Hello JJAB Listeners. 

My name is Danielle Sutherland, I am a Youth Mental Health First Aid instructor.  May is Mental Health awareness month, and since we have been under stay at home orders since March, it is important for us to stay vigilant in keeping our minds and bodies health.  If you have taken a Youth Mental Health First Aid class you learned about our ALGEE, our action plan.  ALGEE is an acronym for:

Asses for risk of suicide or harm

Listen nonjudgmentally

Give reassurance and information

Encourage appropriate professional help

Encourage self-help and other support strategies

If you or someone you know may be at risk of harming themselves its important to let them know that you are there to support them. Here are some examples of how you may start that conversation:

I’ve noticed that you don’t talk to your friends anymore, can I help you connect with them?

I’ve noticed that you’ve been spending a lot of time by yourself, would you like to go for a walk, play game, or bake some cookies?

I know that these past few months have been hard for you.  I’m here for you if you’d like to talk or I can help you find someone you feel more comfortable with.

If the person you are concerned about is close to you, they may not want to open up to you for a variety of reasons… and that’s ok. We have lots of people in our community who can help you connect with the right people.  Here in Los Alamos you can reach out to your school counselor, JJAB Resource Specialists, or you can call the suicide prevention hotline.

Los Alamos Public School: https://laschools.net/ 

JJAB: https://www.losalamosjjab.com/resource-specialists 

Suicide Prevention Hotlines: 

National: 800.273.8255

New Mexico: 855.662.7474

New Mexico Peer to Peer Warmline: 855.466.7100

National Text line: 741741