At MINES, we’re dedicated to supporting our community through all mental health challenges every day of the year. This National Suicide Awareness Month, we’d like to talk about the important issue of suicide, offer practical tips on how you can offer support, and provide additional resources.

If you’re having thoughts of suicide or considering ending your own life, please reach out for help immediately. Call 988 for 24/7 crisis support, or dial 911 if you’re facing an immediate emergency. Remember, you’re not alone – there are people who care about you and want to help. There is hope, and support is available.

Statistics that show why we still need suicide awareness

Unfortunately, suicide rates in the United States have crept back up to their peak in the past few years. These statistics make it clear why suicide awareness continues to be so important.

• Nearly 50,000 people in the U.S. died of suicide in 2022.
• Far more people – around 1.6 million – attempted suicide.
• Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the U.S.
• One person dies by suicide every 11 minutes.
• Over 13 million people think seriously about suicide every year.
• People who identify as non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaskan Native and non-Hispanic white face the highest risk of dying by suicide.
• Males are 4 times more likely to die by suicide than females.
• Firearms were used in more than 50% of suicide deaths.
• Older adults (aged 85 and older) are the most likely to die by suicide.
• More than 20% of teens have seriously considered suicide.
• Suicide is now the second-leading cause of death for teenagers.

[Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Psychological Association, Population Reference Bureau]

How everyone can support suicide awareness

If you don’t work in the mental health field, it’s easy to start feeling helpless in the face of America’s suicide crisis. You might feel like there’s nothing you can do to raise awareness and support people facing this – but that’s not true. There are steps that each of us can take to raise suicide awareness and offer support for people who may be affected.

Here are some actions to take for suicide awareness, both at work and beyond.

Talk about it openly

First of all, it’s important to break the taboo of suicide and talk about it openly, just like we talk about other leading causes of death. This doesn’t mean you’re obligated to share the intimate details of your life at work or in other situations, but shying away from the topic only heightens the stigma against it. For example, if a loved one died by suicide, don’t be afraid to say that directly instead of using euphanisms.

Open discussions not only about suicide, but about mental health in general. Creating an environment where mental health is normalized can feel safer for people who may be struggling with suicidal thoughts.

Use empathetic language

When you do talk about suicide, it’s important to use the right language. Using empathetic wording can help break the stigma against suicide and help people feel less villainized. An important example is refraining from saying that someone “committed” suicide. The term “committed” has a negative connotation, and makes the person who died seem like a criminal rather than a victim. Instead, use the more neutral phrasing, “died by suicide.”

Learn the signs and causes

An important way to contribute to suicide prevention is to commit to learning. Attend workshops, trainings, and online webinars that teach about the early signs of suicide and how to support someone who’s feeling this way. Experts say that suicide is preventable most of the time, and knowing the signs plays an important role in prevention. Plus, going to these trainings may uncover unconscious biases you may have about suicide and work toward dismantling them.

Spread awareness of resources

There are numerous free and accessible resources available to help those at risk of suicide. You can raise awareness of these resources in various ways, such as sharing them on social media, discussing them openly at work, creating flyers, or even hosting webinars. These actions can help connect people to the support they need when they’re feeling vulnerable. For example, sharing the number for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (988 in the U.S.) or information about local mental health services can make a huge difference. The more people are aware of these resources, the more likely they are to use them or share them with someone who might need them.

Another way to spread awareness is by advocating for mental health days or providing employees with resources related to suicide prevention in the workplace. By normalizing conversations around mental health resources, you help reduce the stigma and make it easier for someone to seek help.

Reach out

If you’re ever concerned about a loved one being at risk for suicide, don’t hesitate to reach out. It can feel scary at first, and many people worry that by bringing the topic of suicide up with their loved one, they’ll “put the idea in their head.” This is a myth – if your loved one is thinking about suicide, then approaching the topic with them is more likely to help them feel better than worse.

Reach out to anyone you’re concerned about with empathy and non-judgment. Refrain from using any language that could make them feel guilty about considering suicide. For example, don’t say, “Think about how it would impact your kids. How could you do that to them?” Instead, try saying, “That sounds really painful, and I’m worried about you. We’ll get the help you need together – you’re not alone. I’m here for you.”

