Sept 28th, 2020 Transcript – Mental Health Moment 

Transcript by Google Voice Typing – Please excuse errors

Topic – How is COVID affecting mental health at high school and what are some things we can do about it.

Welcome Welcome once again to the Mental health Moment. Well your Monday work day is done and now it’s time to take a moment for your mental health.  I’m your host Joe Newman from Life Launch Centers, and this is the show where we talk about all things for your mental health.  We teach healthy coping mechanisms, discuss current situations that affect our mental health, and give you tips, ideas and resources that you can implement right now. It seems like there is an all out attack on our mental health these days.  With the CDC reporting that nearly 1/3rd of all teens have anxiety, and those numbers were before COVID.  The CDC also reports that almost half of all adults in the US will experience a mental or brain based illness during their lifetime.  Those numbers just blow my mind, but you totally see that all over.  This month was National Suicide Prevention Month.  I was surprised to hear that suicide is up 35% today from 1999.  We’ve got to do something about this.  We can’t afford to pretend like this is everyone else’s problem, or that it’s just a phase.  We’ve got to get our loved ones the mental health training they need.  Our group counseling programs at Life Launch Centers are working miracles for youth and young adults struggling with anxiety, depression, suicide ideation, eating disorders.  It all boils down to learning and practicing healthy coping mechanisms.  Becoming Emotionally resilient, that’s what we’re talking about here.  The life launch centers Resilience Model is a game changer for families.  It teaches families how to cope in healthy ways with life’s challenges at home, work and school. Speaking of school, on the show today I wanted to bring on a couple guests that can give us some real insights as to how things are going at school.  Utah is one of the few states that has been able to start school back up during this whole COVID pandemic.  We’re seeing some pretty interesting things and here today to help us talk about it, I’ve got Justin Keate Principal of Desert Hills High School and one of his students Kaden Terry.  Welcome gentlemen, thanks for joining me today.

