PVFF

Bullying Prevention Month- October

noreply@blogger.com (Partnership For Violence Free Familes) — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 13:49:00 +0000

PVFF provides Olweus Bullying Prevention program to elementary, middle and high schools. Backed by thirty-five years of research and successful, worldwide implementation, the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program is a long-term, system-wide program for change involving program components at four levels: School-level, Classroom-level, Individual-level and Community–level.

The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program is designed to improve peer relations and make schools safer, more positive places for students to learn and develop.
Goals of the program include:
· Reducing existing bullying problems among students
· Preventing new bullying problems
· Achieving better peer relations at school

For more information on bullying prevention, this site offers the best information on parent tips, risk, warning signs and effects of bullying: http://www.stopbullying.gov/at-risk/index.html. Stopbullying.gov works collaboratively with Olweus developers to have the best public information with the biggest research base.

Sara Berelsman Of We Care People

noreply@blogger.com (Partnership For Violence Free Familes) — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 19:25:00 +0000

The year was 1987. Alf was popular. The Simpsons made its television debut. Three Men and a Baby; Good Morning, Vietnam; and Dirty Dancing were tearing up the box office. Bad was released by Michael Jackson. Whitney Houston wanted to dance with somebody. Sandy Lyle, of Delphos, was 19.
It was the year her mother, 47, took her own life.
September is Suicide Prevention Month. This is obviously not a light subject. It makes some people uncomfortable. Many people would rather read a funny story about my kids or a descriptive piece about the onset of autumn. I never got more feedback from an article than I did when I wrote May’s column about bipolar disorder, though, and so I felt compelled to write about this topic, as it is another taboo issue, but one that is important and real.
Sandy Lyle’s mother had attempted suicide twice before she actually committed it. Lyle remembers her mother as being “horribly depressed almost constantly.” She said, “She’d sit in her bean bag chair and smoke cigarettes. She didn’t do anything.” She revealed that her mother was also violent. “Dad wanted a divorce. Mom got so mad about it. She was going nuts; he was afraid she’d get a knife.”
Lyle’s mom and dad had been divorced 7 years when it happened. Lyle recalls her grandmother calling with the news. “She was crying hysterically. That Mom had actually done it. Dad said, ‘No, it’s just another cry for help; she didn’t do it.’ I drove as fast as I could. They were carrying her body out.” Lyle said, “She had taken pills. She had gone into the bathroom to try and throw them up. She was walking back into the bedroom when she hit the corner of the dresser and fell. That’s where she died. So many lives were ruined. I still have nightmares to this day,” said Lyle. “I am sad. I didn’t want her to die.”
While many people have never been personally affected by suicide, it is not uncommon. In Allen County alone, there were 16 suicides from January 1 to December 31, 2011. People need to know that there is help, and it is local. You can call 1-800-567-HOPE at any time, and the We Care Crisis Center, located on 797 S. Main St. in Lima, is open 24/7, no appointment necessary.
The Summit on Suicide Awareness and Prevention is coming up on September 18, which will offer information for the professional, the educator, the minister, and families looking for answers, such as verbal and non-verbal signs, and actions that can predict threat of self-harm. You can register to attend the summit by going to www.wecarepeople.org.
The 6th Annual Suicide Walk is also approaching on September 29 from 10-12 p.m. It begins at the We Care Crisis Center, where attendees will walk to the Lima Square and back. There is no pre-registration for this. There will be raffles, t-shirts for purchase, and a provided lunch. There will also be a ceremony and balloon release to honor those lost.
There are some signs that a loved one might be contemplating suicide. Losing interest in people one loves, losing interest in activities, and exhibiting signs of depression are all signs. Also, giving away belongings, and a sudden surge of happiness denotes that the person has made plans and is at peace with his or her decision. www.stopasuicide.org is a great resource which provides an extensive list of signs.
As for those going through the pain and devastation of a loved one who has committed suicide, Sandy Lyle said, “Be sure to take care of the person who is ill, but also take care of yourself. You can’t control what people will do. You can watch the depression, the attempts, but in the end, you can’t stop them.” While not every suicide can be prevented, as was unfortunately the case with Lyle’s mother, there are resources out there. Some suicides can be prevented. But if not, as Lyle said, “Don’t blame yourself.”

Teen Screen

noreply@blogger.com (Partnership For Violence Free Familes) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 14:26:00 +0000

From Wapakoneta Daily News

By KAREN KANTNER

Assistant Managing Editor

A national system has been put in place in local schools to identify students who may need assistance, but those offering the service need help from parents in getting the students to participate.

