 
 

The tip line isn't just in place to help those contemplating suicide -- other violent acts are also reported. A United States Secret Service study reported that in 81 percent of violent school incidents, someone other than the attacker knew about the plan but didn’t report it. OK2SAY discourages the persistent culture of silence among students who fear being labeled a snitch. It gives a voice to students who might otherwise remain silent out of fear of retaliation or rejection. 
 

Confidential Reporting: State law protects the confidentiality of the reporter’s identity. It will not be disclosed to local law enforcement, school officials, or the person about whom a tip is offered unless the reporter voluntarily chooses to disclose his or her identity. If the reporter is a minor, the parent or guardian must also consent. 
 

Comprehensive Technology: Anyone can confidentially submit tips 24/7 using any of the five tip methods detailed below. Multi-media attachments and links to additional information are encouraged. 
 

Coordinated Intervention: Specially trained OK2SAY technicians at the Michigan State Police receive, screen and forward tips to an appropriate responding agency including local law enforcement, schools, local community mental health organizations or the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. 
 

Accountability: Responders are asked to complete an Outcome Report detailing the nature of the tip, how the tip was handled, and whether the tip situation was resolved or requires ongoing attention. Local entities can use these reports to show that student safety threats are tracked and taken seriously. OK2SAY Annual Reports detail the types and numbers of tips handled throughout the year, and are posted on the OK2SAY website. 
 

Education: The Attorney General offers free student safety programming for children in  kindergarten-12th grade. Students in K-fifth grade receive age-appropriate instruction from Michigan Cyber Safety Initiative, a national award-winning and feeder program for OK2SAY. Students in sixth-12th grade receive dynamic OK2SAY student safety programs. Together, the programming has been presented to more than 1.6 million Michigan students.