Mental health summit held at SEARK

Kymara Seals, visionary and founder of the DAndre Seals Suicide Prevention Outreach Project, shares the goal of the Mental Health Wellness & Suicide Prevention Summit. She said the focus is to normalize the conversation around mental health issues and suicide prevention. (Special to The Commercial/Kim Jones Sneed)
Kymara Seals, visionary and founder of the DAndre Seals Suicide Prevention Outreach Project, shares the goal of the Mental Health Wellness & Suicide Prevention Summit. She said the focus is to normalize the conversation around mental health issues and suicide prevention. (Special to The Commercial/Kim Jones Sneed)

The D'Andre Seals Suicide Prevention Outreach Project presented its first Mental Health Wellness & Suicide Prevention Summit on Saturday at Southeast Arkansas College.

Approximately 70 people received resources to help them and those they care about improve their mental health and prevent suicide.

Seals, the visionary and founder of DSOP, launched her non-profit organization five years ago after losing her son, D'Andre, to suicide.

The speakers included Dr. Nichole Bauknight-Boles, a psychiatrist with certifications in general adult psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry; Dr. Kamra Mays, a psychologist who specializes in cognitive-behavioral therapy and health psychology; Jannie Cotton, LPC, the first Black woman in to serve as chief executive officer of a community mental health organization; Dr. Stephen Broughton, medical director for Southeast Arkansas Behavioral Healthcare System Inc.; Mary Meacham, a retired school teacher who lost her son to suicide; and Bessie Lancelin, director of clinical services at Southeast Arkansas Behavioral Healthcare System.

Seals explained the summit's purpose.

"What we're trying to do is to normalize the conversation around mental health issues and suicide prevention," Seals said. "We are trying to have these conversations with everybody that will listen."

The key factor is to get rid of the stigma around getting help regarding mental and emotional well-being.

"You know it's been taboo for so long especially in the Black community," Seals said.

She revealed that when her son died, the sentiment expressed to someone she knew was that "Black people don't die by suicide," she said.

"But that statement was made out of ignorance. And when I say ignorance, I mean unlearned. They simply just didn't know because perhaps they didn't know of any Black people who had died by suicide," Seals explained.

Seals emphasized that the summit provided a "safe space" where participants could freely ask questions.

"We want people to feel safe today in this space to ask questions. No question is a bad question. No question is a dumb question. When you don't know, you don't know. So please take advantage of today. We're going to be kind. We're going to be respectful. And I know this is a mature group. Not all groups we talk to are mature, so we have to say that," Seals said.

STIGMA, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION

Broughton, Meacham and Lancelin were the panelists for a segment entitled "Stigma, Anxiety, Depression & Our Toolbox" for ages 31 and up. The event featured sessions for adults as well as children as young as eight.

Lancelin, who is celebrating 48 years in the field of behavioral health, told the group that everyone may occasionally suffer from depression, anxiety, nervousness, worry or confusion.

"But we can recover!" she proclaimed. "We just have to know how to do it."

Lanelin discussed a young man who was a speaker during a recent Mental Health Awareness Month event. He had a paper route when he was younger and was molested by someone he used to deliver papers to, she said.

"You're having to live with this, but you don't want to tell anybody. You don't want to tell your parents that 'I've been molested.' So, the parents are wondering what's going on with this person?" Lancelin said.

She explained that although she and Broughton often work with people who are suffering, their goal is to encourage hope for improvement in their circumstances.

"It takes special people to do the type of work that we do," she said. "I am still very passionate about my work."

Lancelin said that people may not know that Pine Bluff has six officers who are trained to deescalate behavioral health matters. On occasion, staff of the Southeast Arkansas Behavioral Healthcare System will intervene as well.

"In our work, one of the key things is showing compassion and concern," Lancelin said.

Both Lancelin and Broughton touched on the change that has occurred in the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a mental health disorder that often begins in childhood.

"ADHD can be treated with medication alone," Lancelin said.

Broughton explained further.

"If a child just has ADHD, he can be treated by his primary care doctor and move on with his life and it will never be said that he was treated in a mental health facility," Broughton revealed. "Once they put that diagnosis on you that you have more than ADHD, then it follows you from then on. Some kids they don't want to say that they have a problem. Our kids, our community are affected, people of color are mostly affected by that change."

Broughton said that in the era that he grew up in, he might have been considered to be hyperactive. He said he was not given medicine for this. He said his teacher told him that he talked too much. She made him sit next to her, help grade papers and read two books while she taught the rest of the class. Along with this treatment plan was the threat by the teacher to call Broughton's mother.

"I didn't want mama coming up there," he said as the group laughed.

Broughton also discussed stress, abandonment issues and emotional triggers. He shared how prevalent post-traumatic stress disorder is among Black men. He recalled how at the age of 15, he had a gun pulled on him by a police officer in Pine Bluff. He had just returned from playing basketball in Fort Smith for the Pine Bluff Zebras and was preparing to walk home with friends. The police officer stopped him and asked him where he was going because the neighborhood was predominately white at that time. He tried to explain to the officer that they had just come back from a long trip. The officer asked him for some identification.

