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Time	Subject
00:24	Introduction
01:17	The toll of the pandemic on young people
04:32	Navigating anxiety around the pandemic during the holidays
06:08	Mental Health First Aid Training explanation
16:10	Warning signs to watch for
24:59	How the teen program works

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Theresa Freed  00:00

Mental health concerns can arise in adults and children. On this episode hear how Johnson County Mental Health Center is helping families address these challenges.

Announcer  00:10

Whether you live in or just love Johnson County, Kansas, JoCo on the Go has everything Johnson County, here's what's happening and what's coming up in the community you call home.

Theresa Freed  00:24

Thanks for joining us for JoCo on the Go, I'm your host Theresa Freed, a Johnson County resident and employee of Johnson County government. Young people in Johnson County have had an especially difficult time with the pandemic, the way they interact with their peers and learn in school have been turned upside down due to COVID-19. And for some families, those challenges have brought to light mental health concerns. But whether mental health conditions are related to the pandemic or not, it's important for all of us to be able to spot signs that something's going on and offer help. Johnson County Mental Health Center is helping residents do just that by providing virtual training on this topic. And here to talk more about that are Erin Ross and Jamie Katz both with Johnson County Mental Health Center. Thank you both for being here. All right. So again, we often hear about the toll the pandemic has taken on young people, what trends are we seeing in this area?

Erin Ross  01:17

Sure, you know, I definitely think since that has started, you know, I know, it feels like what, almost a couple years down the road. But definitely, we're still seeing some of those residual signs of kids really kind of struggling with anxiety, I mean, there's still a lot of unknowns around all of these things. Depression, you know, still not really being able to do all of those full activities like they were before. So I feel like those effects really are kind of setting in and people are still struggling with those. And you know, just kind of feeling anxious and unsure about things, kind of missing some of those things that they used to do. That's where some of that sadness and depression comes in. And also struggles with school, you know, I know the schools are doing the very best they can to, you know, have the kids in person and things like that. But they're still I think, you know, that there's a huge disruption in their schedule, and the way that they did things before. And so I do think that that still is affecting some of our students. So those are definitely the primary things I feel like we're seeing, that kids and families are struggling with and needing some help.

Theresa Freed  02:21

Anything to add on that, Jamie? Okay. So, and I know just like having to wear a mask, but that kind of changes the way that you interact with people too, because you don't get the full expression on their face and things like that. It's kind of a necessary evil right now. But how has that impacted people, especially younger kids to probably,

Erin Ross  02:41

yeah, absolutely. You know, I do think that that can, you know, impact the relationship and the trust, you know, especially like you said, those younger kids, you know, I think of my own who just started kindergarten, you know, that's, this is a new big place, lots of new people. And, you know, I think part of developing that trust and relationship with the teacher is being able to see like those facial expressions, and things like that. And so I think with the mask, you know, it can hinder those things. And I know, there's been times even interacting with clients, it just doesn't feel as personable when you're wearing that facial covering, so I agree that that can, you know, impact the interaction and communication that we have with one another, it's just not quite the same.

Theresa Freed  03:26

So of course, the good news is, hopefully, at some point, we will be beyond this, and we can take our masks off and, you know, be able to interact as we did before. But I know some people still facing anxiety, as some of the safety measures are coming down, because it feels different, for example, to have a mask, it's kind of like, an extra layer of clothing, you feel a little bit naked, if you don't have it on. So you've seen some of that anxiety as w ell.

Jamie Katz  03:51

Definitely. Yeah. So I think, first for some individuals, you know, we've all kind of got gotten used to masking and so with, with things kind of, you know, people not wearing them as much and things like that it can be it can be scary for some individuals, and especially with the you know, the winter season coming and germs and all different kinds of things that tend to come with the winter season. That mask is almost like an extra safety for that. So I can definitely see how that would be hard for some individuals.