For six years, Teen Screen has been provided in all Auglaize County schools by the Family Resource Center of Northwest Ohio, but each school offers the screens, targeted for 11- to 18-year-olds, differently, depending on how they fit it into the curriculum.

Some offer it to middle school students, others to freshmen, and some offer it to all high school grades. Sometimes students take it as part of health classes.

The times the screens are offered varies, with some offering it up to several times throughout the year. Many offer the screening just once. Screens are planned at most Auglaize County schools yet this year.

“It’s based on how they see fit and is always up to the school,” said Sara Dieringer, a prevention educator who works with Auglaize County Teen Screens for the Family Rescource Center in St. Marys. “The schools are receptive, but sometimes the problem is getting the permission form back from parents. We don’t know why they aren’t returned, if it’s a matter of time, if they are overlooked, or if kids forget to take them home.”

Forms sent home to parents include information about the program and screening, why it’s important and how it works. In addition to space for a parent’s signature, the form also includes room for comments and questions.

“Our mission is to ensure that all youth are offered this mental health check-up before they graduate high school,” Dieringer said.

She explained the screening not only can check on students who may have been flagged out of concern by teachers, but also identify those who may be suffering silently, offering no indication to the outside world.

The 52-question screen, which is completed on a laptop while students listen to questions on headphones, addresses a wide range of issues with questions about general health, demographics, anxiety, substance abuse, specific phobias, and symptoms of eight disorders associated with suicide risk, in addition to depression and suicide ideation.

Sample questions include, “in the last three months have you felt anxious or scared,” “have you felt nervous or uncomfortable being in front of people,” or “have you or a family member been in an argument about drugs.”

Addressing general health concerns, too, the screen can determine physical problems, such as hearing and vision, as well as mental health problems. Teen Screen also underwent a recent update to make it more thorough.

Dieringer said they received better response when extra money was available to pay for incentives, and some teachers offer bonus points for those completing the screen.

Wapakoneta High School raffled off an iPod to entice more students to participate.

“We’ve tried several different approaches, we’ve tried sending the forms different ways,” said Dieringer, who is now hoping to reach out to parents. “This is needed. We have definitely caught kids we may have otherwise missed.”

The Mental Health and Recovery Services board of Allen, Auglaize and Hardin Counties supplies funding for the screens, which are offered free and confidentially to students, who are not identified by name, but rather by a number.

“We feel their private lives are none of the school’s business, and we contact parents first,” said Donna Dickman, director of the Partnership for Violence Free Families, in Lima, which also is a partner in the Teen Screens.

Between 5 and 10 percent of the screens come back flagged, Dickman said. The national average of screens flagged is 30 percent.

She said the screens are not an official evaluation or diagnosis, but they are a good tool to use and are particularly useful in finding students who have thought about suicide, which is the third leading cause of death in high school students.

“Talking about it won’t put the idea in their head,” Dieringer said. “If they are already thinking about it, we need to talk about it.”

When completed, the survey is successful in finding those students because they feel safe writing to a computer rather than telling someone face-to-face what they are experiencing or thinking.

“The screens are a good way to predict a possible problem they may need assistance with,” Dieringer said. “It’s just like any other medical condition and can be better with treatment.

“If a screen is flagged, we talk to the student as follow-up, have conversations with the parents, see if they need extra support, a referral or counseling,” Dieringer said, noting that any time a screen is flagged, parents are notified.

She said the highest percentage of suicides are not teens, but when reviewing the number of parents of these teens who are dying, they leave extremely high risk kids behind.

In 2011, there were three suicides in Auglaize County, Auglaize County Health Commissioner Charlotte Parsons said.

Wapakoneta High School Principal Aaron Rex said they try to have all their students complete the Teen Screen. The week of May 7 the school is participating in an annual event focusing on suicide prevention and supplying a Lifeline program to its eighth-graders.

“We want to make sure all kids at risk have someone to talk to,” Rex said of how the screen is used at the school. “The big concern for us is having a kid hurt himself or think of hurting himself.

“Some parents may not know what it’s about and shy away from it, but we feel it’s better to know where kids are at and to get them help if they need it than to not know,” he said.

In addition to the screenings, Dickman said they are trying to be comprehensive in their approach with grant funded online training available for teachers, by developing community coalitions, and offering local resources to those in need.

“We’re trying to hit this from every single angle,” Dickman said. “The bottom line is we will do what it takes to keep our kids safe. For people who don’t think we have those issues here, we certainly do.”

