Drawing Awareness to Mental Health Issues in FDL County

There is a new big push in the community for people to keep an eye out for others who may be suffering from mental health issues. Dr. Jim Salasek says a number of organizations are showing interest in helping with the efforts of Prevent Suicide Fond du Lac – a group targeted to treat those with mental health concerns. 

Salasek says a mental health first aid training for youth is set for August 7th. He tells us “it’ll teach people how to recognize warning signs, and how to reach out and question people and then how to refer. So it’s not putting the onus on them to provide treatment, but to recognize, question, and then refer them for services.”

All ninth graders in Fond du Lac County are asked to complete a social and emotional screening, which helps detect young people who may have a mental health issue. The initial year of the screening showed twenty-one percent of students had thought about suicide, with the latest numbers showing a drop to thirteen percent.