PEI / SUDS Prevention Quarterly Newsletter

I S S U E

12 Fal l

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Prevention &

Early Intervention

Mission Statement

Sutter Yuba Mental Health Services Prevention and

Early Intervention Program provide a series

of training and community program implementation and support designed to improve the overall

well-being of our two counties. This is done

through continued assessment of

Sutter-Yuba’s unique regional and cultural needs; as well as, the

regular input of community stakeholders.

Prevention and Early Intervention’s underlying

philosophy is to empower the community

through a “help first” approach, reducing the

future occurrence of suffering and need for a

higher level of care.

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The Sutter-Yuba Mental Health Services’ Prevention & Early Intervention (PEI) program, in col-

laboration with Yuba County Victims’ Services, has started presenting the Signs of Suicide Prevention

Program to local schools. The Signs of Suicide (SOS) Prevention Program is a nationally recognized pro-

gram for sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students and their trusted adults. The goal of the program is

for every young person to recognize changes in behavior in their peers, or in themselves, which might

indicate thoughts of suicide, and be able to use the Acknowledge, Care, Tell method to alert a trusted

adult and get help for the youth.

Presentations include an optional short student survey form (the Brief Screen for Adolescent

Depression or BSAD), a 20-minute dvd, and a follow-up discussion. Program staff provides information

and resources if students or their families want services in the future. School staff attends a presentation

prior to the student presentation(s) so that they know what to expect, and family/community presenta-

tions are arranged with the school as requested.

PEI staff plans to invite every school that serves sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students in

Yuba and Sutter counties to have this presentation in the 2015-2016 school year. Each school adminis-

trator will decide for his or her school whether to offer the presentation to the students at his or her

school.

Riverside Meadows Intermediate School in Plumas Lake received all three presentations at the

beginning of the school year and responses from parents, school staff, and students were very positive.

The importance of this information was recognized. Presentations at Bear River School, Marysville Com-

munity Day School, Robbins Elementary School, Winship Elementary School, and YES Charter Academy

have already been scheduled for the fall.

Suicide Prevention Training for Youth

Suicide Prevention- p. 2 Camptonville Community Partnership - p. 4

ART Trainings Hmong Center p. 3 LGBT PEI Updates & Behavioral Health Fair- p. 5

New PEI Staff & p. 4 Mental Health First Aid Training p. 6

Inside:

Know the facts about Suicide!

California Suicide Statistics, 2010:

Suicide deaths: 3,823 (9.8/100,000).

Non-fatal hospitalizations due self-inflicted injuries: 16,425 (42/100,000). Non-fatal emergency department visits due to self-inflicted injuries: 28,735 (73.4/100,000). Yuba and Sutter Counties’ Suicide Statistics, 2010:

Suicide deaths: 22 (13/100,000).

Non-fatal hospitalizations due self-inflicted injuries: 71 (41.89/100,000).

Non-fatal emergency department visits due to self-inflicted injuries: 185 (109.15/100,000). California Suicide Trends Downward: In 1991, the suicide rate was 12.3/100,000; in 2010, the suicide rate was 9.8/100,000. Yuba and Sutter County Suicide Trends Downward: In 1991, the suicide rate was 20.4/100,000; in 2010, the suicide rate was 13/100,000. All data collected from California Department of Public Health, Safe and Active Communities Branch. Watch for these signs. They may indicate someone is thinking about suicide. The more signs you see, the greater the risk. A previous suicide attempt; Current talk of suicide or making a plan; Strong wish to die or a preoccupation with death; Giving away prized possessions; Signs of depression, such as moodiness, hopelessness, withdrawal; Increased alcohol and/or other drug use; Hinting at not being around in the future or saying good-bye. These warning signs are especially noteworthy in light of: a recent death or suicide of a friend or family member; a recent break-up with a boyfriend or girlfriend, or conflict with parents; news reports of other suicides by young people in the same school or community. Other key risk factors include: Readily accessible firearms; Impulsiveness and taking unnecessary risks; Lack of connection to family and friends (no one to talk to). More information is available at suicideispreventable.org.

Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Trainings According to the Centers for Disease Control and pre-

vention, suicide is the third leading cause of death for young

people between the ages of 15 and 24. Sutter-Yuba Mental

Health Services’ Prevention & Early Intervention Program is

working to help prevent some of those losses by educating the

community about how they can help themselves and each other.

One of the ways the program is doing that is by offering the Yel-

low Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program to local high schools and

their students.

The Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program was es-

tablished in 1994 as a response to the suicide of a Colorado teen.

His family and friends came together and developed the Yellow

Ribbon card that allows a person who is having thoughts of sui-

cide to ask for help without having to find the words to ask. The

The program recognizes that teens are likely to reach out to each

other for initial help, and it provides those supporters with the infor-

mation they need to get help from a trusted adult for their friends.

PEI staff present suicide prevention information to students

at Sutter and Yuba county high schools, and encourage the students

to train each other, with the support of PEI staff. Yellow bracelets

and the Yellow Ribbon cards are provided for the presentations.

Feather River Academy students are already trained on how to ask

for help using the Yellow Ribbon materials. Marysville Community

Day School, Albert Powell High School, and Live Oak Alternative

School are already scheduled for presentations this semester, and

additional schools will be scheduled for the spring. If you want to

schedule presentations for your high school, please contact Kristen

Batchelder, PEI Resource Specialist, at 530.674.1885, extension 115.

Aggression Replacement training

Eleven students at Marysville Community Day School, a new alternative school in our area, are participating in an

Aggression Replacement Training (ART) class offered by Sutter-Yuba Mental Health Services’ Prevention & Early Interven-

tion (PEI) staff. PEI Coordinator, John Floe, and Resource Specialist, Kristen Batchelder, started teaching the ten-week

course in September. Students were referred for the class by the school principal because of a history of aggressive behav-

ior and an interest in returning to the schools in which they had past issues.

Aggression Replacement Training is a cognitive behavioral intervention focused on adolescents. It has been suc-

cessfully provided to youth in North America, Europe, South America, and Europe for over thirty years. The program con-

sists of an hour per week on each of three core components: Social Skills, Anger Control Training, and Moral Reasoning.

Students learn and practice skills in the classroom, then take those skills and apply them to their real-life situations outside

of the classroom.

PEI staff will provide the Aggression Replacement Training class at Feather River Academy to staff- referred

students in the spring.

Hmong Outreach Center’s Open House

The Hmong Outreach Center hosted an open house on July 31. Mental health consumers, family members of con-sumers, and mental health staff were invited to learn about the outreach center’s services, which include promoting men-tal health awareness and supporting individual’s mental health recovery, as well as their family members.

The open house was funded through a grant from Mental Health America San Francisco to promote and further “promising practices”. Activities provided by the Hmong Outreach Center have been selected as “promising practices” by that organization.

There were a total of 85 attendees. Of those attendees, 35 identified themselves as consumer family members or support persons. Certificates of recognition were awarded to consumers for participating in the Hmong Outreach Center program activities to promote wellness. Consumers were elated to receive the certificate, and expressed extreme enthusi-asm. Some called the certificates their “diplomas,” since many of them have never received a certificate or diploma from a school.

The Open House consisted of a talent show, which included both consumer and staff performances. Sutter-Yuba Mental Health Services’ Adult Out Patient Program Manager, Mark Schlutsmeyer, and Employment Resource Specialist, Yeng Vang, both honored the audience with their singing. Additional performances by consumers included traditional Hmong sung poetry and playing of traditional Hmong instruments, such as the keng and the flute. Attendees were encour-aged to wear traditional Hmong clothing, and many showed up dressed in colorful handmade skirts with bright sashes, coin sashes and silver neck pieces.

Lunch was served and consisted of traditional Hmong dishes such as steamed sticky rice, hot pepper sauce, and glass noodle salad, as well as popular favorites like fried chicken.