Donate and/or volunteer

Lastly, if you’re passionate about this cause, consider making a donation or volunteering your time to support a mental health or suicide awareness organization. Donations help fund critical research, support services, and awareness campaigns, which makes a tangible impact on the fight against suicide. Volunteering, whether through crisis hotlines, community outreach, or local events, can provide hands-on support to those in need.

By contributing your time or resources, you become part of a larger effort to reduce stigma and support those affected by suicide. Even small contributions can lead to meaningful change – whether that’s providing comfort to someone in crisis or helping spread vital information that could save a life.

Important resources

At MINES, we strive to be a valuable resource for employees who may be facing mental health challenges or suicidal thoughts. Our licensed therapists offer free and confidential counseling 24/7 for our EAP members.

In addition to your EAP, there are numerous other resources available to support individuals who may be considering suicide. You are not alone, and these resources can provide the help you need:

• Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (988): Dial 988 for free, confidential support from trained crisis counselors, available 24/7 across the U.S.
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to speak with someone who can provide immediate help.
• Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained crisis counselor via text, available 24/7.
• The Trevor Project: A lifeline specifically for LGBTQ+ youth. Call 1-866-488-7386, text START to 678678, or visit their website for chat support.
• Veterans Crisis Line: Veterans and their loved ones can dial 988 and press 1, or text 838255, for specialized support.
• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Helpline: Call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) for information, support, and referrals for those facing mental health challenges.
• SAMHSA National Helpline: For those seeking treatment options, call 1-800-662-HELP (4357) to access a confidential, free, 24/7 helpline that provides information and referrals to local services.
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: Visit their website for resources on understanding and preventing suicide, as well as support for those affected by it.

These resources are here to offer support and guidance, so don’t hesitate to reach out if you or someone you know is struggling. Remember, help is always available, and it’s okay to ask for it.

To Your Wellbeing,

The MINES Team

The post National Suicide Awareness Month: Why It Still Matters and Ways to Show Support appeared first on MINES and Associates.

Despite grief being an emotional experience that we all share, awareness of it continues to be lacking. Certain types of grief are stigmatized or taboo to talk about. Other types of grief may be so large and painful that, when we see someone going through it, we feel helpless – we don’t know what to say.

August 30th is Grief Awareness Day. We’d like to take the opportunity to spread important information about grief, including how it affects us, what it can look like, and how to offer support to someone who’s going through it.

What are the different types of grief?

You may not have known that there are many different types of grief, which means that grief can look a multitude of different ways. Many people are familiar with typical grief, but sometimes, grief doesn’t look like you’d expect.

Officially, some experts say there are 3 types of grief (typical, complicated, and anticipatory) while others list 5 (the aforementioned 2, as well as acute grief and disenfranchised grief). Mental health experts also discuss traumatic grief, which is a type of complicated grief.

Here, we’re going over each of these 6 types of grief and how they can show up.

Typical grief

Typical grief, often called “normal” or “common” grief, is what most people think of when they hear the word “grief.” It’s the emotional response that follows a significant loss, usually the death of a loved one. This type of grief is marked by a range of emotions, including sadness, anger, confusion, and even relief, depending on the circumstances. These feelings might come and go, or they may persist for weeks or months as you adjust to life without the person you’ve lost.

However, it’s important to note that while this type of grief is often labeled “normal,” there’s really no single “normal” way to grieve. Everyone’s experience with grief is unique, and there’s no set timeline for how long it should last or what it should look like. The idea of “normal” grief can be misleading, as it implies that other forms of grief are somehow less valid or expected. In reality, all types of grief are “normal” responses to loss — each person grieves in their own way and at their own pace.

Complicated grief

Complicated grief is when the feelings of grief are intense, long-lasting, and disruptive to your daily life. Unlike typical grief, which tends to diminish (albeit slowly) over time, complicated grief persists and can even get worse. This type of grief can get in the way of your ability to function in everyday activities, which can leave you feeling stuck and unable to move forward.

For example, someone experiencing complicated grief might find themselves unable to return to work or engage in their regular activities months after a loss. They may be consumed by thoughts of the person they lost, struggle with intense longing, or even start to feel like life is meaningless without their loved one. This overwhelming grief often requires professional support to help you process and manage the emotions. That doesn’t mean that complicated grief is “wrong” or a mental illness – just that you might need some extra support.