"The thing that hits me the most is I was reaching for my wallet and the guy pulled a gun on me and said, 'Hold it.' And that was the lasting memory of the police in my mind," Broughton said.

He added that these triggers can lead to something more later in life such as sleeplessness, a change in appetite or the ability to handle normal events.

Lancelin asked the audience to reflect on things in their lives that happened that maybe they hadn't dealt with yet.

MENTAL ILLNESS, STRESS

Bauknight-Boles spoke to youth ages eight to 12 on the topic entitled "What is Mental Illness & How Do You Handle Stress?"

She used words "stressed" and "desserts" (stressed spelled backwards) as acronyms to give clearer insight of what mental illness means and how to deal with it. Part of her presentation came from The Economics of Parenting: HIS GIFT, your giving, and HIS INCREASE written by a friend of hers named Dr. Kathy Scott-Gurnell.

S -- Sleep Disturbance -- D - Doctor

T -- Thoughts -- E – Extracurricular Activities

R -- Ranting -- S – Spiritual Training

E -- Energy -- S – Structure Time

S -- Sadness -- E – Express Love

S -- Suicidal -- R – Reach Goals

E -- Emptiness -- T – Try Something New

D -- Disconnected -- S – Start Fresh

Bauknight-Boles said if a child has four or more of the characteristics listed in the word "stressed," this is a red flag signaling to seek help from a mental health professional. In addition, it is important to get a physical exam and to have lab work done by a medical doctor.

Pulling from the word "desserts," she suggested getting younger children involved in extracurricular activities, playing outside and going to the park as ways to help improve the situation.

"Make sure they have some structured time to try to do those kinds of activities. Get your teen involved in sports or organized activities," she said.

Bauknight-Boles also mentioned spiritual training being implemented as well to include Bible study, Vacation Bible School, and going to church at least once a week.

"We've got to make sure that we're teaching the spiritual things of God to our children whatever your faith is," she said.

SYMPTOMS/SIGNS

Mays addressed "How to Recognize Symptoms & What Signs to Look For" to ages 13 to 18. She focused on direct and indirect warning signs of suicide that teens need to know. She asked the group to define depression and what it looks like.

It's normal to be sad at times. I need you to be sad when bad things happen. The thing is not staying [sad]," Mays said.

Sadness may be coupled by low energy, thoughts of death, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, experiencing problems making decisions and having a low sex drive, she said.

Mays told the group to be aware if a friend is always angry and gets into it with nearly everyone, doesn't want to do anything or has an attitude of not caring.

TRAMA INFORMED CARE

Cotton spoke on "Trauma Informed Care" to individuals aged 19 to 30. She also suggested writing thoughts and feelings down in a journal, incorporating self-care such as taking bubble baths, listening to soft music and treating oneself to something inexpensive on a daily basis such as an ice cream cone.

She stressed removing the superhero cape and the importance of living within financial means as ways to reduce stress.

"As men and women, we feel the need to make up for the loss and inefficiencies of our parents or other people in our family, so we take that stuff on," Cotton said. "And so let it go. Let it go."

She emphasized the need to avoid using credit cards carelessly and making purchases that one cannot afford.

"We induce our own stress. Sometimes it isn't the environment. It is our inner self that does that," Cotton said.

She brought journals, stress balls and small bulletin boards to give away to members in her group.

"Stress less. Make plans for yourself. Put your goals on here and your plans," Cotton said, holding one of the journals.

She also led the group in a series of deep breathing exercises she said would help ease stress and pain.

ADVOCATES

Meacham said that the community at large must become advocates and gain more knowledge about mental health issues and suicide prevention.

"And we can do it, but we have to do it ourselves. We can't sit around and wait for the government to pour out more money or do more programs...we've got to take on that task ourselves. And we can prevent suicides," Meacham said as the group applauded.

  photo  Bessie Lancelin (left) and Dr. Stephen Broughton, both of the Southeast Arkansas Behavioral Healthcare System Inc.; and Mary Meacham, a retired school teacher who lost her son to suicide, discussed "Stigma, Anxiety, Depression & Our Toolbox" for ages 31 and up. The event featured sessions for adults as well as children as young as eight. (Special to The Commercial/Kim Jones Sneed)
 
 
  photo  Camielle Adams (left) poses with Dr. Kamra Mays and Adams' son, Quentin Adams. Quentin Adams explained part of Mays presentation to teens that focused on QPR — Question, Persuade and Refer — an aspect of suicide prevention training. (Special to The Commercial/Kim Jones Sneed)
 
 
  photo  Dr. Nichole Bauknight-Boles spoke to youth ages eight to 12 about "What is Mental Illness & How Do You Handle Stress?" She used words stressed and desserts (stressed spelled backwards) as acronyms to give clearer insight of what mental illness means and how to deal with it. (Special to The Commercial/Kim Jones Sneed)
 
 

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