Theresa Freed  04:32

Yeah, that's a good point. I think, you know, another sort of source of anxiety is, is the sort of the tension that's developed because people feel scared to be around other people and to some extent, and so that kind of creates an additional barrier. So can you talk a little bit about how you help, especially youth overcome that and then we'll start talking a little bit about the virtual training that's available for families.

Erin Ross  04:58

Sure. Well, yeah, that that can be very difficult. And I do feel like that that is probably going to be highlighted with the holidays coming up, you know, because everybody, you know, is going to want to start getting back together with their friends and their family. But we have seen how that has created divides with families, because there are some who, you know, don't have, you know, aren't vaccinated and protected, and some that are and there are those different views. So I think it's just talking with individuals and, you know, how can we, you know, come up with a plan so that you are feeling safe things to take care of yourself, you know, I definitely think around the holidays in general, good self care and taking those breaks. And, you know, trying not to commit to too much, are very important. And if you need some time to yourself, to do something that you enjoy to refuel, that is very important. I know the holidays are busy. But it's also extremely helpful to make sure that you're taking that time to refuel, so that you're feeling better and like you can take on those extra tasks that we might have during the holidays. So

Theresa Freed  06:08

that's some great advice. And one of the many resources I know Johnson County Mental Health Center has is a wonderful newsletter. Actually, I think you guys have multiple newsletters, but I spotted one where there was mention of virtual Mental Health First Aid training and targeted at helping youth and so I thought this would be a great opportunity, especially, you know, with the school year happening and safety precautions kind of up in the air a little bit for, for a lot of school districts, to talk, how to talk about how the pandemic has impacted youth in general, but also just talk about mental health for youth. I mean, this is not an issue that is exclusive to the pandemic. It's something that that families address all the time. And so we wanted to kind of highlight what that training is, and what it provides and who it's targeted at. So if you guys can talk a little bit about that training, how maybe how it was developed and what it consists of.

Jamie Katz  07:08

Yeah, so we actually offer a couple of different trainings, all of them are called Mental Health First Aid, but there are different trainings geared towards different individuals. So Mental Health First Aid was actually first developed in Australia in the early 2000s. And then became international came to the United States in 2008. And we at Johnson County Mental Health Center have been training since 2011. So and we've trained over 2000 individuals, actually just about 3000. Now, since 2011. And we're still doing training. So a little bit about mental health first aid is it's the help offered to an individual who's developing a mental health condition mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis and offering that help until the problem or crisis resolves, or and or appropriate help is received. And so it really teaches about a five, five step action plan of how to help how to help a friend, how to help a neighbor, how to help a colleague, how to help a community member who might be experiencing a mental health condition or a mental health crisis. And that also includes substance use. So it's both mental health and substance use. And so there is a couple of different programs, there's one just kind of a general mental health first aid. And there's also one called Youth Mental Health First Aid. And that's how to help a young person who might be developing, you know, a mental health condition, a mental health problem, a crisis. And then there's also teen Mental Health First Aid, which is peer to peer, and it's specifically for teens. And right now that is offered primarily for schools. But there are some requirements for that in which the schools really need to also have taken Youth Mental Health First Aid so that way adults know how to respond when a youth does approach them.

Theresa Freed  08:38

That's great. And can you talk a little bit more about the youth program who should register for that? And what kinds of lessons are they learning there?

Jamie Katz  09:18

Yeah, so the youth program, so Youth Mental Health First Aid, um, anybody that lives or works with the youth. So, you know, schools are great option parents, any youth serving organization coaches, really like anybody who works with youth. And the great thing about mental health first aid is that it's not for the mental health professional. We should know this information. It is for everyone else, who might work with it with a young person, a youth, and how to help them reach out and help those that might need some mental health connection. And that's the fantastic thing about mental health first aid is it's not for the mental health professionals, it's for everyone else. And so that's why we love offering it is it's for, it's for the community members, it's for the teacher, it's for the neighbors, for the parent, it's for the business owner that might have youth working in their stores. That's for everyone. So that's the great thing about it,

Theresa Freed  10:30

the information that someone receives in these lessons, can you talk about that what that looks like, are we sure there's kind of a general overview of what this is about, and then maybe some instruction? So what does what does that look like?

