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MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS

By Dr. Nikki Watkins,

Psy.D., LMFT

An African American Perspective on:

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WORKSHOP EXPECTATIONS

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About Me…

Dr. Nikki Watkins
Licensed Marriage and Family

Therapist

Specialties include Grief and trauma
Clinic Director
Married 26 years
An only child and from a broken home
Parents are Airforce Veterans and

former addicts

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More About Me…

Born in South Central Los Angeles
Attended private schools
Experienced homelessness as a child
Victim of abuse as a child and adult
Dated several gang members
Honor roll student/Captain of drill team
Struggled with low self-esteem…in

silence

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Appearance Vs. Reality

There is often an assumption that all children really need are these basics:

Love Faith/ Spirituality

Housing School

Clothing Activities

*Our children can appear to be doing well on the outside and be desperately struggling in silence.

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CARING FOR OUR CHILD’S MENTAL HEALTH IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS…��CARING FOR THEIR PHYSICAL HEALTH

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Mental Health Vs. Mental Illness

Mental Health

Our wellness in the following areas:

Emotional
Psychological
Social

Affecting how we:

Think
Feel
Act

Mental Illness

Medical conditions that disrupt a person’s:

Thinking
Feeling
Mood
Behavior

Significantly affects our:

Ability to relate to others
Daily functioning

Mentalhealth.gov 2022 -- NAMI 2022

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How does a scary event happen?…

A - We have a thought 🡪 leads to a feeling 🡪 leads to a behavior

B - We have a feeling 🡪 leads to a thought 🡪 leads to a behavior

C - We behave in a certain way 🡪 leads to a thought 🡪 leads to a feeling

PUT YOUR ANSWER IN THE CHAT…

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The correct answer is A:

We have a thought 🡪 leads to a

feeling 🡪 leads to a behavior

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QUESTIONS?��COMMENTS

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MENTAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS CAN SHOW UP AS PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS

True or False?

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True�

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Some Common Examples

Stomach aches: Anxiety can cause an upset stomach or diarrhea

Headaches: Overthinking and stress can cause headaches/migraines or tooth grinding (common cause of headaches)

Chronic colds or flu-like symptoms: Excessive stress can decrease immune system functioning causing illness

Excessive tiredness: Depression can cause low energy or sleepiness

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Statistics

1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year

50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24

National Council for Mental Wellbeing 2022

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Signs of Depression in Youth

Fatigue

Dropping grades

Substance Use

Anger/rage

Isolation

Overeating/under eating

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Signs of Depression in Youth�(continued)

Excessive sleeping

Dropping out of activities

Loss of interest in things they once enjoyed

Poor self care/hygiene

Isolation

Skipping school

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QUESTIONS?��COMMENTS

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Signs of Anxiety in Youth

Insomnia
Nail biting
Pulling on hair/ out hair
Upset stomach
Excessive worry
Perfectionism

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Signs of Anxiety in Youth (Cont’d)

Highly upset when making a mistake
Constant apologizing/People pleasing
Irrational Fears
Attempting to take on parental roles
Procrastination

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POLL#1: Which of these do you think can lead to Depression or Anxiety in youth?

Select all that apply

A - Loss of a loved one to illness or sudden death (grandparent, sibling, aunt/uncle)

B - Loss of a pet

C - Loss of a parent to death, jail, or divorce

D - Bullying

E - Frequent moving

F - Sexual abuse

G - Feeling alone

H - Feeling overwhelmed

I - Gender Identity issues

J - Discrimination

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THE CORRECT �ANSWER IS:�

ALL OF THE ABOVE

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Signs that your child may be having thoughts of suicide

They are talking about death or dying
They often mention what it might be like in Heaven or the afterlife
They are giving away precious belongings

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Signs that your child may be having thoughts of suicide (Cont’d)

They are researching overdosing on pills, or other lethal means
They “accidentally” take too many pills
They overdose often on drugs
They write suicide notes

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True or False?

