Yellow tulips that bloom in May are a reminder of Mental Health Awareness. The Lincoln Academy Student Services Team works year round to help students access the resources they need.

September is National Suicide Prevention Month, but the staff at Lincoln Academy work year- round to keep students safe and healthy. We wanted to let everyone know what we have been and are doing to address depression, anxiety, overwhelm, and potential risk in our community. During our faculty workshop days at the end of August, staff participated in a 90 minute training on suicide awareness and prevention, led by our social workers, Tory Wright and Lisa Katz. Five staff attended the NAMI Advanced Gatekeeper (for suicide prevention) training in the Spring and are point people for the rest of the staff when we have concerns about a student.

Tory and Lisa have sent out emails this and last week to students to introduce themselves and remind students how to access them for support. They are also posting school and community mental health resources in all the bathrooms around the building.

Next week several staff members will be attending a workshop to update and refine our suicide response protocols.

In early October we will recognize World Mental Health day by planting bulbs for a tulip “hope” garden in the Newcastle memorial park. The goal of this is to promote positive messages around our mental health and to reduce the stigma so often associated with mental illness. We will talk with students about this as it gets closer and hope to engage their help with planning and planting.

Each week our Student Services Team (SST) meets to talk about students who have raised concern among staff and faculty. Between the SST and the daily advisor system, we find we are dramatically reducing the possibility of students falling through the cracks when they are struggling emotionally.

If you have concerns about your child, feel free to reach out to the health center, the guidance department or our social work team.