Mental Health Matters
A Monthly Newsletter from your Educational Support Staff
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This newsletter will be issued out monthly to our WesTech community with a specific focus on our individual and collective emotional wellness. Specifically we will focus on our school’s mental health theme for the month as a guide. The contributors to this newsletter are your educational support staff. Who are we? We are the professionals in this building whose jobs are to support you outside of the classroom so you may excel in the classroom and in life at WesTech and beyond. We are your guidance counselors, student assistant counselor, child study team members, school nurse, school resource officer and more. We are here to respond to the immediate social-emotional-medical-safety needs of our students as well as creating programs to support you all year long. During this school year, we have expanded our focus on your mental and emotional wellness by crafting a year-long initiative to support it. There have already been, and will be more, adjustments to go through this school year. Navigating how to find a steady and stable rhythm when the ground is moving is a tricky task. As we charter these new waters, we must also acknowledge the impact of the storm of the last year and a half has had on us as we continue to move forward. The good news is, none of us do this alone. We are on the ship together and we will all move forward together.
November: Stigma, Myths, Empathy and what to do about it
STIGMA
There used to be shame in admitting you were struggling with emotional and mental issues, which made seeking therapeutic support taboo. Thankfully, the trend has shifted and those days are gone. No longer is shame associated with seeking help. In fact, it is supported and encouraged. It is OK TO NOT BE OK! The next and crucial step, after acknowledging we are struggling, is to seek support to manage it and to move through it in a healthy way. We have seen people in the spotlight step up and step back to say, they are not ok and their mental health comes before anything else. (Think of recent headlines with Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, singer/actress Demi Lovato, actor/athlete “The Rock” Johnson, Eagles player Lane Johnson and tennis phenom Naomi Osaka). Just being open and talking about your struggles makes it easier for the next person to do so also. Talking about them normalizes them and continues to erase the stigma. Check out the link below for 9 ways to fight mental health stigma:
9 Ways to Fight Mental Health Stigma
Coming up: In our commitment to eradicating the stigma on mental health issues, this month we have scheduled a virtual presentation for you from NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) called In Our Own Voice.
“NAMI In Our Own Voice presentations change attitudes, assumptions and ideas about people with mental health conditions. These presentations provide a personal perspective of mental health conditions, as leaders with lived experience talk openly about what it's like to have a mental health condition.”
https://www.nami.org/Support-Education/Mental-Health-Education/NAMI-In-Our-Own-Voice
MYTHS
Common myths - “You have it so easy” “People your age have nothing to complain about” “No one will understand” “There is something wrong with me”
Facts - You are not alone in your struggles. There are a lot of resources to connect you to others with the same struggles.
1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year
1 in 20 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness each year
1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year
50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24
Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10-34
Common myths - “I will never feel better, I have always been depressed” “Once suicidal, always suicidal” “If I am not here it’ll be better”
Facts - Suicidal thoughts are a symptom, just like any other — they can be treated, and they can improve over time. You matter.
Visit The National Alliance on Mental Illness website to see more data from joint studies at https://www.nami.org/mhstats .
Practice EMPATHY
WHAT IS EMPATHY? Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others.
FOCUSING ON OTHERS:
It is important to look around us, observe who we think needs help and/or needs to connect with someone. The best way to connect with someone struggling or feeling isolated is simply to start a conversation. It doesn’t need to be serious or deep. Just simply checking in on someone shows they are cared about. If you identify someone you want to connect with but you don’t know them, it can feel strange or awkward. Here are some ways to initiate a conversation to show you care:
• How are you?
• Are you ok?
• Do you need to talk?
• What can I do to be there for you?
• Is there anything that you need from me?
• I want to know how you’re feeling because I care about you.
If, upon connecting with that person, you feel that you, alone, aren't able to provide the support they need, please refer them to any of the educational support staff listed below (in addition to your continued support!)
Emotional wellness doesn't just happen. We have to work on it, like anything else. On our own AND together.....
“Somehow we’ve come to equate success with not needing anyone. Many of us are willing to extend a helping hand, but we’re very reluctant to reach out for help when we need it ourselves. It’s as if we’ve divided the world into “those who offer help” and “those who need help." The truth is that we are both. We don’t have to do all of it alone. We were never meant to.”
