September 2021/Issue XXIV |
|
24/7 Mobile Crisis Response Line
1-800-564-2578
|
|
September is National Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month
Everyone can play a role in preventing suicide. If you believe someone may be in danger of suicide:
- Call 911 or our Mobile Crisis Response number (see above in red), or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at: 1-800-273-TALK (8255), if danger for self-harm seems imminent.
- Ask them if they are thinking about killing themselves. This will not put the idea in their head or make it more likely they will commit suicide. Research shows that people thinking about suicide feel relief when someone asks about them in a caring way, and that talking about suicide may reduce suicidal ideation.
- Listen without judging and show you care.
- Stay with the person, or make sure the person is in a private, secure place with another caring person until you can get further help.
- Remove any objects that could be used in a suicide attempt.
Click Here to learn more about preventing suicide at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) website.
~ and ~
|
September is also National Recovery Month!
National Recovery Month celebrates the gains made by those in recovery, just as we celebrate improvements made by those who are managing other health conditions such as diabetes, asthma, and heart disease. Each September, Recovery Month works to promote and support new evidence-based treatment and recovery practices, the emergence of a strong and proud recovery community, and the dedication of service providers like West Central and community members across the nation who make recovery in all its
forms possible.
|
Want to learn more about recovery at a local level? Join the virtual conversation on September 21st at noon as Ryan Fowler, Harm Reduction Coordinator for the HIV/HCV Resource Center in Lebanon, speaks about Recovery-Friendly Communities during the Healthy Conversations Wellness Forum presented by New London Hospital and COMPASS Coalition. |
|
Mobile Crisis Response:
A Necessary Resource
We know the pandemic has adversely affected lots of people in our area. Isolation leads to depression and substance use, and crisis calls are on the rise. This brief NBC5 News video and transcript shows our CEO & President, Roger Osmun, PHD, Lebanon Police Chief Phil Roberts, and Carol Furlong of Elliot Hospital in Manchester discussing COVID's tragic impact and the need for our newly implemented 24/7 mobile crisis response teams to save lives in times of crisis and help people recover.
This NHPR article outlines how mobile crisis response is a big step forward for all of us and our first responders! Although the article refers to the Upper Valley, we also cover Sullivan County with the same 24/7 crisis line phone #: 1-800-564-2578. (Note to our neighboring VT residents, if you are physically in NH when a crisis strikes, we will respond to your call.)
|
|
|
|
Need to set up your first appointment? Call our 'New Client'
Appointment Line
603-542-5128
Teletherapy and in-person appointments
|
|
Athletes Speaking Out
When asked to share thoughts on her journey with anxiety and depression, professional tennis star Naomi Osaka said, “I hope I was able to help some people and for them to see that even athletes are still humans like the rest of us. And we all are dealing with something in our lives.” For the full article from Women's Health, Click Here. In addition to her tennis prowess, Naomi's strength may be in her voice and her choice to speak out about her own mental health. Brava!
Photo Credit: Mark Kolbe
|
|
Seeing a Therapist? Be Honest with your Kids
Parents, why should you tell your children you're seeing a therapist? It shows kids you're brave enough to ask for help, and it serves to help them be more open and honest about their feelings. There are many more reasons in this insightful article from verywellmind.
|
|
Here at West Central...
Our Mobile Crisis Response team is on the move! We are meeting with first responders, municipal administrators and other community stakeholders to spread the word and develop protocols. Our current 24/7 Mobile Crisis Response Line, 1-800-564-2578, will be in use until the end of 2021. Starting in January 2022, a new 24/7 centralized 800 dispatch number will be introduced in New Hampshire. We will provide updates as they happen.
We continue to reconvene group therapy sessions in our facilities with air purifiers and CO2 monitors to help with indoor air quality. As a reminder, masks are still required at all our locations.
We are closely monitoring the progress of the Delta variant and we continue to encourage our clients and everyone in the community to get vaccinated. The time is now to roll up your sleeve to protect yourself and others.
|
|
Back to School...
It's time to head back to school! The new school year can be exciting, but transitioning back to the classroom or virtual learning may not be easy this year because of the uncertainty that remains with the spread of COVID-19. Younger children might have anxiety about entering a classroom for the first time, while older children and teens may experience signs of stress or depression. It's important to have the right information to support your children’s mental health. This Mental Health First Aid update offers five ways you can support your children this fall. If you need additional support, West Central's Child & Family Services is here to provide the help your family needs. When signs of trouble emerge, seek help.
We're hiring!
Positions available include Mobile Crisis Response Clinicians, Peer Support Specialists, Team Leaders, Clinical Secretaries, Residential Specialists, Mental Health Therapists, Adult & Child Case Managers, and more. If you have an interest in helping others who truly need help, there's no more gratifying work than in community behavioral health. Please Click Here to visit our Careers web page to find your next professional step that will make a world of difference for others and help you feel good about the work you do!
On Vaccinations...
At this time, both NH and VT are vaccinating anyone 12 years of age or older regardless of residency with third shots now available for those with weakened immune systems. Boosters will be available eight weeks after the second dose for those who have had a full course of the vaccine and developed a good response initially. The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services has made it easier for you to receive your COVID-19 vaccine. The NH Mobile Vaccine Van is available to provide free vaccination clinics across the state at any location to groups of all sizes. You can get COVID-19 vaccine information at vaccines.nh.gov or by calling 2-1-1. And for our neighboring VT residents, Click Here to learn more.
|
|
Do you appreciate what we're doing within our community? If you're reading this and can make a gift to support our work, please do. As a tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) non-profit serving clients in the Upper Valley and Sullivan County with offices in Lebanon, Claremont, and Newport, NH, we extended nearly $600,000 in charitable care to vulnerable people in need of our services last year. No gift is too small, and we accept monthly recurring contributions on our giving webpage. Gifts of any size make a difference to help us save lives. You can help, too.
|
|
Share This Newsletter...You Might Save a Life |
|
This newsletter is sent monthly to West Central staff, Board & Committee members, and our many friends and supporters. Please share it with your friends and family so people remember our name and the work we do as this region's community mental health, substance use disorder, and 24/7 crisis response center.
When people in need know who we are,
they'll contact us before a crisis occurs.
|
|
24/7 Mobile Crisis Response Line
1-800-564-2578
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