Anticipatory grief

Anticipatory grief hits you before a loss actually happens, typically when you know that a significant loss is coming, like a terminal illness diagnosis. This type of grief allows you to start processing the impending loss in advance, which can sometimes help with the adjustment afterward. However, it can also be an emotional rollercoaster, because you might experience grief in waves while the person is still alive.

For example, if your partner has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, you might begin to grieve the loss of your future together before they even die. You might feel a mix of sadness, fear, and even guilt for grieving while they’re still alive. This type of grief can be very complex to deal with, and it can get difficult to grieve while you’re still providing care for your loved one.

Acute grief

Acute grief is the intense, immediate reaction to a loss, often experienced in the first days and weeks afterward. This type of grief is characterized by shock, disbelief, and a deep emotional pain that can feel overwhelming. Acute grief is a normal part of the grieving process, but it can be incredibly difficult to navigate as you’re suddenly confronted with the reality of your loss.

For example, after receiving the news of a sudden death, you might feel numb or disoriented, or even be in denial about what happened. You could also experience physical symptoms like trouble sleeping, loss of appetite, or fatigue. Acute grief is often the rawest form of grief, but it typically begins to lessen as you start to process your emotions and adapt to your new reality.

Disenfranchised grief

Disenfranchised grief is a type of grief that isn’t openly acknowledged, socially accepted, or publicly mourned. This can happen when the loss is seen as less significant or when societal norms dictate that your grief isn’t valid. It can also happen when you feel like you’re not allowed to express your love or grief openly. As a result, you might feel isolated or unsupported in your grief because others don’t recognize it as legitimate.

An example of disenfranchised grief could be the loss of a pet, a miscarriage, or the end of a relationship that others didn’t see as serious. People who were in relationships that were kept secret can also experience disenfranchised grief. After these losses, people might downplay your grief or tell you to “move on,” which can make it much harder for you to process and heal. This type of grief can be particularly painful because it often leaves you feeling like you have to hide your emotions.

Traumatic grief

Traumatic grief is a type of complicated grief that can happen when the loss is sudden, violent, or unexpected. This type of grief is often accompanied by symptoms of trauma, including flashbacks, nightmares, and severe anxiety. The combination of grief and trauma can make this type of grief extremely challenging, and it can sometimes lead to long-term psychological distress.

For example, losing a loved one in a car accident or to a violent crime can lead to traumatic grief. You might find yourself reliving the events surrounding the death or feeling an intense fear that something similar could happen again. The trauma aspect of this grief can complicate the healing process, and you may need professional support to get through it.

How to support someone who is grieving

Most of us aren’t aware of the different ways grief can present. When someone you know has experienced a loss, you might offer your condolences – but how can you truly support them emotionally? And how can you express your empathy when their grief is more complicated or acute?

Here are some tips.

1. Listen without judgment: Sometimes, the best support you can offer is a listening ear. Allow the person to share their feelings and experiences without interrupting or offering solutions. Just being present can be incredibly comforting.
2. Validate their feelings: Acknowledge that their grief is real and significant, no matter what form it takes. This is especially important if they are experiencing disenfranchised grief, where their loss might not be openly recognized or supported by others. Let them know that it’s okay to feel whatever they’re feeling.
3. Normalize their experience: Remind them that grief is a natural response to loss and that there’s no “right” way to grieve. Whether they’re feeling angry, numb, or devastated — all of these emotions are valid. Emphasize that everyone’s grieving process is unique.
4. Encourage professional support: Let them know that it’s okay to seek help from a therapist or counselor. Grief can be overwhelming, and professional support can provide tools and strategies to navigate the healing process. Normalize the idea that going to therapy is a healthy way to process grief — we don’t have to go through it alone.
5. Offer practical help: Sometimes, grief can make it hard to manage everyday tasks. Offering to help with meals, errands, or childcare can alleviate some of the burden. This allows them to focus on their emotional well-being without the added stress of daily responsibilities.

Grief is one of the many things that your MINES Employee Assistance Program (EAP) can support you with. Give us a call – our licensed providers offer free and confidential counseling for grief and many other life situations you may be experiencing.

