Thank you to everyone who attended “Angst” film screening events over the past two weeks. Nearly 1,500 parents, students and community members joined the Horizon Foundation and Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) over four dates in four locations to watch the film and hear from speakers that included mental health professionals and students.
“We know we are not alone in dealing with mental health issues in our families and we know that there is hope,” said Horizon Foundation President and CEO Nikki Highsmith Vernick.
According to national data, 20 percent of all children ages 13-18 live with a mental health condition, and half of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14 – underscoring the importance of working together to provide more mental health services for youth in school, Highsmith Vernick said.
HCPSS Superintendent Dr. Martirano urged attendees to “join with me as a community who cares about children, who cares about each other and is showing this evening that we are all here with a personal interest.”
Panel discussions featured mental health professionals, HCPSS staff and local high school students. When addressing how parents could help their children build skills for coping with anxiety, Dawn Duignan, a licensed social worker, encouraged parents to start by thinking, “What makes them smile? What gives them a spark? What lights up their eyes? If it’s art, start with art. If it’s horses, start with horses. And work on it together.”
Long Reach High School student India Mallard also encouraged her peers to be open to talking about stress and anxiety. “Communication is key,” she said. “You never know – somebody might be going through the same thing, and you guys can go through it together, and you guys can grow together.”
Special thanks to the Mental Health Community Advisory Council, panelists and volunteers for collaborating with the Horizon Foundation and the Howard County Public School System on these events.
Resources
Facts for Families: Anxiety Disorders
Learn about signs and symptoms of different anxiety disorders, as well as strategies and resources to help families with children facing anxiety. View the fact sheet (pdf).
Click here for more mental health resources from the Local Health Improvement Coalition >>
Suicide Intervention Trainings – QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer)
QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer — the 3 simple steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. This training teaches people the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade and refer a person to help. Local trainings are FREE for people who live or work in Howard County.
Upcoming QPR Training Dates:
(Subject to change – based on registration)
When: April 13, 2019, from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Where: Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center – 6700 Freetown Rd, Columbia, Md. 21044
When: May 1, 2019, from 9 – 11 a.m.
Where: Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center – 6700 Freetown Rd, Columbia, Md. 21044
When: May 16, 2019, from 5 – 7 p.m.
Where: Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center – 6700 Freetown Rd, Columbia, Md. 21044
When: May 17, 2019, from 12 – 2 p.m.
Where: NonProfit Collaborative – 9770 Patuxent Woods Dr., Columbia, Md. 21046
Register online at https://grassrootscrisis.org/events/. For more information on QPR trainings, contact Amanda Ganoe at amanda@grassrootscrisis.org.
