Breaking the silence

SANDPOINT — In just over two years, four Sandpoint High School students have taken their own lives. School staff, parents and other community members hope to break the code of silence that surrounds mental health and suicide.

During a "Social and Emotional Learning" meeting Wednesday morning at SHS, Principal Tom Albertson said after the most recent suicide occurred just prior to the first day of school last month, devastating students and the community. The school had to decide how to handle that first day as it created the difficult question of "how do you start the school year?" he said.

"We don't have all the answers and we don't pretend to," Albertson said.

The decision by school officials was to start the school year off with as much of a positive and "normal" feel as possible, though extra counseling staff was assigned for the week. The one difference, Albertson said, is a statement was not read to the students as is the usual protocol. It wasn't a secret, he said, but it was done different.

Wednesday's meeting focused on programs implemented recently in the school and community aimed at social and emotional wellness and suicide prevention. These programs in the Lake Pend Oreille School District are strongly supported by Panhandle Alliance for Education through a $75,000 grant, said LPOSD Superintendent Shawn Woodward during a phone interview with the Daily Bee following Wednesday's meeting.

"We know when our students are learning, in a real intentional manner, social and emotional skills, it's going to help them in a big way in their academic learning," Woodward said.

Woodward said the goal of the district with programs focusing on social and emotional wellness is to increase protective factors for students, which includes helping students feel connected to others.

During the meeting, Albertson gave an update on the new Connections class implemented this year. Connections is a program for the students based on "Sources of Strength," a nationally recognized suicide prevention program. The eight strengths include: family support, mental health, positive friends, medical access, spirituality, generosity, healthy activity and mentors. Although the program focuses on suicide prevention, Albertson said it is not the "all inclusive" purpose of Connections. It will also help students through the transition of high school, to work on school climate and help students understand the perspective of other students.

Albertson said the first Connections class in September was successful, and the student mentors who went through training prior to the class "learned a lot" during that first session.

Cindy Albertson, SHS senior counselor, attended Wednesday's meeting and said the classes are not counseling sessions with trauma-based stories. A topic and agenda is assigned and students are not required to speak during the class, but they can.

"There is no student that is invisible at least once a month," she said about the program.

Tom Albertson said the first year will be a learning year, adding he wants to incorporate the Sources of Strength into the high school for the long-term.

Another recent event focused on student social and emotional well-being was a visit by Aric Jackson, a motivational speaker. Albertson said Jackson's speech focused on terms such as, "get out of your box; don't hold a grudge." He also told the students to "get MAD," although MAD is an acronym for Make a Difference."

Communication with families, assemblies, a student appreciation day, a partnership with Underground Kindness and certain school curriculum, such as ninth-grade health, are all parts of the goal to address social and emotional learning within the school district. Efforts in the community include the Walk for HOPE and Coping and Support Training.

Walk for HOPE is a nonprofit organized by family and friends of student who took her own life last year. The walk is another effort in the community to break the silence and stigma surrounding suicide and mental health issues. CAST is a support group for ages 14 and older. Small groups of six to eight people meet 12 times over the course of six weeks with a focus on building self-esteem, peer support, crisis response, parent involvement and more.

Another issue addressed during the meeting is how to find help. Finding help for mental health issues can be a problem for adults as well as students because many people who are suffering don't know where to go, especially if they can't afford it. Students are encouraged to start with their school counselor. If parents are aware of any student having suicidal thoughts, stress problems or other issues that may affect their mental health, they should not hesitate to let the school know. Albertson said when a tip is received, school counselors always follow up.

For anyone in the community in need of help, it was suggested during the meeting to visit the website for Sandpoint Community Resource Center and click on "Get Help." A resource specialist can help the person find where to turn based on their needs. This goes beyond mental health to include senior assistance, housing, transportation and more. Information: www.sandpointcommunityresource.com.

An anonymous hotline is set up at SHS for bullying and harassment, but can also be used for tips regarding concerns over a student's mental health. The anonymous hotline is 208-263-3034, ext. 4008.

A free movie night will be held at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 2 at Panida Theater will, featuring the movie "The Perks of Being a Wallflower." A panel discussion afterward will address how suicide has affected teens in the community, with a focus on positive coping skills and available community resources.