MEETING. HE SAYS THE TOP PRIORITY IS HELPING THE RESIDENTS WHO LIVE THERE. NOW
THIS WEEK, WE ARE GETTING REAL
ABOUT SUICIDE. ACCORDING TO
THE CDC, IT IS THE SECOND
LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH FOR
CHILDREN AND ADULTS BETWEEN
THE AGES OF 10 AND 34 YEARS
OLD.
>>BRUCE HAMILTON: MELANIE,
THIS WEEK WE TALKED ABOUT THE
SIGNS THAT SOMEONE NEEDS HELP.
THE STIGMA. AND TODAY WE’RE
GOING TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF
THE OTHER THINGS. WHAT YOU’VE
BEEN WITH US THROUGH SOME OF
THE HELP THAT’S AVAILABLE FOR
THE ENTIRE FAMILY. YEAH, YOU
KNOW, AS WE’VE BEEN TALKING
ABOUT THIS, WHEN YOU ARE
WORKING THROUGH MENTAL HEALTH
CONCERNS.
>>LAUREN VERNO: IT CAN FEEL
LIKE YOU ARE ALL ALONE LIKE NO
ONE UNDERSTANDS OR MAYBE
YOU’RE JUST TOO EMBARRASSED TO
TALK ABOUT IT BECAUSE OF THE
STIGMA. BUT LET ME GUARANTEE
THAT YOU ARE NOT ALONE. WE’RE
DEFINITELY SEEING THAT THIS
WEEKEND. SO MANY FAMILIES ARE
DEALING WITH THIS AND THERE IS
CARING SYMPATHETIC DISCREET
HELP AVAILABLE FOR FREE.
>> ALL RIGHT. HERE WE HAVE OUR
FOOD SO WE RECEIVED DONATIONS
FROM COMMUNITY LEADERS,
ORGANIZATIONS, SCHOOLS, AND
THIS IS WHERE THEY BRING ALL
OF ITEMS TO US AND ALL THE
STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO
COUNTRY. THEY NEED IT.
MARSHALL SMITH IS THE SITE
COORDINATOR AT ENGLEWOOD
SCHOOL FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER
IS LIKE A ONE-STOP SHOP FOR
MENTAL HEALTH, FOR BEHAVIORAL,
FOR SOMEONE NEEDS.
>> ANYTHING THAT CAN HINDER
THEIR SUCCESS IN THE
CLASSROOM. WE TAKE ON THAT.
THERE ARE 8 FULL SERVICE
SCHOOLS IN DUVAL COUNTY IN
NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE ACCESS TO
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. IT’S
HARD TO COME BY WITH PARENTAL
PERMISSION. STUDENTS GET
ACCESS TO ANYTHING THEY NEED
TO HELP THEM THRIVE. ALSO
DEVELOP THAT REPORT WITH THAT
CHILD.
>> AND THEY’RE THEY’RE ABLE TO
OPEN UP AND SOME OF THOSE
SUICIDAL FALLS ON THE RACE
WOULD DECREASE BECAUSE NOW
THEY HAVE A SUPPORT SYSTEM
WHICH WHAT WE SEE AS A SCHOOL
WITH THAT SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR
THEM AND NOT JUST STUDENTS AT
THE NEIGHBORING SCHOOL.
>>LAUREN VERNO: THERAPIST
TRAVEL TO ANY SCHOOL IN THE
COUNTY TO OFFER SERVICES TO
STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
ONCE A WEEK. THIS IS NOT A
JOURNEY THAT KIDS TAKE. MADAM
SALES WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT
WE’RE EDUCATING THE PAIRS SO
THAT THEY CAN ALSO HELP ALONG
THE QUITO, PORTER SAYS THE
UNITED WAY’S 2, 1, 1, HELPLINE
RECEIVED MORE THAN 100,000
CALLS LAST YEAR. AND THAT ONE
IN 5 KIDS EXHIBIT SIGNS OR
SYMPTOMS OF MENTAL HEALTH
PROBLEMS. BUT NEARLY 80% OF
THEM GO UNTREATED. IT DOESN’T
HAVE TO BE THAT WAY. FREE.
LONG-TERM HELP IS JUST A PHONE
CALL AWAY.
>> WE HAVE A CERTIFIED TEAM OF
STAFF THAT ACTUALLY ARE ABLE
TO DIFFUSE SOME OF THOSE
SITUATIONS AND BE IN DIRECT
THOSE FAMILIES TO THE CRITICAL
SERVICES THAT THEY NEED TO
STABILIZE AND ALSO PROVIDE
GOING THEY CAN, YOU KNOW,
AGAIN, REMAIN HOPEFUL AND BE
ABLE TO BE SUCCESSFUL WITH IN
OUR COMMUNITY.