To your wellbeing,

The MINES Team

The post Spreading Grief Awareness: What It Can Look Like and How to Offer Support appeared first on MINES and Associates.

We have become more aware of depression, but awareness is only the first step. It’s also critical that we’re regularly screening individuals for depression, just like we do for other health conditions like heart disease or high cholesterol. When we catch depression symptoms early on, we can help people realize there is a health problem and get the treatment they need – often through employee assistance programs.

National Depression Screening Day is celebrated each year in the first week of October. In today’s blog, we’ll help you prepare for this important day by giving you tips and resources on how to conduct depression screenings in your workplace.

Understanding what depression looks like

Most people have a general idea of what a “depressed person” looks like; perhaps you imagine someone who is often sad and cries frequently. But in reality, this is only one presentation of depression. There are many types of depressive disorders, and it’s important to understand how each of them can present.

Common symptoms of depression

Sad or low mood and frequent crying often do come along with depression. Some other common symptoms that you may notice include:

• No longer seem to enjoy things they used to enjoy
• Suddenly being apathetic or indifferent to work
• Appearing lethargic or extremely fatigued, which can even lead them to physically move slower than normal
• Decreased productivity at work
• Eating more or less than usual, which can lead to weight gain or loss
• Mood swings or being irritable; snapping at colleagues over small things
• Difficulty concentrating or making decisions; seeming to have a hard time remembering things
• Withdrawing and isolating themselves from others, especially if you’ve known them to be social people
• Increased absenteeism and tardiness
• Frequently complaining of unexplained physical symptoms like headaches or stomachaches
• Being very self-critical or having low self-esteem
• Talking about death and suicide, even if it’s in a “joking” manner

Although not everyone who displays these signs is experiencing depression, it’s important to be aware of the signs so you know what to watch out for. If you notice these signs, consider employee assistance programs to help improve your mental health.

On top of that, there are several different depressive disorders.

Major depressive disorder

This is what we most often refer to when we talk about “clinical depression.” People with major depressive disorder show many of the above symptoms for a period of 2 weeks or more.

Persistent depressive disorder

Persistent depressive disorder is also called chronic depression, and is diagnosed when someone has symptoms of depression for 2 years or more. They may not seem as acutely depressed, but likely show at least some of the symptoms.

Bipolar disorder

People with bipolar disorder swing between mania/hypomania (an intensely euphoric or “high” mood that can cause impulsive and dangerous behaviors) and depression. People with bipolar disorder may not be immediately identified as having depression because they could be in a manic episode the majority of the time. Other people with bipolar disorder are depressed most of the time and only experience one manic episode in their lives.

Postpartum depression

Colleagues who have recently given birth may show signs of postpartum depression, which is when someone experiences depression symptoms after childbirth. Research shows that people who adopt, as well as non-birthing partners, can also experience postpartum depression.

Because of these variations, depression can present itself in many different ways. Regular depression screening can make sure no one falls through the cracks.

Why is it important to screen for depression?

National Depression Screening Day can be an opportunity to remind employees to self-reflect and check themselves for symptoms of depression. Just like they go to their doctor every year for an annual physical exam, they can complete depression screening tools to ensure that their mood and mental health are sound.

Often when we’re experiencing depression, especially if we’ve experienced it for a long time, we don’t realize that we need help. We may assume that certain feelings or experiences are “just a part of life.” This can prevent us from getting support when we need it.

Here are some other reasons why it’s important to regularly screen for depression:

• Regular screening allows for the early identification of depression symptoms, which enables timely intervention and support (employee assistance programs) for employees who may be struggling.
• Employees benefit from increased awareness of their mental health through routine screenings. This knowledge can empower them to take proactive steps in managing their mental well-being and seeking support when it’s needed.
• Routine screening can minimize the personal and professional consequences of untreated depression, like workplace conflicts, strained relationships, financial stress, or compromised work-life balance.
• When people regularly screen themselves for depression, they’re connected to appropriate resources and assistance.
• Screening initiatives play a crucial role in tailoring and targeting mental health support through employee assistance programs in terms of organizational support.
• A workplace that prioritizes regular depression screening experiences improved employee engagement and retention because they’re creating environments that are characterized by care and support.