October... Awareness Month

noreply@blogger.com (Partnership For Violence Free Familes) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 19:46:00 +0000

Most people know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, what many don't realise is that October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month also.

According to Cancer.org: "The chance of a woman having invasive breast cancer some time during her life is a little less 1 in 8." According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) "One in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime."

In October 1987, the first national Domestic Violence Awareness Month was held. That same year the first national toll-free hotline was begun. In 1989, Congress passed the first DVAM commemorative legislation and it has been passed every year since. Every October, there are hundreds of activities across the nation recognizing Domestic Violence Awareness Month, including recognition ceremonies, memorial activities, and public education campaigns, and community outreach events.

Lima Square DV Ribbons

The Partnership for Violence Free Families along with other DV prevention/assistance programs in the area will be holding community events throughout the month which we invite you to participate in. You may view our Calendar of Events for dates/times and activities. We also encourage you to show your support for victims of domestic violence by wearing, or displaying a Purple Ribbon. You can find information on the The International Purple Ribbon Project here. If you are in Downtown Lima, we invite you to take a moment to look at the over 1500 ribbons in the square that represent local victims of domestic violence.

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, you can get help now, please contact CrossRoads Crisis Center

Crisis Line: 419-228-4357 Toll Free: 877-228-4357

Domestic Violence Facts:

An estimated 1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year.

85% of domestic violence victims are women.

Historically, females have been most often victimized by someone they knew.
Females who are 20-24 years of age are at the greatest risk of nonfatal intimate partner violence.

Most cases of domestic violence are never reported to the police.

Fifth Annual Suicide Awareness and Prevention Walk

noreply@blogger.com (Partnership For Violence Free Familes) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 15:26:00 +0000

Partnership for Violence Free Families would like to invite you to the 5th Annual Suicide Awareness and Prevention Walk Sept 24th at 10am beginning at Coleman Behavioral Health- 799 S. Main Street Lima Ohio.
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Check this out on Chirbit

Events for the day include:

A walk beginning and ending at Coleman Behavioral Health traveling down to the Square and back.
Resource and information tables on accessible local services.
Presentation and Song
Raffle for a handmade quilt and other prizes provided by sponsors.
T-shirt sale
Yellow Balloon Release
Pizza/Cookies provided for lunch

*Facts on Suicide:
*Second leading cause of death among college students
*Third leading cause of death in adolescents
*Forth leading cause of death of youth 10-14 years old
*There are 50 to 200 attempts for every completion
*Almost 7% of high school students report making a suicide attempt
*Over 14% of high school students report suicidal thoughts

iChoose Tee Shirt Mobs!

noreply@blogger.com (Partnership For Violence Free Familes) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 19:09:00 +0000

iChoose will be popping up around the area to spread information about the social media prescription drug abuse campaign- and last night they were welcomed at Custer's Chateau in Lima

Opiates, Bath Salts and Street Drugs Summit Commercial

noreply@blogger.com (Partnership For Violence Free Familes) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 19:53:00 +0000

PVFF Director Donna Dickman and iChoose Program Coordinator Chelsea Verhoff are in the Opiates, Bath Salts and Street Drugs Summit commercial airing on Hometown Stations here in Lima, Ohio. If you haven't had a chance to register for the summit yet, you can do so by going to www.wecarepeople.org

iChoose in Lima News

noreply@blogger.com (Partnership For Violence Free Familes) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 12:50:00 +0000

Anyone see The Lima News this morning? Our iChoose program was featured on the front page! Program coordinator Chelsea Verhoff and our social media technical specialist Laura Ulrick did a spectacular job introducing iChoose in their first print interview.

You can find iChoose on Facebook, Twitter, Qik and out in our community. Be sure to look for them at the Allen County Fair- "like" them on Facebook at any time during the fair and be entered to win a giftcard!

iChoose interview on WDOH

noreply@blogger.com (Partnership For Violence Free Familes) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 17:41:00 +0000

iChoose Program Coordinator Chelsea was on WDOH talking about Bath Salts this morning and providing the community with some great information! This browser does not show iframe content.

Check this out on Chirbit

Opiates, Bath Salts and Street Drugs Summit Workgroup

noreply@blogger.com (Partnership For Violence Free Familes) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 17:00:00 +0000

Partnership for Violence free families attended the Opiates, Bath Salts and Street Drugs Summit Workgroup today at the Mental Health and Recovery Service Board of Allen, Auglaize, and Hardin Counties today. The iChoose team had the chance to discuss some new ideas for public outreach and the entire group was able to form a comprehensive plan to help ensure that as many people as possible have the opportunity to attend the September 8th Summit either in person, or via live webcam.

