Zena Andreani (left), assistant director of the StarVista Disaster Middle, stands with disaster heart employees and volunteers in downtown San Mateo in 2021. Courtesy of StarVista.
Lucy is 16 years outdated and attends a public highschool in San Mateo County. She moved to this county after her mom separated from her father a yr in the past. She lives full time along with her mom and has had no contact along with her father since their transfer.
In school, her academics and counselors observed a change in her temperament and repeatedly referred her to the wellness counselor. Every time, Lucy (whose title has been modified to guard her privateness) resisted talking with advisers and mentioned she had “nothing to share”.
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Lucy’s well being class just lately acquired StarVista’s Disaster Facilities Suicide Prevention Presentation. All through the presentation, Lucy appeared uncomfortable transferring round in her chair regularly, taking lengthy exhales, and repeatedly asking to go away the presentation. Throughout a small group exercise, the facilitator pulled Lucy to the aspect of the room and verbalized their observations. Lucy’s eyes started to water when she defined that the knowledge was “too laborious to listen to” and “appeared too actual”.
The host supplied emotional assist and supplied to speak extra with Lucy after the presentation was over. On this dialog, the host opened up concerning the separation of her dad and mom. She mentioned she wished to speak extra about it, however felt scared and anxious about opening up. The facilitator helped Lucy perceive the advantages of speaking with somebody and inspired her to make an appointment along with her faculty’s wellness counselor.
The facilitator additionally offered her with extra assets for the disaster heart, equivalent to Teen Disaster Providers, which can be found by way of chat and textual content at sanmateocrisis.organd the disaster line the place she may communicate confidentially about her difficulties.