New Staff Join PEI & Substance Use Disorders Prevention Team

Camptonville Community Partnership

As an ongoing effort for the prevention and early intervention of mental illness for foothill youth, CCP continues to engage community partners to connect youth to mentorship, skill building and employment opportunities. CCP has also attended numerous meetings and forums related to the PEI in the foothills.

Camptonville’s co-ed flag football team of thirteen 5th – 8th graders continued in September with no wins to date, but lots of great exercise and fun! PEI supported their effort with the purchase of needed equipment, and made travel stipends available for parents.

The after-school program continues in Camptonville, serving 17 students from nine families. Students enjoyed getting back in the after school routine of homework help and outside recreation.

YES Charter plans to continue its after-school woodworking program this year.

PEI funds also supported kids’ games at the Camptonville Volunteer Fire Depart-ment Picnic.

A new staff member joined the Prevention & Early Intervention (PEI) and Substance Use

Disorders (SUDS) team in July. Cory Quinn will be providing services to the community as the new

PEI/SUDS Intervention Counselor. Cory has worked in education for the last three years as a sub-

stitute teacher in grades K-12 for school districts in both Yuba and Sutter counties. Cory’s has a

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, and he is currently working toward completing his Master’s in

Marriage and Family Therapy.

Cory lives with his wife of seven years and his two dogs. He has lived in the Yuba-Sutter

area for all his life and he looks forward to serving his community through prevention work and

through community collaborations.

A new staff member joined the Prevention & Early Intervention (PEI) and Substance

Use Disorders (SUDS) team in November. Cynthia will be providing services to the communi-

ty as the new PEI Resource Specialist. She has worked for Casa de Esperanza as a Counselor

Advocate, providing direct support to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child

abuse, and doing trainings in schools about preventing teen dating violence, for the past

year. In addition, she has been working with Tri-County Caregiver Relief as a Respite Provid-

er. Prior to that, she spent two years as a Jesuit Volunteer in Managua, Nicaragua, working at

C.E.B. Samaritanas, a non-profit that works with at-risk and marginalized communities,

providing direct holistic attention to women and children to activate protective factors and

reduce risk factors in their lives. Cynthia has a B.S. in Psychology and Spanish Studies, and

continues to learn about issues that interest her through workshops and training on human

rights, social justice, prevention, and gender equality.

LGBT Prevention & Early Intervention Updates Greetings from the LGBT PEI task force! GOTBLISS youth

and the Tri-County Diversity group (under the GOTBLISS umbrella)

have had their challenges over the summer, including maintaining

the core group of adolescents who make up the youth committee.

Fortunately, a new group has formed with a new time and a new

location. The youth group meets every Tuesday from 3:30 to 5:00

pm at 1005 Kimball Avenue in Yuba City (across the street from Gray

Avenue Middle School. The new space is equipped with a kitchen,

and snacks are provided. If you have a child or know a child or young

adult between the ages of 13-18 who is in the SOGI spectrum

(Sexual Orientation / Gender Identity), please refer them to this

group. It’s a safe and fun place to meet like-minded peers, have fun,

and plan events.

Also, the annual Tri-County Diversity Halloween Costume

Ball will be on Saturday, October 31 from 7:00 pm to midnight. The

event will be held at the Hillcrest Plaza, located at 210 Julie Drive in

Yuba City. All ages are welcome! For more information, go to

www.Facebook.com/tricountydiversity.

GOTBLISS youth and Tri-County Diversity are just starting to

reach out to the local schools again as the Gay-Straight Alliance

clubs are starting up. We will have an update on which high schools

have and maintain active GSA clubs in the next newsletter. The

board of directors maintains a Google telephone number for youth

to call and get support or information regarding youth activities,

including “Movie Night” at the Yuba County Library, located at 303

Second Street in Marysville. The number is 530-763-2414, so if you

have questions about any activities or would like to speak to a sup-

portive GOTBLISS member, give us a call.

