Mental Health Awareness

Each year the first full week of October is recognized as Mental Health Awareness Week.  This campaign works to decrease negative stigma associated with being diagnosed with and treated for a mental illness, as well as to increase availability of quality mental health care in our country.  In recognition of this important week I wanted to share 3 resources with you.

1.       First is a link to fact sheets on commonly diagnosed mental illnesses by the National Alliance on Mental Illness.  It can be helpful to have some basic information about various diagnoses if you have a particular concern Fact Sheets.  I also want to share with you a guidebook for parents on adolescent depression that addresses self-harm and suicidal thinking  Family guide

2.       Second are two links about how we can help our children develop into mentally healthy adults.  40 Assets  What every child needs for good mental health

While our knowledge of mental illness is still developing and research is ongoing, the mental health community is getting stronger and more skilled at responding to various mental health needs in a variety of ways.  If you have any questions about the mental health of your child, I will be happy to talk them through with you anytime. 

Hand in hand with Mental Health Awareness Week, October is also Bullying Prevention Month.  Advisories are working hard to create bullying Public Service Announcements (PSAs) geared toward elementary students.  One advisory will be selected to travel to the Lower School and share their project with the 5^th grade students.  Through PE/Wellness classes, I am meeting with small groups of 7^th and 8^th grade students to get their input on the social issues facing our school.  While they don’t connect with the word “bullying,” they do have quite a bit to say on gossiping, stereotypes and cliques!  I have several more Wellness groups this week and will share their feedback with you in my next blog. 

Almost always when the topic of bullying arises, the conversation turns to cyber-safety.  I learned this week that Twitter has produced a safety tips for parents page, so I wanted to share that with you here.  Although it seems most PHS students are using Instagram over Twitter, the information applies to any social media site.  We plan to do much more with cyber-responsibility throughout the year.

I am slowly seeing more and more students become comfortable stopping in to say hi (the candy dish helps!) and I am hopeful that the uneasiness about talking with the counselor is starting to fade some.  I am using my Wellness conversations to debunk school counselor myths, but also I have been invited to attend several outings with each grade level.  This last week I had the pleasure of joining the 7^th grade at Overland Park Arboretum.  I hiked with students before lunch, which gave me a great opportunity to chat with them.  These students continue to prove to me that I am in the right school.  You truly have some amazing children!