Скачать или смотреть Geneseo High School hosts mental health awareness and safety academy

With depression, anxiety and behavioral disorders the leading causes of illness and disability among adolescents, Geneseo High School is stepping up its efforts to educate students and parents alike when it comes to mental health and the resources that are available in our community.

Along with Geneseo Police Department and its IMPACT team, GHS welcomed Bridgeway, The Gray Matters Collective, Hammond-Henry Hospital and NAMI for a mental health awareness and safety academy on February 8 at the high school’s Fine Arts Center.

“In smaller communities, there can sometimes be a stigma about reaching out for mental health services,” notes Brooke Emmerson, Assistant Principal at Geneseo High School. “Some people like to keep those matters private. We just want to make sure our students and their parents are aware of the resources in our community and give them a better understanding of how they can help.”

Detective Jamie Shoemaker of the Geneseo Police Department heads up its Integrated Model Police and Crisis Team (IMPACT), which was formed in March 2022. While she acknowledges she isn’t a trained counselor or therapist, Shoemaker is very capable of guiding people to the resources they might need.

“We’re trying to be more proactive instead of reactive, especially when it comes to mental health, substance use and crisis intervention,” Det. Shoemaker explains. “We’re another piece of the puzzle in our community and we want to help.”