FOR Students

On Thursday, January 9th, we had our 3rd annual OARS: Suicide Prevention Training with the senior class at Charlotte Latin School. We are so thankful that we get to equip these students with information and tools that allow them to recognize the signs of suicidality and to know how to get that friend to the help they need. We were honored to have Dr. Amanda McGough present the content. She is a friend, local psychologist, and the president of the NC chapter of American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Dr. McGough always shows up with such care, expertise, and most importantly, the belief that we can make a difference. OARS: Observe- Know and look for the signs. Trust your gut. Ask- Courageously and directly ask. "Are you considering suicide?" Refer- If they answer, "yes," then you use 988 (call or text), get them to a trained professional (even an emergency room). If they don't want you to tell anyone, you can say, "I care too much about you to not get you to someone who can help. You can even decide who that person is. I'll even go with you, but I we have to make sure you are safe." Stay Involved- Reach out to them as soon as it is appropriate/safe, stay connected, and don't pretend that nothing has happened. Text or call. "How are you? When would it be okay for me to see you? How can I support you? Want to get coffee or see a movie?" As time moves forward, continue to support your friend where you can and compassionately direct them to professionals when you can't.

Our November City-Wide event on managing stress was fantastic! Ed Williams walked us through what stress is and isn’t and some common misconceptions around stress -referencing Lisa Damour, PhD’s work. He then gave us several evidence-based strategies that can help raise our stress thresholds, and manage the difficult feelings that accompany highly stressful moments/seasons. Our local yoga hero, Henry Davis, led the group through some breathing and movement, and we wrapped the night around fire pits with fresh grilled cheese, tomato soup, and s’mores! We love these spaces we get to create and invite students into. *PSA! Our next event is on December 15th, from 3-5pm at the Collective Cafe in Matthews! We are having a holiday pajama party and interviewing several college students about their first semesters away at school! Tell the high school juniors and seniors you know to come join us! (And if you know any students home for break, invite them too!)

We are having our second, city-wide event this Sunday, October 27th, at the Collective Cafe in Matthews from 5-7pm! Any Charlotte-area high school junior or senior is invited as we dive into the world of predisposition. “How well do you know you? Both your natural areas of strength AND, a place we are less likely to look, our potential areas for growth? An enormous part of maturing is looking honestly-but-graciously at the realities of how we give and receive information in our relationships (work, school, friendships, our romantic partners) and perceive our circumstances.” Food and giveaways including a $225 Nike gift card, gas cards, and Door Dash gift cards. If you have or know any Charlotte-area 11th or 12th graders, tell them to come and invite a friend. Fun and helpful content that will better equip them for their now and their “NEXT.”

We just had our Students FOR Students small group leader training AND our FIRST EVER ever city-wide event! So thankful to the Collective Cafe and Ridge Church for leaning in and allowing us to use their space, and to Claire Bell, Samantha Martinez PhD, MSW, MA , Coach Tim Hutchison, and student, Caleb Jusay, for contributing! We spent time helping students identify their core values and talked about how important it is to have these values as a compass while we make decisions around friendships, romantic relationships, college majors, etc... We are so excited that these events will happen each month and will be covering the same curriculum that we are presenting in our partner schools. Amazing that any Charlotte-area high school junior or senior can now have access to our content! It's all happening!

We LOVE Patrick Balsley and the work he and the team at Sana House are doing! His willingness to lean and give his time away has always been inspiring. This community is better because of you all.

This week we kicked off the ‘24-25 school year at Charlotte Latin School. An amazing event providing the opportunity for students to name and take a higher resolution look at their core values, the things that matter most to them. It’s an incredible exercise for anyone, but certainly for high school seniors who are going to be making pivotal decisions over the next few months. Here’s to another great year with these amazing young adults.

We are so excited and thankful that Fellow Traveler Counseling, PLLC is putting on the FOR Students 5K on Sunday, May 19th! A fun, neighborhood race where all proceeds go toward funding our mission of equipping students with the tools they need to foster and maintain their mental health. Consider coming out and running with us! Register here: https://lnkd.in/eCHAsUWK