September at ASK

Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month — a time to raise awareness on this stigmatized, and often taboo, topic. It is important to ensure that individuals, friends and families have access to the resources they need to discuss suicide prevention and to seek help.

Informational Resources

• Know the Warning Signs and Risk Factors of Suicide
• Being Prepared for a Crisis
• Navigating a Mental Health Crisis
• Need more information, referrals or support? Contact the NAMI HelpLine.

Crisis Resources

• If you or someone you know is in an emergency, call 911 immediately.
• If you are in crisis or are experiencing difficult or suicidal thoughts, call the Suicide Crisis Hotline at 988
• If you’re uncomfortable talking on the phone, you can also text NAMI to 741-741 to be connected to a free, trained crisis counselor on the Crisis Text Line.

---

It’s Time To Go Back To School!

A Breathing Practice to Reduce School Stress
Doing this practice once a day, or whenever they feel anxious, can be a helpful back-to-school tip for kids of any age.

Square Breathing Exercise:

1. Sit comfortably in a chair, with your feet on the floor and hands in your lap.
2. Inhale slowly through the nose for a count of four, allowing the air to fill your belly.
3. Hold the breath in for a count of four.
4. Exhale slowly through the mouth for a count of four.
5. As you breathe, visualize a healing blue or white light washing over your body. Finally, hold the breath for a count of four.
6. Repeat the sequence for four minutes.
7. Ideally, repeat the exercise for four minutes, four times a day.
8. Consequently, practicing Square Breathing several times daily will help teens become calmer and more relaxed.

---

Big Changes Are Coming To Instagram and Facebook. Here’s What Parents Should Know.

Meta agreed to an historic $18 billion settlement after 29 states sued the company for deliberately designing Facebook and Instagram to be addictive to children, all while hiding the mental health risks. And the changes they’ve agreed to make are significant.

But the story doesn’t stop with Meta. We broke it all down on the ASK blog, including what it all means for your family and what you can do right now.

---

---

---

Weekly Spotlight Family Support Groups
From our partners at Drug Crisis in Our Backyard, weekly Spotlight Family Support Groups, held virtually every Tuesday and Wednesday via Zoom. Spotlight on Recovery is a Family Educational and Support Group for families struggling with a loved one misusing substances. For more information, click here.

Virtual Naloxone Training
Naloxone is a prescription medicine that reverses an overdose by blocking heroin or other opioids in the nervous system for 30-90 minutes. Naloxone is administered by injection or intranasal. Following training, participants receive a kit by mail. Presented by our partners at Drug Crisis in Our Backyard. Please inquire about setting up a virtual training by contacting Susan Salomone at: ssal@drugcrisisinourbackyard.com.

Feeling overwhelmed? Join Us for Nervous System Regulation and Gentle Movement
This will be a safe space where we may connect and come home to ourselves. Practice may be done from a seated position, with options to stand for moving meditations. For more information, click here.

---

Student Assistance Services Corner

“Helping Students Enhance Their Well Being by Making Healthy Decisions and Remaining Substance Free” 

A partnership between a parent/guardian and Student Assistance Counselor best supports the nurturing of the social and emotional wellbeing of students. We encourage you to contact the SAC at your child’s school for a confidential consultation. Click here to learn more.

Lakeland High School  Sasha Meyer Porco, LMSW, CASAC  smeyerporco@lakelandschools.org

Lakeland Copper Beech Middle School Ms. Finan, MS lfinan@lakelandschools.org

Yorktown High School Kiara Loughran, MS sacounselor@yorktown.org

---

Upcoming Events

September 8-11 – Volunteer New York!’s 9/11 Days of Service
Volunteer New York!’s 16th Annual 9/11 Days of Service will mobilize 600+ volunteers across Westchester for a series of high impact volunteer events. Register here.

September 14 – Supporting Emotional Regulation in Kids: Being a Calming Presence & Making Amends 
What are the most effective ways to support children when they get stuck in a storm of big emotions? Learn how to be a calming presence in a child’s moment of distress and how to repair damage the storm has done in this one-hour seminar with a licensed therapist. Register here.

September 17 – Nicotine Pouches on the Rise: What Parents Need to Know
Join Parents Against Vaping and Dr. Bonnie Halpern-Felsher for a timely conversation about what families need to understand about nicotine pouches, why these products are gaining traction, how flavors and marketing can shape youth interest, the effects of nicotine, and what parents and communities can do to respond. Register here.

September 29 – The Brain We’re Building: How Screens, Substances & Stress Shape Youth Wellbeing
Join Operation Parents and neuroscience educator Dr. Kristen Gilliland to explore how stress, self-talk, social media, emotions, and substance use shape the developing brain. Learn about neuroplasticity and practical ways to help young people build resilience, healthy coping skills, and overall wellbeing. Register here.

NAMI Westchester
The families and members of NAMI Westchester are here to help! They offer understanding to anyone concerned about mental illnesses and the treatment of mental illness. To view their calendar, click here.

Westchester Breathes is an ongoing program offered by the Westchester Library System offering an experience of gentle movement, breathing and relaxation exercises that reduce stress and anxiety and increase a sense of calm and well-being. These exercises are simple and evidence-based – which is to say…they work! They are free and on Zoom. Register here.