OCR Text |
Show Volume XXIX Issue VIII The Ogden Valley News Page 7 August 1, 2022 STEM Careers for Women in Ogden Valley U.S. Transitions to 988 Suicide In Utah, specifically, some of the reasons girls have a declining interest in STEM fields & Crisis Lifeline Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the include cultural gender norms and attitudes that By Dr. Susan R. Madsen job market has become a roller coaster for both employees and employers. One way to increase a woman’s level of job security is for them to consider a career in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). My team at the Utah Women & Leadership Project, recently released a report that revealed some pretty surprising information about women in STEM careers. If you are looking for a higher-paying career, it is good to know that in Utah, STEM jobs earn an average of $90,000/year compared to an average of $42,000/year for all other fields. Additionally, Utah is ranked among the top ten locations for tech growth, which translates into more options and diverse job opportunities on the horizon. Interestingly, despite STEM careers’ positive income being more than double than that of other fields, and the promising industry growth, only 21% of STEM careers are held by women, even though women in Utah represent 45% of the workforce. These numbers are even lower for women of color. The bottom line is, there is more room for women to fill quality STEM positions. STEM careers allow for increased earnings for both men and women, but there is a large discrepancy between men and women in STEM careers. Here are some interesting facts that might give us a better understanding of why the discrepancy exists. Nationally, fewer women, overall, pursue STEM-related college degrees, but in Utah it’s even significantly lower than the national figures. This trend begins as early as third grade when many girls begin to lose their confidence in math and science. This trend persists as a continuous decline. By the time girls get to college, men dominate in mathheavy STEM fields like physics, engineering, and computer science. When women do enter a STEM career, they are more likely to leave their career than their male counterparts. The “invisible masculine culture” in Utah is strong, and women continue to feel like they don’t belong. may eliminate STEM fields from the pool of options girls consider for a career. Also, societal education and career habits can permeate family, school, church, and peer influences. Additionally, gender stereotypes and biases chip away at possibilities when girls or women explore their options. With so much opportunity for success in STEM fields, we must work together as a community to change perceptions of STEM careers for women. Efforts that engage businesses, education providers, policymakers, and homes to support and encourage girls to confidently pursue chosen fields will show there is community and social support. Because the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that STEM careers are projected to increase 29% more than nonSTEM careers in the next ten years, now is the perfect time for women and girls to pivot in this direction. In Utah, where STEM careers are thriving, girls and women can consider careers in these traditionally masculine fields. As more women engage in STEM careers, Utah will experience educational, economic, and societal growth. However, it will require a change of attitudes and an increase in positive influences. Additionally, businesses are charged to continue to develop family-friendly policies to attract and keep women working in STEM fields. The Utah economy is strong, but to keep it that way we need to engage more girls and women in STEM education and careers. Check out the STEM-related programs for girls and young women at usu.edu/uwlp/resources/k-12programs. Let’s give girls and women options to find their own passions and talents, and then support them along their path! Note: Dr. Susan R. Madsen is the Karen Haight Huntsman Endowed Professor of Leadership in the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University and the founding director of the Utah Women & Leadership Project. Driving the patriotic bus in Huntsville’s July 4 parade was long-time Weber School District bus driver Steve Kendell, now retired. Becky Wood of Huntsville stated, “What’s so special about Steve? Not only did he drive the bus for the students for many years, but after students graduated, he attended their mission farewells, home comings, and wedding receptions.” A salute to Steve Kendell—possibly the world’s best school bus driver! If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis, call or text 988. On July 16, 2022, the United States transitioned the 10-digit National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to 988—an easy-to-remember, threedigit number for 24/7 crisis care. The lifeline, which also links to the Veterans Crisis Line, follows a three-year joint effort by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to put crisis care more in reach for people in need. This initiative is part of a comprehensive strategy to address our nation’s mental health crisis. Since January 2021, the federal government has spent $432 million to scale crisis center capacity and ensure all Americans have access to help during mental health crises. The National Suicide Hotline Designation Act, signed into law after the passage of bipartisan legislation in 2020, authorized 988 as a new three-digit number for suicide and mental health crisis. All telephone service and text providers