Abstract Youth suicide is becoming dangerously close to reaching epidemic proportions. It is the third leading cause of death among fifteen to twenty-five years olds, and the second leading cause of death among ten to fourteen years olds, as well as college students. It is obvious that something must be done. A course of action must be taken to reduce or eliminate these terrifying statistics. The 2005 New Mexico Senate Joint Memorial 61 proposes to address this issue by developing and providing training programs for teachers as well as students, and developing and implementing a protocol for suicide prevention and response in all public schools and universities in the state. The following pages are an analysis of this policy, addressing its historical background, the problems that necessitate it, and the description of the policy. Historical Background 1. What historical problems led to the creation of the policy? Suicide among our youth is at an all time high.Teen/youth suicide rates have tripled since 1970 (http://www.1-teenage-suicide.com/). In the past young people experienced strong feelings of stress, self-doubt, pressure to succeed, and pressure regarding drugs and alcohol as well as others.These feelings are still present in our youth and are being experienced more than ever these days. Although one in eight teens experiences depression, the diagnosis is often missed or passed over, often mistaking it as typical teenage ups and downs, or mood swings. According to Senate Joint Memorial Bill 61 (SJM61) 2005, a New Mexico youth risk and resiliency survey was done in 2003. It showed that in children grades 9 through 12, 20 percent of females and 13 percent of males seriously considered suicide. More young people die from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, flu, and chronic lung disease combined. It is clear that youth suicide is becoming a problem of epidemic proportions. Depression, anxiety, and suicidal feelings are mental disorders that can be treated. However they must first be recognized and diagnosed in order for treatment to occur. 2. How important have these problems been historically? The statistics stated in question #1 above speak volumes for themselves. However, for the reasons stated in the following question #3, they have not taken on a very important role until recently. 3. How was the problem previously handled? Historically,