Jamie Katz  10:47

So as we said, you know, mental health first aid, it is, it is for anyone, and we have at least one open class a month that anyone can attend, it's a six hour training, it's a six hour virtual kind of live training. And then there's also two hours of pre coursework that is required before you take the class. And that really just kind of gives you the basic information about mental health conditions, signs and symptoms, introduces you to that five point action plan called algae. And, and so and it helps really kind of develop kind of that baseline of that information kind of needed before the class starts. So it's, as I said, it's a two hour pre coursework that's done self paced completely online, whenever somebody has the time and wants to complete it. And then, and then we have the in, like the virtual live training, that's six hours. And when they go through that training, there'll be two of us that will be doing the training. And, and so we'll go into, you know, what is algae, that five point action plan really, how not just like what it is, but how do you actually implement it, and give participants the information so that in the practice, even we go through scenarios of how do you actually do this? Like, it's one thing to know it, it's another thing to practice it and, and have the empowerment and confidence in which to be able to help somebody? So we go through all of that we go through the algae action plan, we go through how do we use the algae action plan when a mental health condition might be developing, when it might be worsening, and then in crisis situations? And really, how do we use that action plan? What are the different types of mental health and substance use crises? How do you help somebody in that situation, whether the problems developing worsening or crisis, and then at the end, we talk about self care because self care is so critically important when we're using mental health first aid. Mental Health First Aid, sometimes when we have to use it, it can be stressful, it can be emotional. And so we have to make sure that we're taking care of ourselves so that we can better take care of others.

Theresa Freed  13:12

And I'm sure the process can be sort of intimidating for some who haven't encountered this before. So say for example, if you're, you're a parent, and you have you know, like for example, I have a nine year old son. Like sometimes you just need a little bit of extra support, knowing how to address sensitive issues. Like if you've got a bully at school and knowing how to help your child develop some some confidence so that it doesn't turn into a major source of anxiety for them, you know, things like that. So how do you help parents feel confident in their ability to have those tough conversations with their kids?

Jamie Katz  13:54

So I think we start with talking about it. And that that five point action plan really starts with approach. How do you approach the individual that you're concerned about? How do you assess like it? So algae stands for assess for risk of suicide or harm? How do you assess risk of suicide or harm? How do you assist that individual? How do you listen non judgmentally? How do you give that reassurance and information? How do you encourage that appropriate professional help? And then how do you encourage self help and other support strategies? So we walk everybody through that five point action plan, and not just not just give them the information but allow that opportunity for true discussion, to start figuring out ways to like really actually do it. So it's not just here's the information, good luck. It's, let's figure this out together. Let's think about, you know, times that you felt reassured, like think about like how do we approach somebody what are some things We can say all of those different aspects are part of Mental Health First Aid. And, and so what we hear from individuals is that by the time they leave the six hours, they feel confident that they can talk to somebody, that they really can approach somebody that they feel comfortable doing it, because we've been able to practice it in a controlled judgment free way.

Theresa Freed  15:25

So it sounds like the courses actually provide maybe a network of support. So I assume that it doesn't stop with the courses. So how do you encourage that support system to remain in place?

Jamie Katz  15:39

So I think I mean, we also give out resources, local resources that are available, and that's part of the training. So whether that's getting them connected to other local resources, or even just giving them resources like the Suicide Prevention Lifeline, or the Johnson County Mental Health Center, crisis line, those are all different things that that we provide as, as part of this training.

Theresa Freed  16:10

Perfect. Can you talk a little bit about the distinction between, like a mental health condition and a crisis, a moment of crisis? So can you give our listeners some guidance on what are the things they should be looking for in children that might prompt them to need to take action?

