Photo By Aimee Malone | Fort McCoy community members attend the Teen Mental Health Stand-down on Feb. 25,...... read more read more
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Suicidal thoughts and mental-health issues can affect all age groups, including children and teenagers.
Fort McCoy Soldiers and civilians gathered Feb. 25 at the 88th Readiness Division to learn more about youth mental health and what resources are available to help both parents and children within the Army and the surrounding area.
Several organizations banded together to share and present information, including Army Community Service (ACS), Child and Youth Services (CYS), the Directorate of Human Resources, the Directorate of Emergency Services, and the Religious Support Office.
Terrence Rogalla, program manager with the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), said mental-health issues can affect people of all ages, including young children and teenagers. The military lifestyle adds an additional risk factor because of the stressors — such as relocations and deployments — that many families face.
EAP offers prevention education and referral services on substance abuse, mental-health issues, and other concerns to Army civilian employees, family members, and retirees. Service members are also welcome to stop by and ask for resources and assistance, Rogalla said.
Suicide prevention
Suicidal ideation, or having thoughts about suicide, is a common occurrence, especially if someone is having mental-health issues, Rogalla said.
“What I want to stress is that having a clear plan and attempting to follow through on that thoughts is not very common,” he said.
According to the National Institute of Medicine and Health, some of the warning signs of suicide include:
• talking about suicide and/or wanting to die.
• researching methods of suicide and/or procuring the means to commit suicide.
• feeling empty, hopeless, or trapped.
• increased use of alcohol or drugs.
• changes in sleep patterns (getting too much or too little sleep) or appetite.
• withdrawing from friends, family, and normal activities.
• extreme mood swings and changes in usual behavior, such as acting more anxious, angrier, or even calmer than usual.
• behaving recklessly.
People with mental-health issues, especially children and teens, don’t necessarily ask for help or talk directly about symptoms, so it’s important to pay attention to behavior, take note of any changes, and talk to loved ones about them, Rogalla said.
“It might be in a child’s writing or drawings … or the music they’re starting to listen to,” he said.
The most important aid a family member or friend can give is to provide a willing ear and nonjudgmental attitude, Rogalla said.
“What helps the most? Listen, listen, listen, listen,” he said. “If they’re trying to communicate with you, you want to listen. If they’re not communicating with you and you’re trying to engage them, don’t do all the talking. Listen 95 percent of the time.”
EAP offers several types of training focused on suicide prevention, including Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training and the annual Ask, Care, Escort suicide-prevention training. Mental-health first aid for youth is also available in the local community, Rogalla said.
Emergency intervention
In a worst-case scenario, the police and other emergency services can intervene. Detective Chase Laffea with the Fort McCoy Directorate of Emergency Services Police Department described the steps emergency-service personnel will take if they’re contacted about someone threatening suicide or other self-harm.
“Once there’s a crisis, we want you to call us. We don’t want you to delay,” Laffea said. “We’re first responders. We’re here 24 hours a day.”
Laffea said the first thing a first responder will do is try to bring other resources in to help, such as a mental-health counselor or hotline. “It’s in everyone’s best interest to bring these resources into play as soon as possible,” he said. “If we can avoid (a forced admission), we will.”
A police officer will interview the youth to see if there’s a plan to hurt himself or herself or someone else, if the child has obtained the means to do it, and if the child has started to enact the plan. The police officer will call Monroe County Human Services and talk to a professional counselor, who will determine if there is probable cause to detain the youth, Laffea said.
If there is probable cause, the police officer will escort the youth to the nearest emergency room for a medical evaluation. The medical staff has to concur that the child needs to be detained before the child can be forcibly admitted to a hospital. The police will make arrangements to take the child to the nearest hospital with space available in a mental-health ward, Laffea said.
Police must submit documentation within three days, which will be reviewed by a court to ensure the person is not being falsely imprisoned.
“Our job as law enforcement is to help you, and we want to take it to the minimum level possible,” Laffea said.
Important numbers
If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is also available nationwide and provides a resource for people who are considering suicide. Call 800-273-TALK (8255). Callers will be directed to a regional location.
For information on EAP programs and services, call 608-388-2441. The Fort McCoy DES Police Department can be reached at its nonemergency line at 608-388-2266.
(This article is the first of a two-part series on teen mental health.)
| Date Taken: | 03.05.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 03.05.2019 15:08 |
| Story ID: | 313001 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WI, US |
| Web Views: | 123 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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