Area students attend suicide prevention training
Pine JournalDec 21, 2018
"It builds a bond, the way we're all getting together," Ammesmaki said. "If I don't know them, why would I talk to them? If we have a fun time trying to break the ice, break the barriers to becoming acquaintances, then it works."
Students, teachers and community leaders from across
Approximately 40 students from eight schools attended the conference, sponsored by the REACH Mentoring program in
The group also worked with local students to establish SOS after the "Text 4 Life" program ended in
Students alternated Friday among workshops focusing on suicide and substance abuse prevention, conversations about mental health and team-building activities.
Nelson highlighted "active listening" when trying to talk to someone who may be in a mental health crisis. She advised the students not to ask why someone is considering suicide or compliment them. Instead, simply be there to listen.
"We don't really know how to listen anymore with phones, social media and other distractions," Nelson said. "Listen to their story -- they have a story to tell."
REACH Executive Director
"Everybody has mental health; not everybody has a mental illness," he said. "So we're trying to educate the students about what the difference is and that there is not a stigma attached to talking about mental health. Our groups focus on building protective factors -- building good mental health -- working with coping skills, resiliency and essentially building those protective factors in students."
The REACH program meets weekly with students, who can be both mentors and mentees, and focuses on building relationships. The goal, Koski said, is to create an open, honest relationship between students and mentors so those students feel they have somewhere to turn during a crisis.
About the
To connect with a mental health professional in
For more information about the
___
(c)2018 The Pine Journal (Cloquet, Minn.)
Visit The Pine Journal (Cloquet, Minn.) at www.pinejournal.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.