By: Diane Smith, Director, Berea Family Resource / Youth Services Center Director at Berea Community Schools, Berea, KY
Signs of Self-Injury Prevention Program Overall Experience:
The SI Program assisted us in creating an open and safe environment in which our students can seek assistance. We are finding that many students are not comfortable discussing their overwhelming emotions with parents or guardians. This open discussion took away the "taboo" of the topic and allowed the students to know they have a safe place to turn and seek help. Our counselors are very effective in working with our students. Together, we find professional help they may need.
Student Response:
The response from students has been phenomenal in the way they support their friends and seek help on their behalf. They understand their friends’ hurt and pain. This program has given students and their friends support. They have learned they don’t have to share the burden of such a scary secret. They can make a difference in their friends’ lives.
Tips and Strategies for Running the SI Program:
We invited a Child and Family Therapist to come into the school and assist in the delivery of the program. We also invited other agency counselors to come into the programs and be available for students. We also created a bulletin board in the main hallway which included information on hotlines, talking with a friend, seeking help and talking with family members.
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