The month of September is Suicide Prevention Month. This month is a reminder that there are countless people in the Owatonna community who are struggling with mental health issues. These issues include depression and anxiety that can result in suicidal ideation. Students of Owatonna High School have valuable resources at their disposal to get help. These resources are available in the community as well as within OHS.
In the community, there are numerous places that can be contacted for therapy or other assistance relating to mental health. These places include South Central Human Relations Center, the Crisis Resource Center and Experiencing Moore. At these facilities, there are multiple types of care and mental health experts specializing in a variety of fields.
Some programs are fairly intense, such as a six-month Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) group that has recently opened up in Owatonna. This DBT group is for teens who need support with learning effective coping skills and controlling their responses in highly emotional situations. Other treatment programs are offered in Owatonna that work with students that struggle with severe depression and anxiety on a daily basis. These programs often offer therapy during the mornings. During this time, the student is able to work on skills to help them get through the day before returning to school in the afternoon. Similarly, there are more traditional therapists and specialists in Owatonna that are able to offer their services on an appointment basis.
As for opportunities to seek support at the high school, there are activities that encourage a positive relationship with oneself. These activities include SHOC, Thriving Minds and Student Council events that raise awareness relating to mental health and suicidal ideation. Social workers, who are trained in screening for mental health and are able to offer support, are also at students’ disposal within OHS.
Ms. Nancy Williams is one of three social workers at OHS. Ms. Williams went into this field after experiencing grief in her adolescence and being around people who struggled with mental health. These factors pushed Ms. Williams towards a field that helped others and, as her schooling continued, it became clear that she wanted to work in a school helping children.
OHS is diligent about offering outreach programs within the school. Ms. Williams said, “If a kid is struggling or a kid is worried about a friend struggling in school, we would want them to feel comfortable to reach out to one of the social workers… or one of the guidance counselors to see how they could support them.” The school’s social workers and counselors work with students and families to connect with the aforementioned resources in the community to aid the struggling student. They are also trained in screening for mental illness and are able to make a plan with the student and their family about potential next steps.
Social workers are also able to work with students in handling intense emotions and building up a “toolbox” of coping mechanisms. Ms. Williams said, “With some kids, they can get into this pattern of just not having the coping strategies to deal with really, really hard, intense emotions… A lot of that is helping to teach other mechanisms for ‘how do I handle [these intense emotions].’”
Owatonna is a resource-rich community that has mental health professionals and support programs inside and outside of the schools. These professionals are here to help people who are struggling. Those affected only need to reach out for help if needed.