Erin Ross  16:30

Sure. So you know, I definitely think just kind of noticing if there's any things that are significantly different from, you know, the kids normal routines, or how they typically behave. And, you know, I know a big one that we really talk about a lot during the training is, like, if a child was very involved in activities, hanging out with friends and things like that, and then they start to kind of pull away from those things, that definitely could be a sign of concern. If there's not as much attention to like appearance and things like that, if there's declines in hygiene, those could be some signs of concern. And if they're like making statements that seem concerning, like that could indicate depression, or that they're thinking about hurting themselves. Like, oh, I just shouldn't be here. It would be better if I was fine, you know, things like that. Those are definitely that is at the point that we are approaching a crisis, and we should likely get immediate help for that individual. But just some other more general things like somebody's becoming more irritable, maybe sleeping more or not sleeping as much. So just those kinds of disruptions in mood, and normal activities. Those definitely are signs of concern.

Jamie Katz  17:46

And we talk a lot about mental health first, did we as kind of like everyday citizens, we don't necessarily need to know all the signs and symptoms to really know depression versus anxiety, like that's for that appropriate professional help to kind of figure out like, you know, is it depression? Or is it anxiety? Is it something else that's going on, where we all come in, and I will say, I'm not a clinician, Erin is, is, but we're going to notice this first noticing big changes in thoughts, feelings, appearance, behaviors, that's really kind of where we all come in, is when we start to notice those changes, changes in thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and appearance. And that's actually what we teach teens as well. They don't have to know all the signs and symptoms, but they're gonna know when a friend when a peer is just having a change. And, you know, I always say kind of go with your gut something feels off, it probably is. And, and so it's okay to approach somebody, if you're noticing those changes, changes and thoughts, feelings, appearance, behaviors, to be like, hey, you know, I'm concerned about you, these are the things I've been noticing. I'm here for you. Um, you know, can you tell me kind of what's going on, and just starting that conversation. So those are all, you know, things that kind of, we talked about, even just things like, no, just no longer enjoying the things that they once enjoyed. That could be you know, as Erin said, you know, sadness or worry, or difficulty concentrating. You know, even just things like, you know, as she said, like, kind of withdrawing from family and friends or having a lot of worry or fear or anger, self criticism, declining personal hygiene, things like that.

Theresa Freed  19:49

And I know, I've heard people say this before that, you know, as a parent, you might have concerns of bringing this up with your child because you feel like you might be almost promoting it or bringing it front and center and making it an issue. And it's not, you know, things like that. So what do you tell parents in those situations?

Erin Ross  20:13

Sure, that's definitely hard. And we address that a lot in the training, but just saying those kinds of things can be very intimidating. And that is one of the things that we try to practice, just to kind of get the feel for that like asking, if your kid is really struggling with something, if they're having difficult thoughts. So I think it's just, you know, trying to help them feel confident, you know, you know, your child, and, and you're definitely not going to be putting any thoughts in their head is likely already there. And you bringing it up, is really just helping to, you know, kind of open things up for conversation, and letting them know that you were there and that you are willing to talk about it, and that it's okay to talk about. So really, I think you're just kind of opening things up for your child, even though it can be scary and intimidating. That's likely what they're wanting is they're wanting to be able to talk about it with somebody, especially their parents.

