May is Mental Health Awareness Month

With summer months approaching and the school year quickly coming to an end, we wanted to reach out and give you some warnings signs and symptoms of potential mental illness or suicide and local resources for youth mental health. Together, we can work to prevent suicide. 

Experts tell us that students who contemplate suicide give warning signs of their distress. Mental Health America reports: "Parents and family members are usually the first to notice if a child has problems with emotions or behavior.” Parents sometimes tend to write off warning signs as the “bad teen years.” That is dangerous. We need to be more aware of warning signs and help connect young people and their families to the help they need. 

If you have concerns about your child’s mental health, or the mental health of their friends, or a child in the neighborhood, please reach out to either community agencies or your school (if it is in session). An outside professional can look at the young person through the lens of what one would expect for kids of that age.  As a district, as a community, we must maintain our steadfast commitment to the safety of our children. 

Did You Know?

*Mental illness affects 1 in every 4 adults, 

*90% of those who complete suicide have a diagnosable mental health condition

*The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that as many as 1 in 5 young people under the age of 18 will experience a diagnosable mental health problem in a given year, so it’s important to be able to address signs and

symptoms early.