Best of the Week 2021-2022: Holy Cross Values

ST. ED'S BANDS TOGETHER TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY AND COMMEMORATE NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION AWARENESS MONTH

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and many schools, including ours, have been deeply affected by suicide. St. Ed's is committed to opening conversations, providing resources, and surrounding our families with support to help ensure that any student who is struggling with mental illness receives the help he needs. To provide additional support to the community, St. Ed's has implemented new resources to offer guidance and a safe space to talk about suicide prevention and mental health awareness. After an in-depth faculty and staff mental health training facilitated over the summer, St. Ed's Counseling Department created a protocol guide for faculty and staff to access when noticing red flags of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. An important part of the awareness we are seeking to raise this month is providing the efficacy to take the first step when you are aware someone is in crisis. One first step is knowing who to call. This guide provides direct access to 24-hour hotlines and emergency numbers to call for help. Throughout the month of September and the entire school year, our students and parents will be invited to be part of important conversations focused on mental health. As part of our programming for National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, St. Ed's is hosting its first session for parents on Monday, September 20 at 7:00 p.m. in the Palisin Commons. The program entitled, "Talking to Your Son About Mental Health" will feature Julian Dooley, Ph.D, a psychologist and instructor in Mental Health First Aid, Suicide Prevention, Resilience and Trauma-Informed Care programs. This hour-long conversation with Dr. Dooley will focus on mental health signs and symptoms, talking to your son about mental health, suicide warning signs, managing a crisis situation, and help-seeking. Gold is the color that is used as a symbol for suicide awareness and prevention and usually those who wear gold are doing it in someone's memory. To acknowledge National Suicide Prevention Awareness Day, all students, faculty and staff were encouraged to wear gold to school today to raise awareness for suicide prevention, as shown in the picture above of some of our St. Andre Scholars with Dean of Students Mr. Tim Sullivan '92.