Jamie Katz  21:12

And, and you're right Erin, and there's tons of research out there that shows that talking about mental health is not going to put any ideas in their head, I'm talking about any sort of crisis is not going to put any ideas in their head. If they're already thinking about things, it's already there. And, and, and you're right, the research has really shown that, that approaching somebody and asking somebody directly, is actually more of a relief than anything else. And that's what individual say, is that, you know, talking about it, is really important. And, and, you know, figuring out a solution together. So it's because the research has said that when an individual close to somebody suggests seeking help, the person is more likely to seek that help, as somebody close to them suggests it. And unfortunately, we know that individuals on average, have a long delay between having signs or symptoms of a mental health condition and getting appropriate help and support. And we actually know that delay on average is 10 years. So really important for family members, teachers, coaches, you know, youth group leaders, parents, like everyone that that's around that young person to help get that individual connected to treatment support. And whether that's appropriate professional help, or whether that's self help, or other support strategies. I mean, it can be it could be a combination, it could be one or the other. But really helping that young person get connected is so incredibly important, because we know that recovery is possible. Recovery is possible for all individuals. But if we can get somebody connected early, it's really going to help them in the long run. And so that's why Mental Health First Aid and Youth Mental Health First Aid is so important, because we know that half of all individuals that will experience a mental health condition throughout their life, half have it by age 14, three fourths by mid 20s, it's actually 24. And so we know that it starts yet one out of five adults in any given year will have a mental health condition diagnosable mental health condition, one out of five youth in any given year will have a mental health condition. And so, again, like it starts early, but if we can get people connected, the earlier the better.

Theresa Freed  23:56

And that just kind of demonstrates the magnitude of that I think, you know, you may feel like this is an isolated situation, or whatever. But when you hear those just statistics, it really brings to light but this is something that impacts people all around you. And that's why it's so important that all of us it's some sort of training to help identify these issues. And sorry, Erin, you were gonna say.

Erin Ross  24:19

No, that's okay. I was just gonna say that is really, you know, just kind of going off what Jamie said, that's why I really enjoy doing this with the community and helping to educate them about these things. Because like teachers, people who you know, coaches and things like that, they spend a lot of time with our children. Um, you know, sometimes more than we do, if you know when you're going to school full time. So I think it's really important for them to be able to notice because they may notice something first, before parents do. And if the children are feeling comfortable sharing things with them that is so important, because then they can address it sooner. So hopefully we can make those two ways a lot shorter, like Jamie mentioned,

Theresa Freed  24:59

and there's So many great resources in Johnson County, honestly. And I think probably the peer to peer work that's being done here and being developed is, is really innovative and probably having a pretty huge impact. So can you talk a little bit about that training and that program that's in what's happening here?

Jamie Katz  25:20

Yeah, so that is teen Mental Health First Aid. In teen Mental Health First Aid, it is it's a little bit different. There is a five, five step action plan, but it's not called algae. It's much more geared towards teens, because it's peer to peer and teen Mental Health First Aid is how to help a friend who might be experiencing a mental health condition like a potential mental health problem, potential crisis, and again, like helping them to the problem or crisis resolves or appropriate help, as received that the big point of teen Mental Health First Aid is getting connected to a trusted adult. And for teens not to take this on themselves, about helping a friend, because a lot of times with teens to kind of want to keep it to themselves and not get adults involved. But for something as big as mental health, we really want to make sure we get some trusted adults involved. And so it is it's a couple of classes. And as I said, it's available for schools. But one of the requirements is that schools also need to have staff that have taken Youth Mental Health First Aid so that they know how to respond to a young person. But the teen Mental Health First Aid is all about, you know, like, again, that action plan how to help a friend who might be developing a mental health or substance use condition, also like how to help them crisis, really, it's about how to keep a friend or loved one family member kind of you know, a life. And we also talk about the impact of bullying in school violence and even like social media on mental health. And really, again, it's about also seeking that that trusted adult, how do we talk with a trusted adult? How do we let a trusted adult know that we might be concerned about a friend? What are some reasons that we might be concerned about and again, it goes back to those big changes and thoughts feelings, behaviors, appearance. And, and like how to help them. And it's in Teen Mental Health First Aid. It's either for 10th 11th, or 12th graders. And as I said, it's really for schools and one of the requirements for teen Mental Health First Aid, which is really cool is that a whole class has to take, it's not just a select group of students, it's everyone, because we don't want to miss anyone. And we've been able to do this in one of our school districts already. And it's been incredible to see how much that helped the teens. And just even actually, even the families. We had quite a few families even approach afterwards and just said, Thank you so much. So we'd love to be offering it and more. But we got to have Youth Mental Health First Aid as well. So

