We talk about talking more about mental health, but it’s easier said than done. Social media exacerbates problems, to be sure, but women like Susan Tellone tackle them head-on.
My drive for saving young lives and supporting youth mental health stems from experiences in my nursing career. Early on, I worked with terminal cancer patients, where I saw so intimately the human survival instinct in action. Part of my nursing practice was to help my patients die with dignity and grace, yet so many clung to life.
When I started hearing about suicide – particularly teen suicide – I knew it had to be preventable because it goes against our instincts. So, I turned my practice to psychiatric nursing, education and training.
After many years in the field, I moved away from psychiatry to become a high school nurse in my small New Jersey town. However, within three months of arriving, a student died of a drug overdose. Just three months later, his friend died due to suicide by train.
Both boys were popular athletes and high-achieving students. The despair that spread through our small community was deep, and another death by train soon followed. We found ourselves in what’s known as a “suicide contagion.” We lost 12 young people in our community in just four years.
In response, we used my professional training to develop a suicide prevention crisis plan. During this devastating time, I became the school’s crisis coordinator and brought the message of suicide prevention into the community to enforce healing and resilience.
Building youth resilience, educating adults in children’s networks, and breaking mental health stigmas became my passion. I believe it is my calling. Once I reached my tenure as a school nurse, I knew I had to stay in school communities in a mental health capacity. I hoped that the lessons learned throughout that suicide contagion could be shared and that, with knowledge and empathy, we could prevent other communities from experiencing anything similar.
In my career, I have witnessed such incredible loss of young lives. I vowed to myself, loved ones, neighbors, and their children that the pain would not be forgotten, but turned into purpose. I live out that purpose every day through the work we do at the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide (SPTS).
Our mission is rooted in increasing awareness, saving lives and reducing the stigma of suicide. Through specialized mental health training programs and resources, we empower students, parents, schools, and communities with the skills needed to help youth build lives of resiliency.
One of the key factors to saving lives is early intervention. This is the focus of our newest initiative, Adolescent Clinical Training for Suicide Prevention (ACTS). Through ACTS and with support from the Morgan Stanley Alliance for Children’s Mental Health and its Innovation Awards program, we are training more than 2,000 non-behavioral-health nurses in hospital settings who are caring for children that may have medical issues that can create or contribute to anxiety, depression or despair.
We see nurses as the core of patient care. They can play another significant role by becoming a trusted adult in children’s lives. By teaching nurses to spot warning signs and how to have compassionate conversations with patients and their families, they can help create a safe space for children to talk openly, as well as validate their feelings and lend hope.
Additionally, trained nurses understand risk assessment questions and responses, as well as when it is appropriate to refer an adolescent for a psychiatric consultation. I believe we can give nurses the tools they need for early intervention and help them foster resiliency in our children, ultimately saving more young lives.
Of course, this task is not up to nurses alone. There is so much we can do as parents, caregivers and a collective community.
Talk openly about mental health. We must normalize and encourage people to talk about their mental well-being. It is important to keep the conversation going. If someone is concerned about another person, refer them to early intervention.
Learn the warning signs. Knowing what we at SPTS call the “FACTS” – or feelings, actions, changes, threats and Situations — can help you identify if someone is at risk. You can be the beginning of a solution by taking the time to notice and reach out.
Ask for help. It takes courage and bravery to ask for help. Don’t wait until you are exhausted to let someone know you need help. Resources like 988 or Crisis Text Line are free and staffed 24/7.
We can count the number of lives lost to youth suicide; statistics show us. But, our children are not merely a number, and youth suicide is not just a statistic; it represents dreams unfulfilled, talents undiscovered, and futures cut short.
I am and will always remain hopeful that we can create a world where young people are surrounded by support, resilience and opportunities for growth. My work is driven by this deep hope for the future of our children. I firmly believe that every young life is filled with potential and promise, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure they thrive.
In Her Own Words is a daily Bizwomen feature edited and curated by Ellen Sherberg and written by individual contributors. If you would like to add your voice to this ongoing narrative, please send an email to [email protected].
By Ellen Sherberg – Bizwomen Contributor, The Business Journals – Dec 27, 2023