Wood County
Eastwood Local Schools- May 2017
School Based
"Roll Out the Red Carpet For This Staff"
Goodbye Seniors
OSA Members Become JTI Leaders
Students in One Step Ahead have started taking leadership roles. Every Junior Teen Institute meeting will be lead by two to three OSA members. The leaders pick out the activity, run the group, and process the activity afterwards. The JTI members look up to the high school students and love seeing what they are up to.
On May 23rd all members of our OSA and JTI group gathered together during AA for a fun filled afternoon of Minute To Win It activities.
One Step Ahead
One Step Ahead (OSA) is a drug free leadership program for high school students. Through the program, students develop the skills to become a positive leader within their schools and communities. Students are also equipped with the knowledge and abilities to not only make positive choices for themselves, but also to encourage their peers to make healthy decisions.
JTI is the middle school version of OSA.
Community Based
Start Talking: Know! To Focus On Mental Health
If our pancreas has a chemical imbalance, we seek treatment. If our kidneys are not physiologically working right, we seek treatment. When our most complex organ, the brain, is not physiologically working right or has a chemical imbalance, for some reason we ignore or hide it. May is Mental Health Month; an opportunity to break the negative stigma that surrounds mental illness and promote the well-being of the whole individual.
Mental health conditions are far more common among teens than most people would imagine. In fact, one in five youth ages 13 to 18 have or will develop a serious mental illness.
They are disorders that affect a person’s thinking, feeling or mood, impacting their ability to interact with others and function in their daily lives. However, just like many physical conditions, mental health conditions can be treatable and people can and do recover and live happy, full lives.
Mental illness is no one’s fault and is rarely the result of one particular thing. Instead, research suggests that there are multiple linking causes including genetics, environment and lifestyle. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), extreme stress, traumatic events and substance abuse are among the factors that can make a person more susceptible.
The importance of early detection and intervention is crucial, yet the average delay between the onset of symptoms and intervention is usually between 8 to 10 years - and lack of treatment can be fatal. Suicide is now the second leading cause of death for 15 to 24-year-olds, and the third leading cause of death for 10 to 24-year-olds. More than 90% of young people who die by suicide have a mental health condition.
Adolescents with untreated mental illnesses are also more likely to drop out of school, have chronic physical health conditions in adulthood and have a shortened lifespan of up to 25 years.
Half of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14. For some youth, the onset of symptoms can be scary and confusing, and for some parents, it can be unclear whether what they are seeing in their teen is typical adolescent behavior and personality changes or symptoms of a mental health condition.
Every child with mental illness will have different experiences, even those with the same diagnosis. However, common warning signs include:
- Feeling sad or withdrawn for more than two weeks (crying, fatigued, unmotivated)
- Trying to harm or kill oneself or making plans to do so
- Out-of-control, risk-taking behaviors that can cause harm to self or others
- Sudden overwhelming fear for no reason (racing heart, physical discomfort, fast breathing)
- Significant weight loss or gain (not eating, throwing up or using laxatives to lose weight)
- Severe mood swings that cause problems in relationships
- Repeated use of drugs or alcohol
- Drastic changes in behavior, personality or sleeping habits
- Extreme difficulty in concentrating or staying still that can lead to problems in school
- Intense worrying that gets in the way of daily activities, including hanging out with friends and going to class
As an educator who suspects there may be an issue with a student, follow your school’s protocol in reaching out to that child’s parents so that they can connect with their pediatrician and potentially receive a referral to a mental health specialist.
A student experiencing symptoms of mental illness needs to know they are not alone, and that they have many resources available to them as well, including Ok2Talk.org – an online opportunity to connect with other young people who may be going through the same things as them.
To connect with a trained crisis counselor to receive free, 24/7 crisis support via text message – text NAMI to 741-741. For additional information and support, call the NAMI helpline at 800-950-NAMI or visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness at NAMI.org.
In the Media:
Here are a couple of news articles to keep you updated of what is going on in our society. It is important to know this type of information when it comes to educating your youth.
https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/drugs-alcohol-are-a-major-factor-in-school-truancy/
http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/15/health/teen-death-caffeine/index.html
Wood County Educational Service Center
Want to learn about the Wood County Prevention Program? Check out the links below to learn about different programs that are offered here in Wood County.
Want to stay connected via social media? Check out the WCESC Prevention Facebook Page.
On-Site Prevention Specialist
Hannah Madaras, LSW
I am the On-Site Prevention Specialist for Eastwood Local Schools. I am in the district every Tuesday and Thursday.
My responsibilities:
- Problem Identification (Referrals: Behavior, ATOD use, social support)
- Life Skills Education Classes in HS
- Class Action Education Classes in HS
- Youth Mental Health First Aid Trainer
- One Step Ahead Advisor
- Junior Teen Institute Advisor
Email: hmadaras@eastwoodschools.org
Location: Eastwood High School, Sugar Ridge Road, Pemberville, OH, United States
Phone: 419 833 6411
Twitter: @ewprevention