Thank you Joe nice to be here appreciate you having us on. So Kaden tell us a little bit about yourself, tell us what grade you’re in a little bit of what your interest are. I’m in 12th grade here at Desert Hills High School I’m a senior and I play baseball and I’m really passionate about Business and Entrepreneurship. I actually buy and sell cars when I was 14 I started a mobile detailing business and sold it after 2 years of operation and I also have a podcast called the psychology of success where I interview different entrepreneurs and leaders in the community in the state of Utah.  Well that’s awesome you sound like a very well accomplished young man and have some great ambitions. schools has been in for a couple of months now you know what’s what’s it like a from the administrators and faculty standpoint how is school been doing this whole covid-19 demek yeah you know what we feel really blessed to be back at school we have you know we know that our neighbors Nevada and Arizona California Washington Oregon they’re not they’re not you know their online mostly and not doing sports and things it feels good during all this fit to get back to a little bit of normalcy so you know above all we’re really grateful to be back at school you know we’re having to wear masks I’m in my office by myself right now so I don’t have to have the mask on but you know I certainly presented some challenges but overall we are clicking along it’s going really well and it’s awesome to have kids back in the building and it’s awesome to just be to be moving forward again it feels really good well I can tell you my kids appreciate I’ve got to high school and they are so thankful to be back to school it’s kind of interesting you know how I growing up there was always you know kids always joke about how much they hate school and they audit want to sing songs about burning down school and stuff like that I didn’t take a lot for us to realize how much we need that social interaction that happens at school and I I mean even though my kids you know they don’t they honestly don’t complain much about the masks they it’s worth it to them to get to interact with people can you do you feel that same way or how do you feel about the whole covid-19 you know I was happy to get back to school and you know it’s been hard wearing the masks and all that but I feel like it’s worth it because if I don’t wear the masks and something happens and I get the privilege of playing baseball taken away from you know we had her season cancelled last year which is detrimental I was super super sad about that but now I’ve been given the opportunity to go back to school and to play baseball tomorrow and give up that chance by just not wearing a mask you know I can appreciate what that feels like you’ve been looking forward to this year your whole life and do whatever it takes oh yeah yeah I’m not letting anything get in my way if it’s I mean whatever I can to make sure my senior year happens the way I wanted to General at the school you know I can you sing to be a pretty resilient kid kind of naturally at what does it what does it look like amongst your peers amongst maybe some of the other students that use how are these conditions affecting School you know the biggest thing for me is just the social aspect of the Mask like when I’m walking the Halls talking to kids giving presentations like yesterday and my leadership class for example and it’s hard to choose from different kids I can’t tell virus that it’s hard to pick up on social cues and make new friends cuz everyone’s faces are have covered so I just been super weird but that’s why I can get used to it I mean it’s so important that we’re together we’ll take what we can get right but I hear what you’re saying about I remember how helpful it was just to walk down the Halls at school when I was a kid and say there was that that cute girl that like just smiled at you as you walk by and how that like change your whole day it was like wow she smiled at me and you know it was so important you know besides your friends just some of those what was that look like like lunch and other places I hear Lake kids are doing help make accommodations for that at lunch and other other singers you know I have it I’m used to not here for lunch at the school but off campus we go to restaurant different things they don’t require you to wear a mask and so that hasn’t been as big of a problem but I’m sure mr. cheat with no more how it is inside the school itself during the cafeteria hours at the school but they’ve been opting to go to friends houses more during lunch I think because they really want that freedom in that neck social interaction but but I don’t know what does it look like at this school Justin what are you saying what is he in the building yeah kids are doing a pretty good job is a time obviously where they are eating and we’re encouraging the social distancing and they seem to be pretty good about wearing their masks obviously they have to take them off a little bit to eat we have you know they got time to do that and for the kids who stay at lunch and the interactions are good I think it’s nice to have a little a little break while they’re eating to again maybe enjoy some of those social cues and see people’s face you know the same thing that Kayden said is some of the biggest feedback we’re getting from our teachers just you know where are they are they happy or they paying attention when you can only see you know their eyes and you know that’s trying to trying to manage that in the classroom but overall overall kids are doing really good with it we’re trying to find ways for them to have breaks here and there from the mask and you know they seem to be taking it in stride so I think everyone’s really like you heard from Caden grateful lot of these kids that are back obviously saw what it was like to be out of school and to have sports things like that and not social interaction I think is just critical especially to the students but the other they’re doing pretty well with it they’re doing pretty well with that absolute I understand that you know online enrollment is also an option as I believe our online schooling has increased dramatically while there are many families who have no more sensitive considerations to covet has that played of you know apart in what you guys have had to do at the school to accommodate that was that look like yeah yeah a little bit probably the biggest way has been to working with our teachers online is always been an option for for many years but she for high school students who were looking to earn credits to graduate so they’ve been able to get credits online for a while start to act like high school teachers or secondary teachers in general or pre-prepared to make that shift 2 online so that hasn’t been too big of a challenge it’s it’s more working with the teachers on how to be how to Be an Effective online teacher just take your stuff you do in the classroom all the sudden dumping online and kids and kids get it cuz it getting theirs out there that social there’s that teach your actions so I’m done a great job for the summer on on being an effective online presence and teaching effectively online actually most most kids want to come back at first we were unsure about will how many kids are going to you know online and it was about it at least for Desert Hills High School right around 2% have gone completely online and not come back of our students 2% or less so that has a surprising that’s like like I said we have we have some kids that are online anyway we do have more we saw an increase in a little bit and kids that want to hybrid schedule so they have some classes here and then take some classes online have been a little more of that we’re maybe just a little more comfortable kind of easing into that or not spending the entire day here and again that’s always been an option you know open the kids but we did see a little more increase their so between hybrid schedule and kids that are fully back here and it’s 98% of the kids here so about 87-88 percent of kids are completely completely back all in-person here and in on the remainder is that I would schedule or on line that goes to show just how much do you value their social interactions at school and how important how crucial it is to our mental health and what we can do is parents to help facilitate that to encourage it dies with them over the difficult things that they’re enduring right now but ultimately helped me realize how much it’s worth it you know I think you guys are doing a great job there once again if you’re not familiar with life on centers or the work that we do with Youth and Young adults we work with with people ages 11 to 26 years old struggling with anxiety depression rather difficult Mental Health group counseling really is the most effective form of therapy if you’ve tried counseling and it didn’t work you need group that’s where the growth really happy defensive walls come down there able to make some progress very quickly you know in group kids see that they are not alone in their struggles and they’re able to really connect with other people is best part is that most insurances cover treatment we’re in network with Select Health, Blue Cross Blue Shield PEHP, EMI, DMBA, CIGNA, even if I didn’t mention your health insurance company Insurance company we can help you get coverage with your company so with it being close to the end of the year take advantage of that paid off the ductable and get your loved one the help that they need so don’t wait just give us a call it’s a free 15-minute phone consultation and we can help strategize with you what would be the best course of action to help your loved one. The number is 833-803-3883 and we’ll be back in just one minute.