Screening tools for depression

Here is a helpful list of screening tools and resources that your employees can use to screen themselves for depression. Make sure that employees know that their results will be confidential. The idea is to help them get access to treatment when they otherwise wouldn’t have.

It’s also important to note that depression screening tests are not a replacement for a professional evaluation and diagnosis. No screening tool can diagnose you with depression, but they can give you a better idea of the signs of depression you or your employees might be experiencing and whether or not they could benefit from professional support.

• Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)
• Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D)
• EQ-5D
• Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D)
• Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology – Self-Report (QIDS-SR)
• Beck Hopelessness Scale
• Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)

You can get access to most of these tools through the American Psychiatric Association. Mental Health America also offers a quick online depression test that you can take.

Your Employee Assistance Program may also be able to help. If you’re a MINES & Associates client, you and your family have access to free and confidential counseling services at any time, day or night. Our mental health therapists can help you figure out if you might be experiencing depression, and offer guidance and support.

Contact us today and let us know how we can support your organization.

To Your Wellbeing,

The MINES Team

The post The Face of Depression at Work: Identifying Signs, Encouraging Conversations, and Seeking Help appeared first on MINES and Associates.

Happy National Foster Care Month

Several important subjects are tackled in the month of May. Two of them I will be addressing here. May marks National Foster Care Month and Mental Health Awareness Month. Those that work within the foster system are well aware of the issues and concerns around mental health in this subset. Between the abandonment that the majority of these kids feel, to the oversaturation of kids in the system and lack of foster families, all parties are susceptible lack of resources, energy, resilience, and understanding about how to handle the emotional situations that are bound to happen.

Personal Perspective on Foster Care

My husband and I have been working with foster families for five years. Since we do not have kids of our own, we have found a way to work with a group of kids that are severely in need of love, understanding, patience, and support. We work with those who have their own biological kids and yet have opened their home to others in need. We have found that these foster parents lack the support and sometimes understanding of how to give themselves self-care or how to support the emotional needs of the kids in their home. The first family we started working with had a set of siblings who brought forth a lot of complications, concerns, and opened their eyes to how little they really were prepared for this change in their lives. This brought into focus various ways how we can help families traverse this experience.

Examples of Mental Health Concerns within the Foster Family

Lack of Basic Emotional Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence comes in many forms and levels of understanding. Just type in that term and thousands of articles will come up on it and how you can improve your “emotional intelligence.” Most people have some level of understanding emotions and how to differentiate how between various emotions and can recognize those emotions in others. However, most children coming into the foster care system do not understand mad, sad, glad, and the variations that come from these basic feelings. They can’t describe how they feel, and the most can’t express their feelings without throwing a tantrum as that was the only way they could get attention at home.

Foster parents often are uncertain the best way to deal with the lack of emotional understanding of the foster kids. Another dynamic happens when the foster children leave the foster home to be reunited with their biological family. Foster families aren’t often shown how to express their feelings around this with their own kids or their foster children. Teaching families that grief is natural and it is ok to feel various emotions is vital and sorely lacking in my opinion. I think that the movie, InsideOut, was a blessing as we use those characters all the time when we are teaching parents and kids how to express different emotions and talk to each other about what they are feeling in a way that the whole family can understand.

Consequences around Lack of Information

We worked with a family who was fostering 3 kids between the ages of 7-11. The oldest witnessed horrible things his younger siblings went through with trusted family members. Due to this, this child’s emotional age was stunted at 5 years old. The 11-year-old also came from another family that had placed this child on psychotropic drugs to help control their mood swings and poor sleeping habits. This medication variant added another layer that the foster family was unprepared for and was unsure the best action-whether the child should stay in the home or not. The sibling group had an unspoken history and acted as a team against the foster family. These siblings struggled to share anything in therapy and since foster parents do not generally have the rights to hear about what happens in therapy, there was a wall between these kids and the foster family.

The foster family ended up making the hard decision to have the 11-year-old leave their home, but they kept the other two. Due to the lack of knowledge of what happened and the limited access to Medicare therapists, the whole family suffered. The remaining foster kids grieved losing their sibling, and the foster parents were unsure if they made the right decision or to remove the child.

