Helping Parents Comprehend Potential for Suicide

The following Webinar is provided by Well Aware:

GUIDING LIGHT: Helping parents comprehend potential for suicide in their children


An experienced elementary-level teacher with a master’s degree in education and "tons of psychology courses," Wisconsin educator Lynda Larson was still unable to recognize early signs of mental illness in her fifth-grade son Adam, the eldest of her three children. "I remember the principal in my elementary school had a whole lot of background on troubled adolescents," recalls Lynda, with the clarity of hindsight. "He spoke to me about Adam and the signs he saw for potential trouble later. He even put an EAP (employee assistance program) slip in my mailbox at school." Lynda saw her former boss nine years later, after her son had dropped out of high school and endured years of substance abuse. He ended his own life on April 22, 1992, at age 20. "I told my former principal, ‘You saw this coming a long time ago, didn’t you?’ But as parents, we didn’t accept it at the time. He was our first child. We didn’t accept the message right away."
- AS REPORTED IN THE JANUARY 2006 ISSUE OF ADVANCING SUICIDE PREVENTION MAGAZINE


It’s among the most horrific thoughts a parent can have—their own child dying by suicide. So it’s no wonder that parents of at-risk youth may have trouble accepting that their son or daughter may have the capacity to kill themselves.



While teachers, relatives or clergy members may recognize risk for suicide in a child, parents may be unable to see this. “The parents are in denial” may be how others see it, but from a parent’s perspective, facing the fact that your child could be suicidal is more than many parents can emotionally bear.



“We know psychiatric illness runs in families. There’s also a lot of resistance to addressing it, to treatment within the general population,” says the esteemed David Shaffer, M.D., professor psychiatry and pediatrics at Columbia University and an international expert in youth suicide prevention. “A parent may think, ‘I haven’t seen it with my own eyes’.”



There are many reasons parents may be unable to comprehend potential for suicide in their children. And others—teachers, pediatricians, police officers, community members—need to understand these barriers parents face in order to help at-risk children.



In this groundbreaking webinar, we are pleased to present Donna Holland Barnes, Ph.D., suicidology researcher, educator, author, parent and suicide loss survivor. 

Also joining Dr. Barnes is Raymond Zablotny, M.D., physician, psychiatrist—and father of a son who died by suicide. Together, Dr. Barnes and Dr. Zablotny bring their unique perspectives to consider how others can help parents “hear” that their child might be at risk for suicide.


Tuesday, Oct. 18th, 2011

2-3:30 PM Central

Click here to register.

Helping Your Child Say Goodbye

Here is another great article on how to help your child transition into your adoptive home. This article contains suggestions on how to maintain connections with your child's past, including with their foster and/or birth parents, how to discuss with your child the confusing emotions they are probably feeling, and many other helpful suggestions. Check it out here.

Talking With Teachers

School has already been back in session for over a month now!! This time of year all families are faced with challenges as their children head back to school and adoptive families can be faced with additional challenges. Adoptive families have to decide how much they want to tell the teacher about their child's adoption and children are being faced with questions from peers about their adoptions. This is a great article that talks about what should be discussed in a parent teacher meeting regarding adoption. Check it out here.

The Great Back-to-School Kit

Here is an article from Adoptive Families with "17 simple and effective ways to bring adoption into the classroom." Check it out here!

Is It An Adoption Thing?

I get asked the question a lot, "Is this an adoption thing or is it a typically developing child thing?" It is hard for parents to know what challenging behaviors are developmentally appropriate and what behaviors are related to their child's adoption history. "Is It An Adoption Thing", a webinar offered by Adoption Learning Partners, will discuss common challenging behaviors adopted children may exhibit at each developmental stage, offer real life examples and suggestions for handling these behaviors and examine effective and ineffective parenting tools. For more information or to register go to Adoption Learning Partners.

Free Webinar!!

The Post Institute is offering a free webinar for all foster and adoptive parents called "Stress Model 101". It will be offered on three different dates next week.

This webinar will provide you with the understanding and guidance to change your family dynamics and to help your life go from chaos to peace and healing.

If you are involved in the life of a child with a diagnosis and/or behaviors such as these listed below, this webinar is for you!

ADHD
School Challenges
Depression
Social Problems
Anxiety
Sibling Rivilry
Bi-Polar
Lying
Autism
Stealing
Aspergers
Hording
RAD
Gorging
PTSD
Aggression
ODD
Disturbed Sleep
OCD

For more information or to register, click on the link here!

Helping Your Foster Child Transition to Your Adopted Child

This is a great article with great suggestions about how to help a child in foster care understand the transition to an adoptive home. Check it out here!

Exciting Photography Resource for Adoptive Families!

S. Stephens Photography is dedicated to helping new adoptive families in the Wiregrass area capture moments together as a family. She offers a FREE photography session within the first 30 days after bringing your child home. Here is an excerpt from her website...

"I have a heart for adoption and love to meet families who have been united through adoption. It is an honor to see children and families united through adoption. My husband and I have adopted twice and both times were unique and so special. Because of this, I offer 2 complimentary sessions. A Coming Home Session and a Welcome Home Session.

{COMING HOME} I will meet you and your family at the airport or home and document your child(ren)'s arrival home. Airport arrivals are often so special as you are greeted with family and friends who wait anxiously to welcome your child home. If your family is waiting for you at home, I will be glad to meet you there as well. You tell me where to go and I will be there. It is such an honor be involved in these homecomings! Simply contact me with your arrival date and details and I will meet you there! If your arrival date is unknown, like our second adoption, simply let me know the situation and keep me updated.

{WELCOME HOME} This session is your choice...can be the child alone, with siblings or family. This is a one hour session, on location and must be scheduled within your child's first 30 days home."


For more information or to schedule a photography session, check out her website here!

Houston County Book Bag Drive

The following message was passed on to me and I wanted to share with anyone who is interested in helping in the Dothan area...

"Houston County Book Bag Drive! This is our eighth year organizing and collecting NEW book bags for school age children in foster care in Houston County. We are in need of your help! Between now and June 30th we need to collect 100 book bags for elementary, middle school, and high school ages. Book bags collected will be given to Houston County DHR and social workers will distribute to the foster families and children. Children don't get to choose the world into which they are born. If it's a world filled with poverty, neglect and or abuse of any kind it is the children who suffer. Feeling poorly about themselves they have little or no confidence and self esteem. We want to help these 100 children to feel good about themselves by providing new book bags! It is proven that when children are even with their peers they make better grades and do better in class. Drop off your book bags at Cake in A Cup and receive a free cupcake per donated book bag. Cake in A Cup is located on Hwy 52 on your left behind Lowes. If you need someone to pick up book bags call Rare Quality Models & Talent 671-2200. Thank you!"

And the Winner Is...

The winner of our "Happy Foster Care Awareness Month" drawing is...Shannon and Eddie Staggs!

Shannon says, "My favorite part of being a foster parent is planting a seed within each child that comes to us, to know they are loved and created for a purpose by an awesome God. To work with the birth families toward reunification and know that you can be a resource to them even after the family is reunited!"

You have won our drawing for a $25 Outback gift certificate!


**Winner was chosen by assigning numbers to each entry, in order of entry and choosing a random number with Randomizer.**