Asking your child if they wish they were dead, or are thinking about taking their life, will plant the idea in their head and may cause them to do it.

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THE ANSWER IS:��FALSE

Usually asking if your child is considering ending their life will show them that you see their pain and may deter them from acting on their thoughts.

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MOST CHILDREN WITH THOUGHTS OF SUICIDE DON’T WANT TO DIE…��THEY WANT THE �PAIN TO STOP

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IF YOU NOTICE SCRATCHES OR CUT MARKS ON YOUR CHILD’S ARMS OR LEGS, DOES THIS MEAN THEY ARE ATTEMPTING TO TAKE THEIR LIFE?

Yes or No?

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THE CORRECT ANSWER IS:

NO

Most kids that cut are not trying to kill themselves, they are trying to find another way to relieve the pain.

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QUESTIONS?��COMMENTS

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A few things you can do for your �child or student:�

Listen when they share their experiences and feelings with you

Believe them when they share something that has happened to them

Ask questions to understand their experience or perspective

Acknowledge their courage in sharing and your concern for them

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WAYS TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILD, OTHERS, AND YOURSELF

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Create safe spaces to talk �

Family dinner
Family game night
Car rides to/from school or activities
Daddy/daughter date or mother/son date

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Find a mentor students can talk with�

Family friend
School counselor
Youth group leader
Someone else who has been in a similar situation

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Types of Therapy�

Family
Individual
Support groups

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What do you do if your child is suicidal?

Remain calm

Take them to the closest emergency room

Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at

1-800-273-TALK

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What do you do if your child is suicidal (Cont’d)?

Refer to the Safety Plan they created with their therapist

(if applicable)

Remove access to method of choice (lock up pills or weapons)
Reach out to the child’s therapist or school counselor or nurse
Contact Sharp Mesa Vista Psychiatric Hospital (858) 836-8434

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Resources

Student’s school counselor or nurse
Amazon or Barnes & Noble

(workbooks, self-help books, games, etc.)

NAMI – National Alliance on Mental Illness https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Kids-Teens-and-Young-Adults/What-You-Need-to-Know-About-Youth-Suicide
Health insurance provider can supply a list of therapists in your network
Therapy for Black Girls https://therapyforblackgirls.com/
Employer may offer an Employee Assistance Program which provides 3-5 free therapy sessions

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Resources (continued)

Alateen for children of alcoholics https://al-anon.org/newcomers/teen-corner-alateen/
Divorce Care for Kids https://www.dc4k.org
Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine https://www.adolescenthealth.org/Resources/Clinical-Care-Resources/Mental-Health/Mental-Health-Resources-For-Adolesc.aspx
Empathy Vs. Sympathy Video by Dr. Brene’ Brown https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jz1g1SpD9Zo
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK

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SDUSD Resources

SDUSD Mental Health Resource Center https://www.staff.sandiegounified.org/departments/mental_health_resource_center/table_of_contents
Guide to Mental Health Matters https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HiJQMenSRm4lrYCu3-A7V16FkD2OBf_LrpcZ30u-A_s/edit
Mental Health Matters Family Guide for Elementary https://drive.google.com/file/d/1P4tzHbkRTN6Qi7Ui0sx9zOuQbajXFW42/view
Mental Health Matters Family Guide for Secondary https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ROqMRxqAVsmpSKAXRDHmHrrofIgnxyM1/view

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Mental Health �Absences

Need a personal mental health day? SDUSD has got a way!

“No Loss Of Privileges, no punishment”

“Excused absence”

**Doesn’t excuse student from any missed assignments

“Unlimited number of days a student can take!”

“Works for any grade level”

“A mental health day is an office call away!”

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Poll #2: How useful was this

presentation?�

Very Useful
Somewhat Useful
Not Very Useful
Not Useful At All

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REMEMBER…�YOU ARE NOT ALONE��THERE IS HOPE�

THANK YOU FOR YOUR

TIME AND ATTENTION!