The Effects of Extreme Emotional Turmoil

Another case we have seen revolves around a 12-year-old child went to a home with other kids in it. This child had been in the foster system for 10 years and had a history of being moved around the system, along with going through the adoption process.  This child was on ten different medications and labeled as ODD, RAD, and ADHD. Although the system readily accepted these medications and diagnoses, the foster system restricted access to therapy, support at school, and tools to help this child process their past. This began a 1.5-year cycle of the child threatening suicide, attempting suicide, and threatening the other kids in the home.

Once theft and continual lying was added to the mix, the foster parents had to make the difficult decision to remove this child from the home. The bio-children in the home were devastated, angry, confused, and totally unprepared on how to handle this turmoil. The foster parents struggled with guilt, grief, and burn out between the drawn-out hospital stays, the having to drop everything, and the effort to have this not affect the other children in the home. The relief they felt when the child wasn’t in the home made them feel guilty, the emotions of seeing what he put himself through strained their relationship about how to handle it, and the destruction and stealing of property put them in a difficult situation of deciding what was best for the child and the family. Again, lack of training by the foster system or support to the whole family system around resilience, becoming trauma-informed, and how to give yourself a break as parents was all very hard to witness.

The Need for Training in Foster Families

Although the foster system has access to legal, financial, medical, educational, and mental health services, generally foster parents aren’t told how to access these. In the age of focusing on emotional resilience and work/life balance, these foster families aren’t taught how to do this within the confines of having foster kids. We need to find ways to support our foster families better and give them better access to mental healthcare for the whole family. We need to find ways to give them access to training on emotional resilience and how to do self-care.

Emotional Resiliency

You don’t get to go home and escape the stressors when you are a foster family. You don’t get to take time off when you need it to restore your energy. It is a 24/7 job and unless you have others who tell you to pace yourself or offer you resources, you will burnout as a foster parent. We see this in all the horrible stories of the poor conditions of foster homes or the additional trauma and lack of supportive care the foster children receive in some foster homes. We need to teach those who are foster families (yes the bio-children and foster children too) about resiliency and how to thrive through whatever life throws at you. Here is a great resource around resilience strategies. Also, if you are a MINES client, you have access to a great online resilience program.

Compassion Fatigue/Secondary Trauma/Vicarious Trauma/Burnout

When a child is suicidal or has severe attachment issues, it can be draining to deal with the continual manipulation or the dynamics these mental health conditions can bring into a home and it is easy for families to experience compassion fatigue. When a child finally breaks down and expresses they don’t know how to read and that is why they ditch school or when they share their story of seeing their family die in a fire, foster families need to learn how to recognize secondary or vicarious trauma as they take these stories to heart and want to help these kids out. When the school system says the child doesn’t qualify for assistance or the medical system says the child has maxed out their allotted therapy sessions and hospital stays for the year, burnout can be high. By recognizing these terms and having others close to you keep an eye out for the symptoms, foster families can prepare themselves for the inevitable.

Self-Care

The biggest thing we see lacking is self-care amongst foster parents. Respite Care is an important option for all foster families to take advantage of. Some don’t want to use the respite system as it disrupts the schedule of the foster children and family in general. Some don’t use it as then they still have their bio-children who want their undivided attention while the other children are out of the house. Some use it but don’t know what to do with their time once the children are temporarily out of the home. The web has some great resources on ways to do self-care and there are plenty of articles on it. Two of the easiest things to do is to practice mindfulness and taking time to do things for yourself/loving yourself.

What can you do?

As an Outsider

If you know someone who is a foster parent, thank them. Offer to babysit the whole crew for an evening so they can go have a night out. Offer to make them dinner one night. See if they are connected to a foster support group, and if they aren’t, offer them a list of some, and even offer to go with them. We all need to talk to someone who understands what you are going through. Or help do laundry- extra kids means extra laundry and less time for family time.

And the same goes for the foster kids. Some of these kids have been through literal hell. Some have been abused in ways they don’t even recognize. Some struggle with why they are being removed and whether or not they are loved. The best thing you can do is find ways to connect and support these kids. It isn’t their fault their parents are unable to have them. Regardless of their behaviors or struggles, there is something you can do for them- show them unconditional kindness and love. If they are involved in sports, go see their games. If they are selling chocolate for school, buy some. Find ways to give foster kids a special experience or memory. One thing we do is take them to an ethnic grocery store and let them try various fruits and foods that they have never been exposed to. If all of us can share a bit of ourselves with these kids, then these kids have a better chance of thriving wherever they end up. This website is a great resource and there are plenty of other blogs and stories how you can help those who are in the foster care system. As an outsider, be that person foster kids can come to, feel loved, and help them find good outlets for their anger, frustration, and hurt.

