CICERO — The North Syracuse Central School District’s Mental Health and Wellness Monthly Awareness programming for December is Healthy Holiday Expectations. Please join us for a free presentation, “More Than Sad: Suicide Prevention for Parents” at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 14, at the Cicero-North Syracuse High School library.
“The holidays can be a very stressful and difficult time for many people, especially with COVID. We may be missing family and traditions that we can’t do anymore. Because of this we want to provide parents with information that will help them to identify warning signs in their children, how to have a conversation about how they are feeling and where to go for help,” said Kristen Stanton, the district’s school-based mental health and wellness coordinator.
Parents will learn how to recognize signs of depression and other mental health problems, initiate a conversation with their child, and get him or her help.
The More Than Sad family of programs has taught over a million students, parents and educators how to be smart about mental health. To learn more about teen depression, visit afsp.org/more-than-sad/.
If you think you have depression, anxiety or another mental health condition, please seek the help of a professional. To find a therapist, contact your general practitioner or call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Treatment Referral Helpline, 1-877-SAMHSA7 (1-877-726-4727). In addition, the New York State Office of Mental Health (omh.ny.gov) can direct you to resources for children, teens, adults, perinatal mothers, seniors and veterans, as well as crisis assistance. You can also search by county.
If you are in crisis, call 911 or the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Crisis workers are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
