New York probation offices screening youth for suicide risk

(AP) Probation departments across New York have started screening young offenders for risk of suicide as a way to connect them with mental health services.

Probation officials say they hope the project, called e-Connect, will help cut down their chances of getting in trouble in the future.

They say the program will streamline access to mental health services at a time when research shows suicide rates among teenagers and young adults have been rising nationally.