September is the National Suicide Prevention & Awareness month. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S., so this month is about providing support for those who need it and raising awareness. Barstow has several support structures for students including, the counselors, Sources of Strength, and Zero Reasons Why.
The counselors provide year-round support for students. “At Barstow, suicide awareness is just to make people aware that if students are struggling with suicidal thoughts then there are resources available to them in school but also outside of school,” Amanda Quintanilla, one of three school counselors, explains. “We have a monthly meeting with Upper School, a mental health awareness lesson. There is also a monthly meeting for the middle school.”
There are many QR codes scattered around the school to set up an appointment with the counselors. In more urgent cases, they accept walk-ins. If anyone is struggling, people can sign up others to see the counselors if deemed necessary as well.
“We have done many things over the past few years, ranging from individual counseling or signs out front. We now have Sources of Strength to help. Last year we did a mental health week at the end of September,” Jessica Chanos, another counselor, said about what Barstow does for mental health.
The Sources of Strength program was only recently introduced through Mrs. Chanos in the Spring of 2021, but really increased participation last year. In Sources of Strength at Barstow, there are trusted adults, but also fellow students that students can go to if they are struggling.
Sources of Strength is a program that uses peer leaders to help reduce suicide in schools. Sources of Strength has been around since 1998, originally founded in North Dakota because of a startling number of youth suicides. The goal of Sources of Strength is to help raise awareness for suicidal behaviors and try to stop the stigmas surrounding mental health. It wants to help make the topic easier to talk about as a method of prevention.
“I have always wanted to do a mental health fair where we do a lot of fun things throughout the day such as yoga and meditation, different things that would help. I like the idea of normalizing going around the room talking about mental health with professionals or figure out ways to more openly communicate about our own mental health to connect with others. Both would reduce risk of suicide,” Mrs. Chanos said.
Outside of Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month (SPAM), there are many other organizations trying to help as well. For example, the Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program specifically focuses on teenagers who are struggling with mental health. The most well-known resource is the Suicide Hotline where people can either text or call. However, the number has changed to be more concise, it is now 988.
There are also more local resources in the Kansas City area. “There is a Kansas City Association of Suicide Awareness and Prevention Program and also the Johnson County Mental Health Center,” Mrs. Quintanilla said.
In addition to Sources of Strength, Barstow has its own club, Zero Reasons Why, run by students for students. The president of the club Aishi Sethi (‘23) has been in charge of this club since last year.
While there is always more to improve upon, Barstow does many things to take care of a student’s mental health. It is also important for the student to check in with themself and keep mental health as a priority, especially as Upper School students start taking more rigorous classes.