Theresa Freed  28:23

that's it. That's a great program for sure. And I think one of the most appealing things probably about that is that it helps eliminate some of that stigma, where kids feel like there's something wrong with them, they're abnormal, if they have these, these feelings. And this kind of demonstrates No, you know, it's sort of universal, everybody feels out of place, or has anxiety from time to time, and then creating that support system within the schools so that they can address those concerns promptly. So that's great.

Jamie Katz  28:54

And you're so right, because there's such stigma around mental health and substance use. And there's not only like kind of that societal stigma that we talk about, but there's that structural stigma. And there's even self stigma that individuals feel themselves. And so one of the big things that Mental Health First Aid really does is trying to reduce that stigma, and talking about how language truly matters. And culture plays a role. And all of these different aspects that play a role in getting somebody connected to support is so critical. And how do we break down those barriers so that we can help individuals and start talking about it. That's another big thing is that it's okay to talk about it. It's okay to talk about mental health. It's okay to talk about substance use. And it happens it happens everywhere. It happens in friends, it happens in neighborhoods, it happens in families. So let's start talking about it. Let's get people connected.

Theresa Freed  29:55

Great advice there. And as we wrap up, I think you know, we're coming into the holiday season and we touched briefly on this at the beginning of our conversation, but holidays can be especially difficult for youth but also our entire population when it comes to mental health, so can you talk about how people can cope, get through those holidays and, and feel good about it?

Erin Ross  30:18

Yeah, so like I mentioned before, I was to say, I think just, if you can, you know, try to recognize and acknowledge what parts might be stressful for you, making sure you're not taking on too much. I know, sometimes there can be grief around the holidays too, especially if there's, you know, family members that aren't around anymore. So I think like we've mentioned before, and like Jamie just said, you know, really trying to keep that communication open, with your support group with those people that are close to you, your friends, your family, if you are seeing it professional, just making sure that you're talking about those things can be very helpful. So that way, if your support group notices that you're struggling, they can step in and help you and encourage you to do some of those self help type things. Because it can be really hard to acknowledge, if you are taking on too much. Or if you're getting very stressed about things until it's pretty elevated. So that can be very helpful just to keep that communication open. And share with people you know, oh, I might be struggling, this has been hard for me. Because so and so is not here anymore. Or I get very anxious about you know, the Coronavirus, I don't want to get sick and is so and so are they going to be sick, you know, so things like that, just kind of keeping that communication open. But also just trying to find those positive things that you enjoy, and really focusing on those and trying to work those in a little bit more. Certainly focus on those fun things that you'd like to do with your kids or your grandkids, whatever that might be, and really trying to intentionally set aside time for that. So you have something to look forward to. And you are doing those joyful moments with your family.

Theresa Freed  32:04

All right, go ahead.