in the U.S. and the five major U.S. territories were required by the FCC to activate 988 no later than July 16. “988 is more than a number, it is a message: we’re there for you. Through this and other actions, we are treating mental health as a priority and putting crisis care in reach for more Americans,” said Secretary Becerra, who has been meeting with states across the country about the transition to 988 as part of HHS’ National Tour to Strengthen Mental Health. “There is still much work to do. But what matters is that we’re launching, 988 will be live. We are looking to every governor and every state in the nation to do their part to make this a long-term success.” Investments in the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline increased by 18-fold—from $24 million to $432 million—to scale up crisis centers and back-up center capacity, and to provide special services, including a sub-network for Spanish language speakers. The $432 million included $105 million in grant funding to states and territories, provided by the American Rescue Plan, to improve response rates, increase capacity to meet future demand, and ensure calls initiated in their states or territories are first routed to local, regional, or state crisis call centers. Prior to this investment, the Lifeline, which has existed since 2005, had been long unfunded and underresourced. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a network of more than 200 state and local call centers supported by HHS through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). “Recent investments made in the Lifeline have already resulted in more calls, chats, and texts answered even as volume has increased, but we know that too many people are still experiencing suicidal crisis or mental healthrelated distress without the support they need,” said Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D., the HHS Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use and leader of SAMHSA. “Over time, the vision for 988 is to have additional crisis services available in communities across the country, much the way emergency medical services work. The success of 988 depends on our continued partnership with states, as the federal government cannot do this alone. We urge states and territories to join us and invest further in answering the call to transform our crisis care response nationwide.” FCC staff first proposed 988 in a report to Congress in August 2019 as the nationwide, easy-to-remember, 3-digit dialing code for individuals in crisis to connect to suicide prevention and mental health crisis counselors with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. On July 16, 2020, the FCC adopted rules designating 988 for this purpose. Recognizing the need to better support at-risk communities in crisis, including youth and individuals with disabilities, the FCC adopted additional rules in November 2021 to expand access to this important service by establishing the ability to also text 988. “All across our country, people are hurting. They need help. The good news is that getting that help just got a lot easier. Starting tomorrow, 988 will be available nationwide for individuals in crisis, and their loved ones, to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline more easily,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “This cross-government effort has been years in the making and comes at a crucial point to help address the mental health crisis in our country, especially for our young people.” VA administers the Veterans Crisis Line through the Lifeline’s national network. Because of VA’s partnership with the Lifeline, the Veterans Crisis Line is affected by this transition to a new number. Veterans and their loved ones can now Dial 988 then Press 1 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line. “988 has been a long time coming and will serve as a critical resource during a crisis when every second counts. The new, shorter number will help ensure Veterans have easier access to the Veterans Crisis Line,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “This launch is a whole-of-government approach in line with the President’s call to prioritize mental health by strengthening access to crisis services, and preventing Veteran suicide, our top clinical priority.” In 2021, the Lifeline received 3.6 million calls, chats, and texts. That number is expected to at least double within the first full year after the 988 transition. The United States had one death by suicide every 11 minutes in 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Suicide was the second leading cause of death for young people aged 10-14 and 25-34. From April 2020 to 2021, more than 100,000 people died from drug overdoses. Studies have shown that after speaking with a trained crisis counselor, most Lifeline callers are significantly more likely to feel less depressed, less suicidal, less overwhelmed, and more hopeful. The 10-digit Lifeline number 1-800-273TALK (8255) will continue to be operational after July 16 and will route calls to 988 indefinitely. Veterans, service members, and their families can also still reach the Veterans Crisis Line with the current phone number 1-800-2738255 and Press 1, or text to 838255. August 9: Snowcrest Jr. High new student registration from 8:00 a.m. to noon. For students new to the district. For more info, visit snowcrest.wsd.net. August 22: Back to school night at Snowcrest, 2:30 to 6:00 p.m. Come meet the teachers. August 23: First day of school. Girl’s softball tryouts will also be held at 12:30 p.m. |