Be the One: Know the Signs of Depression and Tell Someone if You or Your Friends Need Help

1. Be the One: Know the Signs of Depression and Tell Someone if You or Your Friends Need Help Austin ISD Counseling Presentation

2. The Erika’s Lighthouse Curriculum: Depression and Suicide Awareness https://vimeo.com/212639828/fa94830909

3. Reflection Reflecting back on the video, did you learn anything that surprised you? What are some warning signs of depression? Which signs indicate that your or your friends need to get help quickly? What were some ways that the students found help? What ways can you promote good feelings, help establish healthy behaviors and relationships as you connect with others on social media? Connect with others in real life? What are some ways that you can help take care of yourself?

4. EMERGENCY Suicide Warning Signs • Talking or joking about committing suicide. • Saying things like “I’d be better off dead” or “I am a burden and people would be better without me.” • Writing stories or posting things online about death or suicide.

5. EMERGENCY Suicide Warning Signs These are “late stage” warning signs, so you may not have much time to get your friend help: •Saying goodbye to friends and family as if for good. •Giving away prized possessions. •Seeking out weapons, pills, or other ways to kill themselves

6. It’s okay to ask the question: Are you having thoughts about suicide? Are you thinking about hurting yourself? Are you wishing you were dead? Remember: You cannot put the idea of suicide in someone’s mind.

7. How to Be the One: Seek immediate help if you think you are depressed or suicidal! • Contact your School Counselor and Wellness Counselor, Natalie San Miguel • Contact our School Licensed Mental Health Professional, Ron Armbruster at 512-414-6327 • Contact our on campus therapists, Laura & Leslie at the Vida Clinic 512-414-7918 • Contact your friend’s parents and let them know your concerns • Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255) • Text the National Crisis Hotline at 741741 and text the word “Start” • Call 9-1-1

8. Who can I talk to? How to Be the One:

9. My friend told me that they’re suicidal. What if they want me to keep it secret? • NEVER keep information about self-harm or suicide secret • Your friend might get upset if you tell someone, but if they are safe, you will have an opportunity to repair the relationship • It is better to have a friend who is mad for awhile than a friend who is hurt or dies

10. What do I do if my friend or someone else online posts on social media about self-harm, depression or suicide? • Take the comment seriously • DO NOT respond, unless you are providing resources • DO NOT share/retweet/etc. • Take a screenshot & use the reporting features of the social media platformAND immediately tell a trusted adult & show them screenshot • You can call Austin’s Mobile Crisis Outreach Team at 512-472-4357 • That’s 512-472-HELP • You can also call 911 and ask for a mental health officer to check on them

11. Your School Counselors are trained to help SCHOOL COUNSELORSA-C 9TH-12TH                    GEOFF HARTER                  GEOFFREY.HARTER@AUSTINISD.ORGD-HM 9TH-12TH                           LEA ANN ROSS                   LEAANN.ROSS@AUSTINISD.ORGHN-MN 9TH-12TH                   REBECCA LYONS               REBECCA.LYONS@AUSTINISD.ORGMO-SAN 9TH-12TH         SUSAN DEVANEY              SUSAN.DEVANEY@AUSTINISD.ORGSAO-Z 9TH-12TH                          GARETH HORWOOD          GARETH.HORWOOD@AUSTINISD.ORGWELLNESS COUNSELOR  ​NATALIE SAN MIGUEL        NATALIE.SANMIGUEL@AUSTINISD.ORG Licensed Mental Health Professional Ron Armbruster Ron.armbruster@austinisd.org

12. How to Refer Yourself or a Friend • Contact your child’s School Counselor and Wellness Counselor, Natalie San Miguel • Contact our School Licensed Mental Health Professional, Ron Armbruster at 512-414-6327 • Contact our on campus therapists, Laura & Leslie at the Vida Clinic 512-414-7918

13. Confidentiality What you tell the counselor is confidential UNLESS you mention: • Hurting someone • Hurting yourself • Someone is hurting you …then we need to break confidentiality in order to make sure everyone stays safe

14. Good mental health is for everyone • What are your coping skills? • What can you try to do to feel better or de-stress? • How can you improve your sleeping, eating, exercise, or mindfulness habits? • Who can you turn to for help? • Who would you talk to if you were worried about yourself or a friend? • Who is a trusted person in your life?

15. Life CAN get better and you are not alone Take a picture of this slide! • Call 911 and ask for a Mental Health Officer • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline • (800) 273-TALK (They are available 24/7 to talk.) • CrisisChat.org • Crisis Text Line: • Text “Hello” to 741741 (Free, confidential, 24/7) • ImAlive.org • TheTrevorProject.Org • Nopcas.org

16. We Care About YOU! You and your friends are what make our school such a great place to be. It is okay to talk to the adults here about the struggles you may be going through. You are not alone.

17. Uplift yourself & others today • As a closing, we would like each homeroom to create an uplifting message that you will write on a balloon that will later be constructed into balloon banners in each of the hallways for all of our students. • As a collective homeroom, please think of one short, UPLIFTING message for your balloon and for all students. • Choose a student to blow up and tie the balloon and another to write your homeroom message in Sharpie pen (Balloon and Sharpie pen will be in your teacher mailbox). • At some point today, please drop off your balloon and Sharpie pen in room 130. Thank you for supporting each other!