In the coming days and weeks, all three counties can look forward to seeing more information about the Summit, and our future goals for our communities regarding the information they learn.

If you would like to register now for the Opiates, Bath Salts and Street Drugs Summit, which will be September 8th, from 8:00am to 4:00pm you can do so at summit.pvff.org

iChoose and the Opiates, Bath Salts, and Street Drugs Summit

noreply@blogger.com (Partnership For Violence Free Familes) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 17:53:00 +0000

The Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Allen, Auglaize and Hardin Counties has scheduled a three county Opiates, Bath Salts and Street Drugs Summit for the purpose of engaging a broad group of citizens to become aware of and knowledgeable about Opiates, Bath Salts, and other street drugs.

The Mental Health and Recovery Services Board has engaged a well regarded program called Operation Street Smart to present current and reliable information about these drugs and to serve as a motivation for action..

The Summit will be held on September 8, 2011 at the Lima Civic and Convention Center from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

iChoose, an initiative founded by the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board along with Partnership for Violence Free Families to promote prescription drug abuse awareness and prevention, will be in attendance at the summit. iChoose will be engaging in various forms of social media outreach throughout the summit, including a live Twitter party that attendees are encouraged to participate in, and a live streaming webcam broadcast of the summit.

For more information on the summit, you can contact the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board:

Mental Health & Recovery Services Board of Allen, Auglaize and Hardin Counties
1541 Allentown Road
Lima, OH 45805
(419) 222-5120
(419) 222-0860 (fax)
info@wecarepeople.org

You can find iChoose on Twitter, Facebook, or you can contact iChoose by email.

PVFF History

noreply@blogger.com (Partnership For Violence Free Familes) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 13:02:00 +0000

The Partnership for Violence Free Families was created in 2001 from a family violence prevention grant awarded by the Anthem Foundation of Ohio. Over 36 businesses, agencies, schools, and governmental entities comprise this active coalition. In addition to media awareness on the topics of family violence, PVFF supports four key primary prevention programs: ACT/Raising Safe Kids, the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, Safe Dates, & Lifelines.

ACT/Raising Safe Kids:
Developed by the American Psychological Association, this program emphasizes that children learn from their parents, caregivers and teachers how to problem solve and manage their anger. ACT/Raising Safe Kids focuses on the importance of appropriate adult role-modeling. Parents can raise non-violence children by utilizing effective discipline techniques and monitoring media violence. ACT/Raising Safe Kids is facilitated in eight weekly sessions. PVFF offers both facilitator training and parenting classes.

OLWEUS:
The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program has been proven highly effective in reducing bullying incidents in schools throughout the world. Understanding that adults are responsible for the safety of all children, school staff are instrumental in establishing a bully-free community among students and their parents.

The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program uses a comprehensive approach incorporating schoolwide, classroom, individual and community level components and meets HB 276 mandates. Locally, 28 schools have implemented the Olweus Program since 2004 and have seen anticipated outcomes.

Safe Dates:
Teen dating violence is the precursor to domestic violence. Designed for students in 8th -12th grades, teens participate in discussion and activities that explore healthy relationships, gender respect and the warning signs of dating violence. The Program is delivered in ten 45 minute classroom sessions.

Safe Dates meets HB 19 mandates.

LifeLines:
*Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death for 15-24 year olds.

*There are 50-200 suicide attempts for every completion.

*Over 14% of high school students report suicidal thoughts.

For these very reasons, PVFF provides training and support on this evidence-bases program to address the very important topic of suicide prevention.

iChoose:
In July 2011, iChoose was founded. An initiative between PVFF and The Mental Health and Recovery Board of Allen, Auglaize and Hardin counties; iChoose is a social media based program designed to promote prescription drug abuse awareness and prevention.

The Partnership for Violence Free Families

noreply@blogger.com (Partnership For Violence Free Familes) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 20:49:00 +0000

The Partnership for Violence Free Familes serves to promote peace and end violence through community collaboration, awareness, and educational programs.

To receive a copy of PVFF's newsletter, please email hgarcia@pvff.org and request to be put on the mailing list.

The Partnership for Violence Free Families exists on the funding raised through grants, earned income, and community donation.

To contribute and help sustain the violence prevention efforts in Allen County, please send dontation to:

The Partnership for Violence Free Families
658 W. Market St. Suite 208
Lima Ohio, 45801