September was National Suicide Prevention Awareness month. In honor of that, the Patriot reached out to the Central Minnesota Suicide Prevention Coalition (CMSPC), Dylan’s Hope Foundation in Becker and The Wave Youth Center in Big Lake. All organizations offer solutions to individuals in need of help dealing with mental health.
Resources
Any individuals who are struggling with suicidal thoughts or their mental health must know it is not only okay to ask for help, but strongly encouraged by all these groups. There is nothing wrong with needing to ask for help, and there are many resources available for individuals to find that help.
Any person considering committing suicide can call the National Suicide prevention hotline at any time at 800-273-8255.
Individuals who would prefer not to talk can text MN to 741741, the Minnesota Crisis Text Line.
Farmers seeking help can call 833-600-2670.
Veterans are encouraged to reach out to their local VA.
There are crisis units for every county as well, including response teams that can come to help in-person. The crisis service line for Sherburne County is 763-765-4000.
In case of an emergency, always call 911.
CMSPC
The CMSPC was founded in 2015 by the St. Cloud VA in order to prevent veteran suicides, but they are shifting focus to help any person who is stuggling with thoughts of suicide. The organization covers an area around St. Cloud including Stearns, Benton, Morrison, Meeker, Sherburne, and Wright counties.
Laura Kunstleben is an RN and a coordinator of the program. She stated that her job with the program is to get other organizations, from health centers to businesses to social groups, to join the coalition, in order to reach out to more veterans - as well as others struggling with mental health.
“Every day 20 vets across the nation commit suicide,” Kunstleben said. “But 14 of those 20 have never gone to the VA.”
She went on to say that while they would love for Veterans to come to the VA, CMSPC knows that this is not always possible. That is why they began to reach out to the community.
“Veterans are community members first,” Kunstleben said. The idea is to reach out to vets and others where they are and let them know that it’s ok to seek help.
Anyone who is interested in learning more about CMSPC is welcome to email Kunstleben at Laura.Kunstleben@VA.gov.
Dylan’s Hope Foundation
Dylan Aaseby was a junior at Becker High School when he committed suicide in 2013. His sudden death shook the community.
Dylan’s family created the Dylan’s Hope Foundation in order to reach out to young people who are considering suicide. They host a golf tournament every year at Pebble Creek and use the funds to bring speakers into Becker Schools each year to address the students about mental health. They also offer two scholarships to Becker seniors each year, and they continuously donate to the counseling department.
Ryan Obermoller was Dylan’s brother in law. He stated that most people don’t realize when someone has a problem until that person says so. In other words, people struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts should reach out to family members, teachers, friends, or anyone else to help them.
He also encourages people to check in on their loved ones. Asking “Are you okay?” could mean the difference between someone taking their life or not.
To learn more about Dylan’s Hope Foundation, visit DylansHopeFoundation.org.
The Wave Youth Center
The Wave Youth Center in Big Lake recently wrapped up their mental health week. They discussed topics like stress, meditation, myths and facts of mental health and mental health resources.
Piper Hennings, executive director of The Wave, said, “It is important for youth and teenagers to know that struggling with mental health is not their fault and they are not alone. How we usually feel relates to what is going on in our lives. It is very normal to be happy, sad, angry, disappointed, or unsure of our feelings. It is also important to make sure youth know that they are not alone in their struggles and it is okay to ask for help.”
She knows that asking for help is not easy, especially when an individual doesn’t know whom to trust. She recommends turning to a parent, teacher, adult mentor, youth leader, or even a doctor or nurse- any adult who has the resources to offer help.
“The Wave Youth Center is here to be a space where youth can come and find support,” Hennings said. “The Wave is knowledgeable of all kinds of mental health resources in the area and is here to support any youth in need of help. We also have a partnership with Nystrom and Associates and offer a youth support group/conversation to talk about any thoughts, fears, feelings or struggles. Any youth is welcome at The Wave Youth Center and will be supported in any way they need, even if it is just to be in community with others.”
To learn more about The Wave, visit TheWaveYC.org.
