intro harlan c omm present circle of support

A Community Effort to A Community Effort to Understand and Address Understand and Address Adolescent DepressionAdolescent Depression

What is Circle of What is Circle of Support? Support?

• Centers around schools, community agencies, churches, service groups, businesses, law enforcement, health professionals, families and youth all coming together to address teenage depression

• It is unfortunately often triggered by one or more suicide attempts

What is Circle of What is Circle of Support? Support?

• It has three main components in community engagement:• Education on the facts and symptoms

of adolescent depression• Learning their role in supporting

young people in their community and that they come in contact with

• Understanding how and where families or youth can get help

What is a Circle of What is a Circle of Support?Support?

Circle of Support as a Circle of Support as a Community Mental Community Mental Health ModelHealth Model

• The Model provides the following supports:

1. Building a Circle of Support: A model for Intervention and Prevention of Adolescent Mental Health Problems• This piece is used to lay out the philosophy

and describes the steps to implement a community based mental health promotion program which can be used by the Community Team.


2. Adults Who Care: Education for Parents and School StaffThis piece contains agendas, activities and

handouts for two 90-minute educational programs to help community groups, parents, school staff and other caring adults recognize and understand adolescent depression. Puzzle Pieces and Faces of Depression Videos are used.

Components of a Components of a Community Community PresentationPresentation

• Deal with the myths and facts of Teen Depresssion

• Learn how a circle of support can assist teens

• Recognize the major symptoms of Teen Depression, “What to look for”

• Provide a greater understanding of what help looks like

• Learn how to listen and help youth to talk


3. Teens Helping Teens: Peer Helper Training on Depression and Suicide Attempts• This piece contains educational

materials to instruct peer helpers at the junior and senior high school levels on the topics of depression and suicide. These can be part of a formal peer helper program or student leaders of many different levels identified to serve in the peer helper role.


4. Tackling Tough Stuff: Adolescent Skills to Understand Depression• This piece is intended for general use with

young people 12 to 18 years old. It can be implemented through home room activities, in church and other community youth groups as classroom, small group or retreat activities.

• The activities promote recognition and understanding of depression and skill-building focused on coping, communication and solving problems


5. Teen Teachers: Cross Age Education to Building Friendship Skills

• This piece gives directions to engage High School students in the delivery of cross-age teaching to upper elementary school students on the topics of being a friend and building a Circle of Support.

Some BackgroundSome Background

• The program was developed by psychiatrists, psychologists and educators at the University of Minnesota.

• It was developed from five years of research involving over 15, 000 youth and is based on this research and information presented by the youth themselves.

Some BackgroundSome Background

• The human element of anguish and desperation common to sucicidally depressed teenagers impacted and guided the team most in developing these programs.

• Youth have great impact as they share their message through the videos to help others not have to go through what they did.

• Iowa State University Extension assists communities:• in organizing the community Team, • helping identify mental health service

providers, • and in conducting training on the

curriculum components that the community and schools might choose to implement

Next Step in HarlanNext Step in Harlan

• To continue work with an identified set of youth as Peer Helpers since Peer Relationships are so important.

• Youth were selected that represent influence in many different groups

• You as Community Members will focus on:• Being part of a circle of support• Understanding the symptoms of depression• Knowledge of who and how teens can get help• Sharing the Circle of Support with Comm. Groups

Percentage of students Percentage of students who had 5 or more drinks who had 5 or more drinks of alcohol on any day of alcohol on any day during the last 30 daysduring the last 30 days

Percentage of students who Percentage of students who have made a plan in the last have made a plan in the last 12 months to commit 12 months to commit suicide.suicide.

Percentage of students who Percentage of students who have ever tried to kill have ever tried to kill themselvesthemselves

Percentage of students who Percentage of students who agree or strongly agree that agree or strongly agree that their teachers care about their teachers care about themthem

Percentage of students who Percentage of students who agree or strongly agree that agree or strongly agree that their teachers are available to their teachers are available to talk with students one-on-one.talk with students one-on-one.

Percentage of students who Percentage of students who agree or strongly agree that agree or strongly agree that there is at least one adult at there is at least one adult at school that they could go to for school that they could go to for help with a problemhelp with a problem