Episode 9: Supporting Student Mental Health

In this deep dive, Superintendent Steven Cook talks with two dynamic school counselors about why this time of year can be challenging for some families, finding our strengths, how to talk to teens about serious issues and why our students make them hopeful for the future. Thank you to Bend Senior High School’s Christine Ewing and La Pine High School’s Kelsey Jaeckel for sharing your stories and passion for supporting students with listeners.

Note: This podcast episode may cover sensitive topics including but not limited to suicide, mental health illness and grief. You are advised to refrain from listening to the podcast if you may be adversely impacted to these topics.

Resources highlighted during episode:

• First Step App
• Deschutes County Stabilization center
• Deschutes County crisis line - 541-322-7500 ext. 9 (bilingual)
• Oregon Youthline (a free, confidential teen-to-teen crisis and help line; teens are available 4 to 10 p.m. daily; adults available all other times) 1-877-968-8491 or text teen2teen to 839863 (bilingual)
• District Student Mental Health website also available en Espańol
• How to help a friend resource
• Partners in Care
• Dougy Center
• The Trevor Project - Crisis intervention and suicide prevention for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth ages 13-24
• WeRNative
• National Suicide Prevention hotline: English1-800-273-8255 and Español - 1-888-628-9454

Many other resources available on District Student Mental Health website also available en Espańol

Note: BRYT, mentioned by Christine Ewing during the episode, is the name of the organization that Bend-La Pine Schools is partnering with to build our Student Success Program at each of our school sites. Middle and high school students and families can reach out to counselors for support; elementary school students and families can reach out to school administrators.