As a Foster Care Provider

If you have time and can become a respite provider, do. If you become a foster parent, take time for self-care, take time to do training and prepare yourself, and consider all the things that can come along with a child before you make the commitment. If you are interested in being a CASA or a GAL, do the research and use your skills. Become a Big Brother or Big Sister or with another support type groups to help kids through the trauma and struggles of growing up without a bio-family or changing home situations. In whatever function you are in, find a support group, get connected with others, and give yourself a break when you falter or struggle. Be prepared to struggle and have a good support team that you see regularly to help you recognize when you start to show signs of secondary trauma or compassion fatigue as it will happen.

Personally, even though we do make sure that we take care of ourselves and our needs so that we don’t suffer from burnout/compassion fatigue, we have found at times to have certain memories burned into our brains and have experienced secondary trauma. We have seen a child draw a dead tree because trees don’t deserve to live and a house with a danger room. We have seen babies stagnate developmentally due to what their mother did while they were pregnant. We have been with families as they received the news of what happened in the biological home and watch it tear them apart. Through it all, we have had to come up with strategies to move past these tragic events and not let those traumatic memories affect our daily lives or interactions with kids.

Final Thoughts

Not all foster care agencies falter when it comes time to prepare foster families and not all foster kids suffer severe mental health conditions. Not all stories are tragic or heartbreaking. We have seen parents truly change their lifestyle or other relatives step up and bring the family back together. Some of these stories are wonderful and heart-warming. However, not all re-unifications result in a positive outcome. Regardless of what you do or how you choose to interact with the foster care system, resiliency, training, and self-care are important.

If you are financially able to support agencies or support groups, please do. There are some great agencies out there are trying to supply the resources needed for foster children and foster families. If you are able to provide free trainings or webinars, find a group to do that for.

MINES would be happy to talk to you more about how you can support your employees who may be foster parents and how EAP services can assist them through the journey they have decided to take. If you are interested in learning more about MINES EAP and PPO program, feel free to contact us at 1-800-873-7138 or at info@minesandassociates.com.

To Your Wellbeing,

Raena Chatwin

The MINES Team

References and Suggested Reading

Joanne Riebschleger, Angelique Day & Amy Damashek (2015) Foster Care Youth Share Stories of Trauma Before, During, and After Placement: Youth Voices for Building Trauma-Informed Systems of Care, Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 24:4, 339-360, DOI: 10.1080/10926771.2015.1009603

Barbell, K., Wright, L. (2001). Family Foster Care in the Next Century. New York: Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9781351320474

Erum Nadeem, PhD, Jill Waterman, PhD, Jared Foster, PhD, Emilie Paczkowski, PhD, Thomas R. Belin, PhD, and Jeanne Miranda, PhD. (2016) Long-Term Effects of Pre-Placement Risk Factors on Children’s Psychological Symptoms and Parenting Stress Among Families Adopting Children From Foster Care . Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders 25:2, 67 – 81, https://doi.org/10.1177/1063426615621050

Moira A. Szilagyi, David S. Rosen, David Rubin, Sarah Zlotnik. Health Care Issues for Children and Adolescents in Foster Care and Kinship Care. The Council on Foster Care, Adoption, And Kinship Care, The Committee On Adolescence And The Council On Early Childhood Pediatrics, Oct 2015, 136 (4) e1142-e1166; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2015-2656 https://goo.gl/inDxcD

Great Websites to check out

http://www.ncsl.org/research/human-services/mental-health-and-foster-care.aspx

https://www.childwelfare.gov/fostercaremonth/resources/parents/

http://nfpaonline.org/foster

http://www.nationalfostercare.org/national-foster-care-month.html

The post Foster Families and Mental Health appeared first on MINES and Associates.