>>MELANIE LAWSON: AND THAT
NUMBER IS 2, 1, 1, SO ONE
BARRIER THAT PORTER MENTIONED
HIS PARENTS, THEY CAN ONLY
WORK WITH STUDENTS. ONE TIME
IN A CRISIS SITUATION AFTER
THAT, THEY NEED PARENTAL
PERMISSION. SO THAT’S PART OF
THE STIGMA THAT WE TALKED
ABOUT EARLIER THIS WEEK WHEN
WE ADMIT THERE IS A PROBLEM,
THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR HELP
OPEN UP. SO PARENTS DON’T
STAND IN THE WAY OF YOUR
CHILD. NOW IN SAINT JOHNS
COUNTY, ALSO IN CLAY COUNTY,
THERE’S A SIMILAR PROGRAM
CALLED COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP
SCHOOLS. YOU KNOW, FIRST STEP
BRUCE AND JEN IS TO ASK FOR
THE HELP. THEN, YOU KNOW, TRY
TO MATCH UP WITH A COUNSELOR.
AND SOMETIMES THAT FIRST MATCH
DOESN’T WORK. YOU KNOW, IN THE
END, THEY WANT TO HELP. SO IF
YOU’RE HONEST, YOU’RE OPEN,
YOU’RE LIKE, YOU KNOW, THIS
ISN’T A GOOD MATCH. THEY’LL
MATCH IT WITH A DIFFERENT
COUNSELOR. IT’S JUST YOU HAVE
TO BE RELENTLESS TO GET THE
APPROPRIATE HELP AND HAVE THE
STRENGTH TO ASK FOR HELP TO
BEGIN IN FIRST PLACE. YEAH, I
MEAN, I WAS SURPRISED IT WAS
THE THE STAND IN THE WAY
SOMETIMES. BUT YOU HAVE AGAIN,
IT’S JUST ACCEPTING IT ALLIES
IN THE CONVERSATION, THEY
DON’T WANT TO ADMIT THAT
PERHAPS YOUR CHILD DOES HAVE A
PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY THINK
THERE’S A STIGMA OR THEIR
SHANE AND YOU CAN’T BE. YEAH.
I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK AT THOSE
NUMBERS, SO MANY KIDS ARE
DEALING WITH THIS. SO IT’S SO
COMING UP AT 8 O’CLOCK, WE’RE
GOING TO TALK IT OUT HOW TO
HAVE THESE CRUCIAL
CONVERSATIONS WITH YOUR KIDS
ABOUT SUICIDE.
>>LAUREN VERNO: AND ALSO WHAT
KIDS CAN SAY TO ANOTHER FRIEND
IF THEY BELIEVE THEY ARE
SUICIDAL, WE’RE GOING TO ROLE
PLAY A LITTLE BIT. THEN
TOMORROW AT 7 TO 10:00AM WE’RE
HOSTING A PHONE BANK AT A
NONPROFIT IN NEPTUNE BEACH
WITH COUNSELORS TO ANSWER YOUR
QUESTIONS. I ALSO WANT TO
SHARE ANOTHER PICTURE FROM A
MOM WHOSE SON DIED BY SUICIDE
WHO WROTE ME AFTER ONE OF MY
STORIES THIS WEEK. THESE ARE
THE FACES OF SUICIDE. THIS IS
KAREN KEITH. HE DIED BY
SUICIDE JANUARY 5TH, 2020. HIS
MOM WROTE THAT HE WAS SUPPOSED
TO START AT UNF THE VERY NEXT
DAY. SHE ALSO SHARED THE
FUNERAL HOME THAT 3 TEEN
FUNERALS FROM SUICIDE THAT
VERY SAME WEEK. CANNON’S MOM
IS A PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL
COUNSELOR AND SHE SAID NEVER
IN A MILLION YEARS, WOULD SHE
HAVE IMAGINED HER DEAR
BEAUTIFUL BOY WOULD TAKE HIS
LIFE. SHE SAID THE BENSON
FOUNDATION. IT’S A LOCAL GROUP
THAT OFFER SUPPORT TO FAMILY
MEMBERS AND FRIENDS LEFT
BEHIND LITERALLY SAVED HER
LIFE. SO GET THE HELP. IT’S
OUT THERE. ALL OF THESE
RESOURCES WE TALK ABOUT THIS
WEEK ARE AVAILABLE IN A