|
|
 |
|
The views expressed on this page are soley
those of the author and do not
necessarily represent the views of County
News Online
|
 |
Ohio Department of Education
Mental Health First Aid...Indian Lake’s Response to a Community Crisis
Robert Underwood, Indian Lake Local School District
3/29/2018
GettyImages-177761232.jpgI’m going to be open and honest here. The
staff and students of Indian Lake Local Schools have experienced the
suicides of two high school students in the past five years. I was
serving as the high school principal during these tragedies, and it
was, without a doubt, the most challenging time of my professional
career. Both deaths were sudden and unexpected. Reactions were painful
and raw. Our young people and experienced educators were grief-stricken
and asked, “What signs did we miss?” and “How can we prevent this going
forward?” Making matters worse, there was an overall increase of
suicides in our community during this time. These events emphasized the
critical need for emotional support in our schools.
Although traditional first-aid training is not yet mandatory for all
educators in Ohio, I would venture to say that most teachers and school
staff have taken at least one first-aid course at some point in their
lives. When you are responsible for the care of others, it makes
perfect sense to be knowledgeable about lifesaving techniques should a
medical emergency arise. First aid gives individuals the skills to
provide basic medical treatment, often saving the person’s life, until
a professional can take over.
After the tragedies that Indian Lake School District witnessed in the
school and the community, we decided to apply first-aid principles to
our own mental health. As adults, we often focus on our physical
well-being. We regularly go to checkups to ensure we are healthy. We
model this behavior for students. We encourage them to eat right and
exercise frequently. However, it is still common to neglect and even be
afraid to address our own mental health. It is even more difficult to
confront others — like the young people in our care — about their
mental well-being. We often do not have the skills or confidence to
address these issues. However, the data clearly indicates that youth
need mental health support. One in six students experience mental
illness, and suicide is the second leading cause of death for
10-24-year-olds. Locally, our school counselors also report an increase
of students who need mental health services. Counselor responsibilities
continue to expand, making it nearly impossible for them to adequately
support all the students’ needs. At Indian Lake, we decided to address
this problem as an entire staff.
I transitioned to the superintendent’s position in the summer of 2017
and began serving on a committee where I met Steve Terrill. Steve is a
mental health advocate, community activist and a member of the Mental
Health Drug & Alcohol Services Board of Logan and Champaign
Counties. He introduced the Mental Health First Aid program to me. With
support of the board of education and the administrative team, we
quickly began planning a training event that included every district
employee. Bus drivers, food service staff, teachers and office staff —
everyone attended.
The training is much like medical first aid. Participants learn to
provide lifesaving assistance until appropriate professional resources
are available. However, instead of providing medical attention, Mental
Health First Aid assists someone who is developing a mental health
problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. During the eight-hour
course, trainees determine how to apply the five-step action plan in a
variety of situations. The situations could be helping someone through
a panic attack, engaging with someone who may be suicidal or assisting
an individual who has overdosed. An important component of the Mental
Health First Aid course is the opportunity to practice the intervention
strategy rather than just learning about it. Role-playing makes it
easier to apply the knowledge to a real-life situation. The training
builds an understanding of mental health and helps the public identify,
understand and respond to signs of mental illness.
Certified instructors teach the nationally-accredited Mental Health
First Aid program. The training occurs in either two four-hour sessions
or one eight-hour session. There is a maximum of 35 people in each
session. At Indian Lake Schools, we trained more than 230 staff and
community members during a professional development day. Our philosophy
is that all staff members should work together to improve the student
experience. We believe that recognizing the signs of mental distress is
vital to a safe school environment. It was imperative that EVERY staff
member participate in the training. In return, staff received
continuing education units and a three-year credential that is valuable
on any resume.
The most difficult part of organizing the training was finding enough
instructors to serve our entire staff on the same day. I contacted
Kathy Oberlin, director of the Ohio Mental Health Network for School
Success, and she provided trainers and workbooks free of charge through
a grant called Making Ohio Aware: Building Statewide Mental Health
First Aid Capacity. Even with the support of the network, we were still
short on trainers. We turned to The Ohio State University Extension in
Hardin County for assistance. Many extension agencies across the state
have certified instructors on staff. In most cases, extension agencies
charge a modest fee to cover their mileage and the workbook fees. The
workbooks typically cost $20 each.
The training was well-received by our staff, although I will admit that
the morning doughnuts and free lunch probably helped to sweeten the
deal! We also opened our training up to the community. There were 20
extra people in attendance, including an Indian Lake Board of Education
member, educators from other districts, a Logan County commissioner,
and State Board of Education Member Linda Haycock. We have plans to
coordinate additional community events in the future, and the next
phase is to provide training to students.
Mental Health First Aid credentialing is only available to people ages
18 and older. Karey Thompson from the Suicide Prevention Coalition will
help us provide Mental Health Gatekeeper Training to our middle school
and high school students in April. Gatekeeper training lasts
approximately 90 minutes. It teaches students to recognize their own
mental health struggles and to understand warning signs in their
friends. The main idea is to “Acknowledge, Care, Tell” or to “ACT.”
Focusing on mental health has helped to develop a shared sense of
caring in our school district and in the community. Additionally, it
has answered many of the questions our staff members faced after
experiencing the heartache of student suicides. Finally, parents and
community members know that we are doing everything we can to protect
the overall health our most valuable assets — our students. I am truly
thankful to all the agencies and volunteers that came together to make
this training happen. The response has been extremely positive, and I
am confident that our district is well equipped to support student
mental health, although there is still much work to do.
If you are considering an event in your district or community, feel
free to contact me at (937) 686-8601. You can contact Steve Terrill at
(919) 623-0952 or on Facebook. I would encourage you to get to know the
behavioral health authority in your county.
|
|
|
|