BeAware

As you may or may not know, May is National Mental Health Awareness month in the United States. Here at MINES improving services, knowledge, and awareness around mental health issues, and providing solutions to these issues is our business, our specialty, and our passion. Therefore, it’s safe to say that Mental Health Awareness Month is important to us as it allows us an opportunity to jump into the national conversation around critical behavioral health topics on a national level and help the fight to increase awareness and decrease stigma around mental health.

Importance

To shed some light on why this is so critical, consider the following statistics:

US General Stats:

• 1 in 25 adults are currently diagnosed with a serious mental illness; 1 in 5 are currently diagnosed with some sort mental illness
• There are a wide variety of anxiety disorders, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and specific phobias to name a few. Collectively they are among the most common mental disorders experienced by Americans.
• Approximately 10.2 million adults in the U.S. have co-occurring mental health and addiction disorders.
• Serious mental health illnesses cost people $193.2 billion in lost earnings every year in the U.S.
• Nearly 60% of adults with a mental illness did not receive care in the previous year.

Men:

• 3% are currently diagnosed with a serious mental illness; 14.3% are currently diagnosed with some sort mental illness.
• Men die from suicide at twice the rate as women.
• 6 milling men are affected by depression per year in the U.S.
• The Top 5 major mental health problems affecting men in the U.S. include: Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, Psychosis and Schizophrenia, and Eating Disorders.
• Men are significantly less likely to seek help for mental health issues than women. Causes for this include reluctance to talk, social norms, and downplaying symptoms.

Women:

• 5% are currently diagnosed with a serious mental illness; 21.2% are currently diagnosed with some sort mental illness.
• 12 million women in the U.S. experience clinical depression each year. Roughly twice the rate of men.
• Although men are more likely than women to die by suicide, women report attempting suicide approximately twice as often as men.
• Many factors in women may contribute to depression, such as developmental, reproductive, hormonal, genetic and other biological differences (e.g. premenstrual syndrome, childbirth, infertility, and menopause).
• Fewer than half of the women who experience clinical depression will ever seek care. And Depression in women is misdiagnosed approximately 30 to 50 percent of the time.

Kids:

• 50% of all chronic mental illness begins by the age of 14; 75% by the age of 24.
• 20% of 8 to 13 year of age in the U.S. will be diagnosed with some sort of mental illness in their lifetime.
• Girls 14-18 years of age have consistently higher rates of depression than boys in this age group.
• Nearly 50% of kids with a mental illness did not receive care in the previous year.
• LGBTQ adolescents are twice as likely to attempt suicide than non-LGBTQ youths.
• More than 90% of children who die by suicide have a mental health condition.

This month from MINES

All throughout this Mental Health Awareness Month, MINES will be tweeting out stats to stoke the conversation and resources to help those that may not know where to go. We will also be sharing thoughts, resources, and insight from different members of the MINES team around some of today’s important behavioral health issues right here on MINESblog. So please follow if you are not already, and feel free to share with anyone you think may benefit from the information. And if you or someone you know is struggling with a mental health issue, please encourage them to reach out to one of the resources above to find the help they need. And as always, if MINES is your Employee Assistance Program and you need help, information or just need to talk, call us 24 hours a day at 1-800-873-7138.

Resources

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Treatment Referral Helpline –
  • 1-800-662-HELP
• National Institute for Mental Health – nimh.nih.gov
• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) – nami.org
• Mental Health America – mentalhealthamerica.net
• Mental Health America of Colorado http://www.mhacolorado.org/gethelp
• Anxiety and Depression Association of America – adaa.org
• Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance – dbsalliance.org
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – suicidepreventionlifeline.org
  • 1-800-273-8255
• Veterans Crisis Line – veteranscrisisline.net
  • 1-800-273-8255
• National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention – actionallianceforsuicideprevention.org
• United Way- unitedway.org/local/united-states/

Keep the conversation going

As always we ask that you don’t let the conversation end with the end of the month. We don’t have to wait until next year to keep talking about Mental Health especially when there are so many people out there in need of help and information. Keep good track of your own health and wellbeing, don’t be afraid to seek help if you need to, and assist others by talking to them and sharing information and directing them towards care providers that can help them.

To your wellbeing,

Nic Mckane,

The MINES Team

The post Mental Health Awareness Month 2017 appeared first on MINES and Associates.