Teen Screen information went home from Ada schools on Sept. 28 to parents of all 7th through 12th graders, according to a post on Ada Bulldogs Facebook.

The purpose of Teen Screen is to identify risk factors associated with depression, anxiety, and alcohol or other substance abuse.

School officials say that the Teen Screener is one way to get ahead of potential mental health issues and prevent more involved symptoms, perhaps even saving a child’s life.

Teen Screening is confidential and free of charge. It is designed to help parents better understand the changes teens experience. The screening provides parents with important information and for most parents, it reassures them that their teen is just experiencing the typical “growing pains” associated with the teen years.

Teen Screening can also help pinpoint a problem in its early stages, giving parents the ability to secure needed resources for teens to reduce the chance that a more significant problem will develop in the future.

According to school officials, it is important to return the consent form, indicating parential consent or desire to not have your child participate. This helps the school be certain every parent received the information. It also helps the school gather statistics necessary to keep offering the program.