Binational Health Fair

On October 11, 2015, Prevention & Early Intervention resource specialist, Rudy Rodriguez, and Latino Outreach Center therapist, Emerita Bañuelos, represented Sutter-Yuba Mental Health Services at the Binational Health Fair in Yuba City. Locally sponsored by Ampla Health and the Regional Housing Authority of Sutter and Nevada Counties, it was part of a larger Binational Health Week, which includes thousands of activities held in multi-ple countries. The goal of the Binational Health Week is to mobilize populations throughout the Americas to improve the health and well-being of disadvantaged and vulnerable populations. Collec-tively, it is the largest health event of the year to conduct health promotion, health education activities, and medical, dental and

vision screenings, all at no cost. Games and fun activities for the family were also available.

The Sutter-Yuba Mental Health Services’ programs partici-pated in the event by providing information on mental health, sub-stance abuse prevention, suicide prevention, and other related concerns to help educate our migrant community in Sutter County. Staff were also able to provide information about accessing ser-vices at the newly established Latino Outreach Center. Eighty peo-ple stopped by the booth to obtain information.

Mental Health First aid training in yuba & Sutter counties

About This Newsletter

Contributors: Kristen Batchelder, John Floe, Cathy LeBlanc, Cynthia Martinez, Cory Quinn, Steve Shoup, Rudy Rodri-guez , Mai Vang

Editors: Gayle Lukeman & Kristen Batchelder

Nov. 7-13: Dear Santa Letter Week

Nov. 7-13: Pursuit of Happiness Week

Nov. 11-17: World Kindness Week

November 19: National Play Monopoly Day

November 27: National Day of Listening

November

National Human Rights Month

December

December 1: National Pie Day

December 8: Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day

December 16: National Chocolate-Covered Any-

thing Day

December 18: National Ugly Christmas Sweater

Day

National Bath Safety Month National Blood Donor Month National Mentoring Month

January

January 2: National Science Fiction Day

January 4: National Trivia Day

January 7: National Bobblehead Day

January 8: National Bubble Bath Day

January 13: National Rubber Ducky Day

January 15: National Hat Day

January 21: National Hugging Day

January 24: National Compliment Day

Plan some fun & self-care

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a course offered by Sutter-Yuba Mental Health

Services’ Prevention & Early Intervention (PEI) Program to support and educate our communi-

ty about signs of mental illness and addiction and the impact of mental illness and substance

use disorders, as well as to offer a five-step plan to assess a situation and be able to help.

Through the support of Cal MHSA, PEI is able to offer the course free of charge, while other

agencies have to charge participants for presenter time, the cost of materials, and facilities.

In October, Kristen Batchelder and John Floe taught a Mental Health First Aid class.

Nineteen community members from Yuba County Victims’ Services, FREED, Yuba County Pro-

bation, California Tribal TANF, Marysville High School, EDD, St. John’s Episcopal Church, and

Sutter-Yuba Mental Health Services successfully completed the eight-hour training. The train-

ing was offered at Victor Community Support Services, thanks to their generous donation of a facility. Much appreciation to the

staff and administrators of VCSS for their support!

Mental Health First Aid trainers participate in five days of training to be a trainer, and are certified through the Nation-

al Council for Behavioral Health. Once trained, MHFA trainers have the option to get trained in supplemental MHFA courses,

including MHFA for Public Safety. John Floe, PEI Coordinator, and Amy Molina-Jones, Yuba County Office of Education Special-

ist, completed that supplemental course. In September, they offered two Mental Health First Aid for Public Safety trainings for

officers and staff at the Yuba City California Highway Patrol Office. Forty-three CHP staff and officers were trained between the

two sessions.

Additional Mental Health First Aid trainings will be scheduled for the spring, so watch for announcements, or contact

the PEI office for information.

Lung Cancer Awareness Month National Family Literacy Month

National Native American Heritage Month