ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Youth pastors will lead a prayer service on Friday night after a teenage girl stepped off the roof of the School of the Arts and died.

They’re praying for her, her classmates, her family, and every child in the community. The prayer service will begin at 7 p.m. at the Greatest Harvest Church on Driving Park Avenue.

The Rochester City School District announced her death in a statement writing, “Our hearts are with the student’s family, friends, and everyone impacted by this tragedy. The entire RCSD community expresses its condolences to the family.”

This tragedy has moved people to take action. Norman Simmons is running a youth mental health first aid program at East High next month. He wants to help people recognize what he calls the soft signs of trouble.

“If we know a kid loves to come to school with their hair done and we notice that student stops coming to school with their hair done, that’s a sign for us to get involved and ask what’s going on?” Simmons said.

Simmons had trauma earlier in his life that impacted him. News10NBC’s Berkeley Brean asked him what helped turn his situation around.

Norman Simmons, Youth Mental Health First Aid: “So for me it was the positive role models in my life. So I had mentors, coaches, teachers, East High School. I had a lot of things surround me that helped me get through things I was going through even though the environment I was growing up in was very abnormal.”

Israel Dudley and Gregory Wells II, youth pastors at Greater Harvest Church, have two nieces and a nephew at SOTA and a younger brother who works there. They say they’re praying for generational curses to be broken, the spirit of depression and suicide to be broken and to let the children know they are there for them.

Berkeley Brean, News10NBC: “When you learned about what happened yesterday at SOTA, what did you feel?”

Israel Dudley, Youth Pastor, Greater Harvest Church: “Broken. It really hit close to home. How does something like this happen to somebody who had a whole life ahead of them?”

Gregory Wells II, Greater Harvest Church: “The old proverb is true – it takes a village to raise a child. So this woman’s testimony should be for all of us a wake up call. We should feel a sense of responsibility.”

The Monroe County report on teenage risk behavior says 6 out of 10 students who attempted suicide did not seek help from a doctor or counselor or hotline before they tried it. Help is out there but the survey shows a majority of children didn’t ask for it.

“Our children are in a place where they are hurting,” Dudley said. “And they need outlets. They need people to talk to.”

If you or a loved one is experiencing thoughts of suicide or a mental health crisis, contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988. To learn more about the resources available, click here.

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RELATED:

• NAMI and Mental Health Association of Rochester offer no-cost mental health programs (March 26)
• A psychologist gives advice to parents following the death of 15-year-old (March 25)
• SOTA makes counselors available after teen walks off building; Community gathers to pray (March 24)
• Majority of Monroe County teenagers who consider suicide never seek help, report finds (March 24)