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Linkages is in 26 schools in Youngstown and Mahoning County
YOUNGSTOWN
With school back in session, the D&E Counseling Center resumes its in-school Linkages Program, which provides information to help mid- to late-teen students recognize the signs and symptoms of depression and other emotional disabilities.
D&E, located at 711 Belmont Ave, Youngstown, and 142 Javit Court, Austintown, operates the Linkages program in 26 schools in Youngstown and Mahoning County, and hopes to be invited into more, said Greg Cvetkovic, agency executive director.
“Our goal is to be in every school,” Cvetkovic said.
The program, funded by the Mahoning County Board of Mental Health, has been in operation for about 10 years, during which time it grew from 11 to 26 schools.
“Using Linkages, we work to reduce the mental illness stigma that may keep a teen from reaching out and talking to us or other adults about those feelings and wanting to have themselves and their families seen by a mental health professional and/or their school counselor,” Cvetkovic said.
During the 2013-14 school year, D&E presented Linkages to nearly 3,500 students.
Part of the program is asking parents for permission to administer a screening tool, the “Signs of Suicide,” to their children. During the 2013-14 school year, 900 children were screened,” Cvetkovic said.
Based on the results of the screening, D&E counselors talk to the students about what the kids reported, do a clinical interview and, for those showing definite signs of emotional symptoms and depression who need more in-depth assessment, D&E works with parents to have those assessments scheduled.
“For those kids that screen positive for depression, we talk to them about their situation, especially if they say they have suicidal thoughts, and contact their family with the information within 24 hours and encourage them to seek treatment,” said Robert Conkey, director of school services.
“We follow up two weeks later to see of they got linked to counseling and remind them again that D&E or other sources of help are available,” Conkey said.
All of the kids in the program, which is presented in an interactive way, get educated about mental health, depression and how to access help that aids in demystifying mental-health issues and addresses the stigma often associated with mental illness, said Joseph Shorokey, clinical director.
“So by the time they get to the screening process they are less likely to feel the stigma,” he said.
Sixty percent of adolescents experiencing depression go undetected, underscoring the importance of the screening, Shorokey said.
“If taken to a broader level, screening could possibly cut down on violent behavior in schools. There is a consistent pattern of feeling isolated and rejected among students who become violent in schools,” he said.
Not all kids who are depressed are prone to violence, but most who are prone to violence are depressed, Shorokey said.
“Some people think we shouldn’t talk about suicide with kids because it might cause them to do it, but that’s a myth,” Cvetkovic said.
Instead, he said, talking about suicide provides an opportunity to explore the feelings and the situations they are in and teach them other ways to think about what they are going through, he said.
One of the challenges to getting Linkages into schools is freeing up classroom time.
“We work around whatever schedule the school has that will allow us to be there,” Conkey said.
“We really have to compliment the schools that sacrifice that classroom time and invite us in,” Cvetkovic said.
The Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation, funded by the Ohio Department of Mental Health, contracts with D&E to be a mentor county for other counties in the state that are trying to implement similar programs.
“We’re proud of that,” Conkey said.
SDLqI think it’s critical to have prevention and screening programs in schools in order to help detect kids who are suffering from mental illness or depression and are going unrecognized and without help.
“We’re fortunate to have a county mental health board that recognizes the value of prevention and early identification for children’s mental health.,” Shorokey said.
“I’m very proud of the program ... where we started ... where we are and where we are going. Hopefully we’ll get into more schools and help other counties implement programs,” Conkey said.
D&E is recognized by the Ohio Mental Health Network for School Success as a best practice for school-based suicide-prevention programming, he said.
It also was invited by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to present the program at one of its national conferences.
“You can’t educate a child who is not socially and emotionally healthy. Linkages aims at improving the social and emotional health of the child,” Cvetkovic said.
School districts interested in having D&E’s Linkages Program in their schools can call D&E Counseling Center at 330-793-2487.