OXFORD, Mich. (WXYZ) — For Nicole Beausoleil, the Oxford High School shooting changed everything. One year ago, her daughter Madisyn Baldwin was among four children shot and killed.
“Can someone be taken down a different path to prevent a school shooting if you get through to that child early enough. Absolutely. Absolutely,” said Nicole Beausoleil, mother of Madisyn Baldwin, one of the four Oxford High School students killed on November 30, 2021.
Since the tragedy, Nicole has used her platform to help raise awareness about mental health issues plaguing children.
“It takes time. It takes practice. That constant follow up. It’s no different than an infection. You have to put antibiotics on it,” Beausoleil said.
Nicole’s message is resonating with top researchers at Michigan State University.
Dr. Alyse Folino Ley is one of the doctors in the university's psychiatry department who will oversee a 5-year study geared towards preventing adolescent violence and school shootings.
“The point of our program is to wrap the community around this individual so that they can’t slip through the cracks,” said Dr. Alyse Folino Ley, associate professor of psychiatry at Michigan State University.
Dr. Ley tells us specialized teams will deploy to five regions throughout the state where caseworkers and mentors intervene to help a student who’s shown to be struggling with mental health. Including cases demonstrating suicidal or homicidal tendencies or other forms of aggression.
This comes in a year in U.S. history that’s brought more than 350 mass shootings.
7 Action News' Simon Shaykhet asked Dr. Ley, “What’s the expectation for you and the co-chair at the end of this project?”
“What we hope to do is produce a report regarding best practices that can be hopefully implemented throughout the state and the United States,” Dr. Ley responded.
She says partnerships with law enforcement and schools are key in identifying which students need help.
This study takes into account that often, time and lack of resources can stand in the way of preventing an adolescent from harming themselves and or others.
This study will also examine factors proven to help avert school shootings.
“It’s a collaboration in the community. Academic support. Mental health support. The individual isn’t being arrested necessarily. Rather we are offering support, not punishment,” Dr. Ley revealed.
For Nicole, it's a source of hope, along with inspiration that state grant dollars can truly be used to help save the lives of school children.
“If we can get a little bit of awareness or knowledge in this aspect, it can go in other places in the community,” Beausoleil said.
Leaders of this study are hopeful after five years they will be able to continue their work. They say nothing is more important than keeping our young people safe.