Welcome back to the mental health moment I’m your host Joe Newman from Life Launch Centers and today we’re talking about mental health in schools you know during this covid-19 demek and and I’ve got two great guests on the show today with me Justin key principle of Desert Hills High School and one of his key students Kaden Terry once again gentleman thank you for joining me you must be here so I love the inside two guys shared kind of at the beginning of the show about what it’s like you know that that maybe these masks on such a big deal it’s cool you guys are doing okay I’m just really curious Kaden like like how does it look like when you’re trying to talk to girls through a mask or you know like tell me a little bit about this social repercussions may be happy right now so usually you know I I’m able to on the first day of school go sit next to a cute girl in class and kind of star talk with her and try to maybe ask her out on a date but recently it’s just been weird because I can’t pick up on those social cues you know I can’t tell if you’re smiling I can’t tell if she’s flirting back or what she’s telling me. I can’t really hear because the mess blocked out most of the noise and it’s just you’re always guessing your mind like it’s hard enough being with girls and trying not to mess up like you if they think that is probably a little bit yeah I can only imagine how how much different that must be today but Justin I was we were talking and maybe what they’re doing and what they could be doing to help out tell us a little bit about your experience with parents in school during the Cove in time yeah you know overall parents have been really supportive majority of parents are just really happy to have the kids back in school and they see the need for that you know they had him home when we were when we were shut down and that was that was challenging enough so parents our parents have been very very supportive and they’ll appreciate that it’s awesome to have you no good parent support and I think parents if they can talk to their talk to their kids and make sure that they’re doing okay and how it how are things going in and they’re certainly some new challenges there’s some you know we supposed to be getting a school a few things were just you know changing work getting used to the changes things that are new and different how this feels how this looks you know this is okay now now now you got to do this and that and overall I’ve been super impressed with kids they’ve been really resilient and really happy to adapt you know we do we have seen you know our share of struggles as well so I mean those numbers you shared the beginning you know that’s about what we’re seeing to we’re seeing an increase in his also struggling and come to chat with their counselors were trying to be more aware and more little bit deeper here at the school with what we can do to help those students that are struggling there at the good news is they’re willing to talk they’re happy to talk parents talk to your kids make sure they’re doing okay listen to them because they’re going through new and different things online got a little you know what I handful parents got a lily no no no mask Monday or you know it’s got a little excited about it you know not where we want to be here and and we’re happy wear the mask fits a little thing not a big deal so they certainly some new challenges for sure overall kids have just been awesome and you know parents just continue to support the kids here at school they’re doing great you know you guys are doing some amazing things at Desert Hills High School some very Innovative kind of ideas in head on you got several mechanisms in place to help kids deal with their mental health struggle tell us a little bit about what one of those things sorry to cut out just a second there no I was just saying you guys are doing some pretty amazing like Innovative things with at Desert Hills High School to help kids deal with mental health issues tell us a little bit about some of thethe thing that you put in place that that are helping we have or life want University you know they’re watching those videos in their health classes where they’re addressing social emotional concerns and mental health concerns with students talking about those in there and that’s and that’s awesome we have are really high schools I think in the state that has a student wellness room I’m here where kids can go you know take a little time out hit the reset button as it were in the wellness room and like something is helpful for you or how does that I was that look for the students using a mineral health student wellness room Wellness for you now he’s just going to take a break and meditate and get some help and just chill out music they can just hang out you know you had to like bargain with your life to be able to leave the classroom just to go to the bathroom or something kids are using it so I’ll kind of kids are there we were averaging you know size 6 kids a day going through there and it’s nice like David said that they can just go they can go relax they can talk to a behavior coach this up there then how to talk they can just common relaxing was little little things to do in there you know stress relief side things and and they learned some breathing techniques and so you don’t over all that’s been really really helpful but I really appreciate the proactive approach you’re taking because matney I like I said in the intro especially with suicide like that to happen right in our own backyard and surprisingly from kids who we would never have thought about that they were struggling and it’s really all about you know opening up being willing to talk about stuff with each other that’s one thing that we try to educate parents on is there’s this fear that if you talk about suicide that it’s going to give kids ideas and then they’re going to be more prone to attempt but the opposite is actually true when you talk about suicide and healthy ways like avoiding suicide and what the risk factors are and and even helping them realize that it that they’re not loan that most people at some point in their life have suicidal thoughts and that’s totally normal that then did it gets it kind of helps make it a little less scary for them they don’t you know gravitate toward suicide but actually just the opposite but you guys are trying to do is help with that absolutely you know we’re just like you said we are getting comfortable talking about uncomfortable things sometimes hear school so I am very much of the mindset that schools me to be proactive on things like that not reactive and some things were doing is like our student wellness room we have an opt-in text program called School poles for we kids are getting a weekly you know how are you doing text it to their phone if they choose to having these pair of nights that we started last year trying to find a way to continue those are we had you know upwards of a hundred parents coming and listening to a community Post in the communities you guys have come and done some of those from Life lunch and dinner guest speakers in the community to talk about suicide and help parents you know say you know if you don’t nobody loves talking about out with their kid but it is so important to to listen and talk and you know we’re committed to be proactive here at the school about it as well and that’s what you create can you feel like you’re getting the support in the middle health support that you need in schools and it it’s worth it. They put a big emphasis on it and they do a lot proactively like you’re saying and I feel like if I ever need anything I will talk to my counselor a podcast can tell us a little bit about where people can hear you and learn more about the psychology of success Southwest from the top of entrepreneurs and leaders in the state of Utah and so whatever you listen to your podcast on any platform it’s on every single platform just search psychology of success in about twenty eight episodes a little bit yesterday and it’s great you do great work so thank you gentleman so much for joining us today I got to wrap it up and I appreciate you being here with me thank you thanks Joe it’s always awesome to chat with you guys and thanks for what you doing first meeting sure appreciate it please give us a call at Lifeline Center the number is 833-803-3883 or you can jump on our website at life on Center stop, there’s a lot of great information and free resources there this has been your mental health moment join us again next time right here on St George news radio this is Joe Newman signing off from Life on Center until next time does Kids Safe and keep your sanity.