Watertown School District, Glacial Lakes SAFE focusing on mental, emotional heath efforts

Agencies in town are promoting mental and emotional health efforts during September, which is Suicide Awareness month.

The Watertown School district is offering an virtual mental health event, while Glacial Lakes SAFE has expanded its focus and is revealing a new brand.

Virtual family mental health night is Sept. 28

The school district is partnering with The Cook Center for Human Connection to host a free virtual family mental health night on Sept. 28 from 7 to 8 p.m.

Participants will hear from a clinical psychologist, be able to ask questions and learn about free resources available. Register by going to https://CookCenter.info/Sept28.

Those who can't attend can visit https://ParentGuidance.org. The website grants access to on-demand virtual courses, professional support and a safe community for parents to learn how to support their children and get answers about mental health questions.

Professional courses for mental health concerns offered 

There are courses on anxiety, depression, self-worth, grief and loss, suicidal ideation and other mental health concerns. All courses were created by therapists, psychiatrists, psychologists and other certified mental health practitioners, according to a news release.

The Watertown School District is a partner of local efforts to address mental health, including Watertown Healthy Youth and Glacial Lakes SAFE.

More services offered by Glacial Lakes SAFE

Glacial Lakes SAFE is a coalition of mental health professionals, community members and businesses dedicated to helping the region. The effort, led by the Human Service Agency, has provided resources for individuals and education to professionals for several years, including the first Suicide Awareness Walk and Remembrance Ceremony in 2015, according to a news release.

SAFE stands for Suicide Awareness for Everyone.

Initially, the coalition focused on suicide awareness and serving those who recently lost a loved one to suicide. Through the years, though, members have also begun focusing on mental health initiatives and how to serve the entire community's well-being.

“Suicidal thinking is a combination of feeling helpless and hopeless paired with an isolation of communication,” Jessi Whetsel, a counselor at Lake Area Technical College and a Glacial Lakes SAFE member, said in the release. “We have an amazing community with many resources to help people. What we see is that the stigma surrounding mental health causes a barrier to get help when we so desperately need that help. Many people believe they can't reach out or even talk about not being OK, which increases those feelings of isolation. Right now is the time to do what we do best in our Midwest community -- help our neighbors. We must change our way of viewing mental health so that our neighbors and loved ones can reach out when they need it.”

The project started in May with an online survey dispersed through Glacial Lakes SAFE and its partners to community members representing all ages and walks of life. An important objective of the survey was to determine the most effective messages for increasing awareness of mental health issues.

Survey respondents said they are more likely to trust and ask their friends and family for information and sources for help and support when dealing with mental health issues. The highest-ranking messages are being used in new Glacial Lakes SAFE branded materials and are available for individuals and businesses to share. 

The new Glacial Lakes SAFE logo is a fresh take of the previous logo. It has the same colors that represent suicide awareness and features a dragonfly. A dragonfly is an important symbol to those who’ve been a part of the coalition since its inception as it represents transformation and self-realization, according to the release.

“Glacial Lakes SAFE is calling on its partners and the community to address mental health stigma and support individuals in their wellness journey by sharing Glacial Lakes SAFE’s Facebook messages. We know that as a community, we trust our friends and family,” Kelli Rumpza, Watertown community prevention specialist and facilitator of Glacial Lakes SAFE, said in the release.

The project is financially supported by the Watertown Area Community Foundation and South Dakota Department of Social Services.

Mental, emotional well-being resources available in Watertown

If you or anyone you know is in a mental health emergency, call or text the new national crisis line at 988.

Locally, the Human Service Agency can also be called at 605-886-0123. For a listing of helping professionals in the community, https://bit.ly/WatertownResources.