Whitehall Schools Counselors & Nurses Check-In

HELP GETTING ALONG: Are you struggling as a family to “get along”? Do you think you have to have it all together all the time as a parent? What are some ways that you can make sure your child is resilient as they age?

Mental health conditions can begin to develop in young children. Because they’re still learning how to identify and talk about thoughts and emotions, their most obvious symptoms are behavioral. Symptoms in children may include the following:

● Changes in school performance

● Excessive worry or anxiety, for instance

fighting to avoid bed or school

● Hyperactive behavior

● Frequent nightmares

● Frequent disobedience or aggression

● Frequent temper tantrums

Getting a diagnosis is just the first step; knowing your own preferences and goals is also important. Treatments for mental illness vary by diagnosis and by person. There’s no “one size fits all” treatment. Treatment options can include medication, counseling (therapy), social support and education. Visit https://bit.ly/3XuVX01.

*If you feel like your child or your family needs mental health services, please talk to your provider for a referral or reach out to the school nurses or counselors for other resources. Don’t wait!

Contact: 406-287-3882 ext. 2110 Email: nurse@whitehallmt.org

BROACHING SUICIDE: How do I talk to my child about suicide? I don’t want to give her the idea. I don’t want him to think I don’t care. I’m terrified to lose my child to suicide. What can I do to make sure she doesn’t get to that point?

It shouldn’t surprise you that Montana has been in the top 5 states for suicide for the last 30+ years. What are some contributing factors to this? Lack of access to mental health resources, many people are Vitamin D deficient, 1 in 5 kids in Montana lives more than 100% below the federal poverty line, STIGMA: many Montanans see mental illness as a weakness, there is an increased access to lethal means, alcohol is often used as a coping method, and there are 6.7 people per square mile, so people can feel socially isolated.

Here’s an Easy-to-Remember Mnemonic for the Warning Signs of Suicide: IS PATH WARM?

Ideation: Expressed or communicated ideation threatening to hurt or kill him/herself or talking of wanting to hurt or kill him/herself; and/or looking for ways to kill him/herself by seeking access to firearms, available pills, or other means; and/or talking or writing about death, dying or suicide, when these actions are out of the ordinary.

Substance Abuse: Increased alcohol or drug use

Purposelessness: No reason for living; no sense of purpose in life, start giving things away because there’s no purpose in keeping anything, no reason to maintain their hygiene

Anxiety: Anxiety, agitation, unable to sleep or sleeping all the time, difficulty concentrating

Trapped: Feeling trapped (like there’s no way out and things will never get better)

Hopelessness: Hopelessness, no future orientation

Withdrawal: Withdrawal from friends, isolating from family, stop doing things they enjoy.

Anger: Rage, uncontrolled anger, seeking revenge, irritable

Recklessness: Acting reckless or engaging in high risk activities, seemingly without thinking, impulsive behavior (especially in younger people)

Mood Change: Dramatic mood changes, flat affect, depressed mood, acting out of character

Are you aware that there is a new suicide prevention hotline number? No more long phone number to remember: 988. A person can still text MT to 741-741 for FREE 24/7 help.

Here are some suicide prevention resources (trainings and programs) that you could take/use as a parent:

• QPR- A two-hour gatekeeper training that provides anybody the ability to recognize the warning signs, how to intervene, and who to refer the person to.

• SOS: Signs of Suicide - School-based program which combines a curriculum that aims to raise awareness of suicide and reduce stigma of depression. There is a parent portal to access the information: https://sossignsofsuicide.org/parent.

• Mental Health First Aid- Mental Health First Aid is an adult public education program designed to improve participants’ knowledge and modify their attitudes and perceptions about mental health and related issues, including how to respond to individuals who are experiencing one or more acute mental health crises or are in the early stages of one or more chronic mental health problems. http://www.dphhs.mt.gov/suicideprevention.

• For additional information about these programs or other evidenced-based practices, go to http://www.sprc.org/featured_resources/bpr/ebpp.asp or http://www.nrepp.samhsa.gov.

• Information from the Montana DPHHS website: https://dphhs.mt.gov/assets/suicideprevention/SuicideinMontana.pdf.

• There are free support groups for parents at https://www.charliehealth.com.

• Visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness website at https://nami.org/Your-Journey/Family-Members-and-Caregivers.