Sam Houston Counseling Newsletter

The Counseling Department welcomes all new and returning students and families to Sam Houston High School for the 2023-24 school year. We look forward to a positive and productive year.

For freshmen coming from middle school, we look forward to getting to know you and helping you make a successful transition to Hurricane Country.

We feel that it is important to communicate information in a timely and effective manner. This newsletter is intended to give you a summary of important grade level counseling information which should be useful in making plans and navigating high school as well as life after graduation. It is published monthly, so be sure to check the counseling website for the latest edition or (subscribe and get the newsletter delivered right to your inbox!)

If you have questions please contact your assigned counselor, or stop by the Counseling Suite Room 1404 (blue hall downstairs)

At Sam Houston, the roles of the school counselors include:

• academic advising and intervention
  
• college and career exploration and counseling
  
• personal counseling
  
• liaison between families and the school
  
• scheduling and class selection
  
• planning for graduation
  

We are here to support all of our students!

There are several ways students can see us:

1. Teacher Referral

2. Parent Referral

3. Self Referral

We meet with students for many reasons:

1. Academic - Performance, struggles, test taking strategies, study skills etc.

2. Friendship/ Peer/Social Concerns

3. Personal Concerns

4. Behavioral Concerns

5. Stress/Anxiety

6. Responsive Services - meeting their immediate needs and concerns

If you have a concern and you would like for a counselor to meet with your child, please contact your child's counselor via email or phone.

Thank you!

In the U.S., a suicide is committed every 14 minutes and is the second leading cause of death in youth ages 10 -24. Females attempt more than 3 times as often as males; males die by suicide more than 4 times that of females. LGBTQ youth are often at a higher risk for suicide than their heterosexual peers. Contrary to myth, talking to your child about suicide does not encourage him/her to commit suicide. We cannot afford to ignore the topic when children’s lives are at stake. Although warning signs may not always be present, they are present more often than not.

Be Familiar with Warning Signs (Arranged in the acronym, FACTS)

Feelings - Hopelessness, worthlessness, despair, emptiness, feeling anxious or trapped - these are examples of feelings that should really concern us.

Actions - includes things like trying to get access to a gun or pills, reckless behaviors, increasing drug or alcohol use, fighting.

Changes – change in attitude, moods or behaviors. Students who were active may become withdrawn, quit athletic teams, stop paying attention to personal appearance, daydream or fall asleep in the classroom or simply cut class.

Threats- can be specific like verbal statements of intent like “I‘m tired of living” or “I’m thinking of killing myself” or worrisome innuendos in writing or other class assignments. They can also be vague such as “You won’t have me around any longer to bother you.” Whether specific or vague, what these threats tell us is that the student is thinking about death or suicide, and that is what escalates our level of concern.

Situation(s)- may serve as triggers for the suicide. Your child’s coping skills may be challenged, and therefore, he/she may not see a viable solution. Situations include events like loss (family divorce, health problems, and economic problems) or death, getting into trouble at home, in school, or with legal authorities, personal losses of things like a break up with a boyfriend/girlfriend; impending changes or uncertainty.

Discussion Points at School

We will

• Encourage students to be kind and compassionate towards others,
  
• Encourage students to talk to a safe adult if they are hurting, or know someone in danger of hurting themselves,
  
• Help foster positive relationships with trusted adults, and
• Join with you in teaching our students resiliency.

Discussion Points at Home

• Actively listen to your child and validate what they feel.
  
• Focus on your concern for his/her well – being.
  
• Convey to him/her that he/she is important to you, and that you love him/her.
  
• Encourage your child to come to you when he/she (or a friend) is having thoughts of hurting or killing him/herself.
• Don’t be afraid to seek professional help for your child.

In cases of emergency, dial 911 or go to a hospital.

Crisis Numbers:

Suicide Crisis Center Hotline 214. 828.1000

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline- 988