Community Attends Adolescent Suicide Awareness and Prevention Program at Brookside

Legislator Dave Denenberg, in conjunction with Bellmore-Merrick CHSD and the Community Parent Center, organized an Adolescent Suicide Awareness and Prevention Program workshop that took place at Brookside last night.

The program's objective was to discuss who is at risk? How can we prevent suicide? And how and where to get help? Both principals from Mepham and Calhoun High School were in attendance, as were Saul Lerner, Director of Physical Education/Health, Athletics and Driver Education and Wendy Tepfer, Executive Director of the Community Parent Center. The guest speaker in attendance was Bernie Stein, LCSW.

Parents and teachers from the district were urged to attend the meeting, especially after the two tragedies that occurred in the district within the past year - Calhoun student Lyla Stern, 16, committed suicide on Jan. 13, 2009 and most recently Mepham student James Clare, 16, on Dec. 20, 2009. The teens were hit by a train in both incidents.

The goal of the program was to make suicide prevention information available to parents and students..

A youth suicide prevention counselor, Stein shared stories about students who have attempted suicide, noting the commonalities.

Stein noted that ultimately "so many are afraid that they won't be understood...and that they aren't being heard." He therefore advises parents to "listen."

Representatives from the Long Island Crisis Center were also in attendance. The center is located right in Bellmore and is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A representative, Theresa Buhse, explained that everyone at the center attends 250 hours of training, which takes approximately nine months to complete and ensures that "when they answer the phone they are ready for whatever is on the other end."

Meeting organizers said they hope parents, educators and students become advocates of spreading awareness. Tepfer noted that this awareness about suicide cannot be spread alone and that in past years "it has been a true school, community partnership" and it will "continue to be so."

Warning Signs of Suicide

According to LICC Web site, most people who are suicidal give clues before they attempt to end their lives.  Often, these clues go unnoticed or are ignored.  Some of these clues might include:

• Talking about death – any mention of dying, disappearing, people being "better off" without them, or plans for hurting themselves
• Changes in personality – sad, withdrawn, irritable, anxious, tired, apathetic
• Changes in behavior – trouble concentrating on school, work, or routine tasks; abusing drugs or alcohol; acting impulsively
• Isolation – stop hanging out with friends, drop out of school activities
• Changes in sleep patterns – insomnia, oversleeping, nightmares
• Changes in eating habits – loss of appetite; significant weight gain or loss
• Diminished sexual interest – impotence, lack of desire
• Low self-esteem – feeling worthless, shame, guilt, or self-hatred
• Feelings of hopelessness – believing that things will never get better or that nothing will change
• A sudden lift of depression – someone who's been feeling depressed who suddenly seems very calm and happy.  This calm, happy feeling could be because they've made up their mind that they're going to kill themselves and, thus, know the pain is going to end.

Community Resources

Long Island Crisis Center, 2740 Martin Ave., Bellmore, NY 11710

• 24-Hour Hotline (depression, suicide, grief counseling, other issues) 516-679-1111
• LIRR Hotline (dangers of being on train tracks) 877-582-5586 (TALK-TO-US)
• www.licrisiscenter.org (live online chat)

Tempo Group (Drug Abuse Outpatient Clinic), Brookside School, 1260 Meadowbrook Rd., North Merrick, NY 11566 • Phone: 516-546-9008

• Substance abuse treatment for teenagers and adults
• Special Programs/Groups: Adolescents, Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders, Parents of Adolescents Group, Men's Group, Spouse Group, Latino Group.

The Community Wellness Council of the Bellmores & Merricks Brookside School, Room #31,
1260 Meadowbrook Rd.,
North Merrick, NY 11566. 516-992 1073 • www.bmcouncil.com •  cwellnesscouncil@gmail.com

• Originally instituted by the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District board of Education in February 1996 in response to a survey of students regarding their drug and alcohol use. Programs include alcohol-free post-prom events.

The Association for the Community Parent Center, Brookside School, Room 31, 1260 Meadowbrook Rd., 
North Merrick, NY 11566. Phone: 516-771-9346
 • www.communityparentcenter.org/

• Community-based center for quality parent and community education programs addressing substance and alcohol abuse prevention, bullying/ harassment and youth violence prevention, and safe teen driving. Programs offered include Choices and Consequences and Parenting for Prevention. Listing on the site of Counseling and Mental Health Support groups.