We can’t help others without helping ourselves!
FOCUSING ON SELF:
We must take care of ourselves as individuals. Currently, you might feel more on edge than usual, angry, helpless or sad. This is not uncommon in our current climate, as we are coming out of an unprecedented pandemic where our connectedness was significantly impacted. Here are a few tips that can help you work yourself back to a feeling of wellness:
Separate what is in your control from what is not. (Only spend your time, thoughts, and energy on things in YOUR control).
Do what helps you feel a sense of safety. (Coping skills must be individualized. Figure out what works best for you and use your safe skills.)
Get outside in nature. ("Fresh air is good for the body and mind".)
Challenge yourself to stay in the present. (Anxiety increases when we worry too much about the future or things outside of our control. Depression increases when we linger in the past or feel hopeless about the future. Staying in the PRESENT is the safest place to be!)
If you notice that you still aren't feeling as 'well' as you want to, reach out to someone!
*(Below are in-school, in-community AND on-line resources) Know you are NOT alone and there is someone who cares and can help in any situation!
STOMP OUT STIGMA TOGETHER!!!
Coming Soon!
Our Stomp Out Stigma walk is an initiative to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness and substance use disorders. This event challenges each of us to transform our conversations surrounding mental health. As we continue to emerge from the pandemic, it is a challenge we can no longer remain silent about in our lives.
We have a responsibility to recognize the high prevalence of mental illness and substance use disorders. It is important for us to understand how these struggles affect family, friends and all those around us.
Mental health and substance use disorder diagnoses are more prevalent than heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, migraines, osteoporosis and asthma, yet misconception and misinformation have left many people with mental illness and substance use disorders afraid to talk about their experiences or to seek help.
This inaugural event is intended to change perceptions and reduce the stigma of mental illness and substance use disorders by encouraging people to WALK and then TALK about them.
It’s time to step up AND be heard!
More details to follow!
Reach out
COMMUNITY SUPPORTS:
SCIP (Screening and Crisis Intervention Program)
@ Lourdes Medical Center of Burlington County
218 Sunset Road, Willingboro, NJ 08046
(609) 261-8000
1-877-652-7624 (24 hours a day/7 days a week)
https://oaksintcare.org/services/child-and-family-services/child-adult-family-counseling-services/
https://www.centerffs.org/our-services/counseling-behavioral-health
Family Support Organization of Burlington County
ONLINE SUPPORTS:
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
NJ Youth Helplines
1-800-273-8255
Text or call: 1-888-222-2228
NJ Suicide Prevention Hope line
1-855-654-6735
Text HOME to 741741
For more resources, visit the SAC website
https://sites.google.com/burlcoschools.org/westechsacservices-cech/home
WESTECH SUPPORTS:
Mr. Fitzgerald, School Counselor (A-F) sfitzgerald@burlcoschools.org
Ms. Johnson, School Counselor (Cru_Har) bjohnson@burlcoschools.org
Mr. Frable, School Counselor (Has-McC) jfrable@burlcoschools.org
Mrs. Digney, School Counselor (McD-Ris) kdigney@burlcoschools.org
Mrs. Sabatino, School Counselor (Rit-T) msabatino@burlcoschools.org
Mrs. Daily, School Counselor (Wa-Z) jdaily@burlcoschools.org
Ms. Cech, Student Assistance Counselor ccech@burlcoschools.org
Mrs. Artz, Learning Consultant, bartz@burlcoschools.org
Ms. Christian, School Social Worker, mchristian@burlcoschools.org
Dr. Clayton, School Psychologist, jclayton@burlcoschools.org
Officer Moran, Student Resource Officer ment@burlcoschools.org
Mrs. Fowler, School Nurse hfowler@burlcoschools.org
Remember:
It’s not about ‘what’s wrong with you, but what happened to you’ and how to work through processing it all in a healthy way. By staying on top of your mental health maintenance you will move from struggling to surviving to thriving. And if you find yourself stalling or slipping, reach out to us - we are here to help!