Prevention Newsletter

Our goal is to provide our community with education and resources surrounding substance misuse and mental health prevention. We will be using this to highlight our initiatives, educational information, upcoming events, and more!

As the winter break approaches, we invite you to take a moment to slow down, recharge, and embrace the peace this season can bring. The holidays are often filled with joy and connection, but they can also bring challenges—whether it’s missing a loved one, juggling holiday preparations, or managing the pressures of the season. While each of us celebrates in our own way, it’s important to acknowledge all feelings that may arise and remember it’s okay to ask for support when needed. To help make this season a little brighter, we’ve gathered some resources for you to keep handy. If you or a loved one could benefit from extra support, we encourage you to use them whenever needed.

Bellevue Independent Schools has partnered with Care Solace to help support the well-being of our community. Whether you or a family member need support with mental health or substance use, Care Solace can connect you to care options that meet your needs—quickly, confidentially, and at no cost to you.

How to Access Support:

📲 888-515-0595 (Multilingual support available 24/7/365)

🌐 www.caresolace.com/bellevue

🔍 Search for providers independently or click “Book Appointment” to get assistance via video chat, phone, or email

Wishing you a joyful holiday season and a peaceful start to the new year. May you return from winter break rested, recharged, and ready for what’s ahead!

Finding peace during the holiday season can be a challenge. For many of us, it feels like just another task to add to our already overflowing "to-do" list. This year, here is an acronym to help you find moments of peace amidst the chaos: PEACE.

Pause: When things feel overwhelming, take a moment to pause and breathe deeply.

Exhale: When you pause, exhale completely then take another big breath.

Accept: Acknowledge the situation for what it is. View it without judgment and with a broad perspective.

Choose: Respond with intention and clarity, making a conscious choice about your next steps.

Engage: Reconnect with others. If this feels difficult, reach out to a trusted friend for support.

It’s easy to forget how beneficial these strategies can be for everyone. Let’s remember to extend the same care and compassion to ourselves during this busy time of year.

This month’s focus is Empathy. One way to think about Empathy is “understanding and connecting with other people’s feelings.” Empathy is a practice that can help us grow strong relationships.

We all experience conflict in life. Whether we are frustrated with a friend or in an argument with a family member, we need tools to help us navigate conflict successfully. This month's focus can help us with understanding conflict resolution through the lens of Empathy. Try practicing the Tree of Choices, which is a simple tool to lead us toward successful conflict resolution.

The Roots of the Tree

1. Identifying if the problem is big or small:

• Big problems require help from an adult, which usually means someone is being hurt.
• Small problems can be solved on their own.

Review Empathy as a family! Remember that Empathy is understanding and connecting with other people’s feelings. Schedule a family movie night so that you can specifically watch for feelings and emotions. Let everyone know that you’d like them to point out how the characters in the show are feeling and that you will pause periodically to discuss Empathy. As emotions are identified, invite one another to Empathize by sharing about a time they felt that way or imagining how they might be feeling in that moment.