Jamie Katz  32:06

Erin, as you had said, I think it's so incredibly important that, you know, we make sure that we're taking care of ourselves, so that we can better take care of others. So like, as you had said, kind of that self care that self help and other support strategies is so critically important. So whether that means and I should say I mean, I think sometimes people like we all talk about self care, but we don't always know what it really means. And so like, you know that, that practice, to like preserve or improve like our own mental and physical health. And so, you know, things like making sure that we're taking time to breathe. It sounds so simple, but sometimes we forget to do that, like those deep breaths, you know, making sure that we take time to do things like, you know, making sure that we're exercising or walking or doing something that we enjoy, like moving physically with our body, you know, making sure that we're doing something that we enjoy, like, mentally or emotionally. So that could be like journaling or doing a hobby or listening to music. Even no such thing as, as kind of silly as like petting an animal does or you know, dancing, or giving a hug, whatever that might be, for that individual making sure that we are engaging in some self care for ourselves. And that, you know, ideally, we should be doing that every day. We know sometimes that that's really hard to do, especially during the holidays, really, all the time. But really important that we're taking care of ourselves. And that we make it a priority. It is not selfish, it is self care. It is it is a priority, it is something that we all should be doing. And it's different for everybody. And that's okay. But you know, another part of it is also making sure that we have a support system in place that we have people that bring us up, that lift us up that help us that are there for us, and making sure that we can connect with them, especially during times of stress. We all need people that we can talk with. So those are all just things we can do. The other thing is in, you know, Thanksgiving time, is you know, making sure that we can practice some gratitude. That's just another thing that has actually been really shown to help is gratitude and then mindfulness. So

Theresa Freed  34:37

no right and great information, great tips, especially as we go into the holidays here. So just last question as we wrap it, how can people get enrolled in your first aid programs?

Jamie Katz  34:50

So there's a couple of different ways. So we actually have quite a few trainings coming up and we'd love for individuals to enroll. I'm going to give you guys a couple different dates. And then tell you how to enroll so that we our next one that's coming out this December 2, we are still taking individuals. So come and register for December 2, nine to three, it's from the comfort of your own home. And, and so that there's that one. And then we also have a few one that's in January 19, February 15. Our next youth training is March 1. And then the other one that we have in March is March 24. So all of those are nine to three, from the comfort of your own home from your own screen, virtual and register, you're going to want to either call our number, which is 913-715-7880. Or you can also email us at JCMHC events at jocogov.org. So those are kind of the two different ways to do it. You can also call our main line, also, and they can connect you with prevention services as well. And I'm going to give you that number as well, it's 913-826-4200. And that number is also available for anybody, like for any type of mental health substance use, question or to, you know, come in to see about our services. So. And then the other number I did want to get out because I did talk about the Johnson County Mental Health Center crisis line, as well as the Suicide Prevention Lifeline. And I should say the crisis plan is for anybody that's just kind of having some big thoughts and feelings and needing to talk to somebody. It's for our community, that is what the crisis line is for. And it is answered 24/7 by licensed professionals, so and the individual themselves can call or you can call on behalf of somebody, let's say you're concerned about somebody and you're really needing somebody to talk to, to figure out, you know, maybe a game plan or for ideas, you can also call our crisis line for that as well, or our main number. But our crisis line is 913-268-0156. So I'll say it again, 913-268-0156. And again, that number is available 24/7. You know, we're just kind of talking about the stress of the holidays. And for some individuals that can be, it can be pretty stressful or even triggering for some individuals. And so that number is available, also for individuals that might need it. And the other one I talked about was the Suicide Prevention Lifeline. And that's a 1-800 number. You can call it from anywhere in the US it'll ping locally, based upon where your cell phone is. So and that number is 1-800-273-8255. So, um, and then there's also a text line as well. And that one is 741741. So what if let you guys know about those numbers so that way, you know, case anybody that's listening during the call, somebody wanted to give you all some resources.

Theresa Freed  38:30

That's great. Thank you so much for sharing that information. And we'll have those numbers available in the show notes. In case nobody had a chance to grab a pen and a paper piece of paper to jot all that information on down so we'll make sure to have it in the show notes. And then also you can go to the Johnson County Mental Health Johnson County Mental Health Center website and I'm sure you guys have that information available there as well. Thank you both so much for all the great information. I'm hoping our listeners gathered some very good tips here and know where to turn to if they have questions or if they want to enroll in the courses. Alright, and thanks for listening.

Announcer  39:04

You just heard JoCo on the Go. Join us next time for more everything Johnson County. Have a topic you want to discuss? We want to hear from you. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at JoCoGov. For more on this podcast, visit jocogov.org/podcast. Thanks for listening.