Blog 18: Third Answer

Content:
What is the most effective way to help a suicidal teen overcome suicidal thoughts?
-The most effective way to help a suicidal teen overcome suicidal thoughts is by helping them find at least one support system.

• Talking to someone lets the teen know they're not alone.
• My mentees have let me know having me there lets them know that they're not alone.
• All a suicidal teen needs is at least one strong support system.
• My mentor told me that there was one person who was constantly calling to check up on her and that was one of the only reasons she was able to overcome suicide.
• In a five and a half year period 11,152 calls were made to a suicide hotline.
• Many of the callers were looking for a support system, someone to talk to. 

My personal experience in mentorship, my mentor, an article called "Suicide: A Review of Calls to an Adolescent Peer Listening Phone Service"

"A lot of you cared, just not enough." Jay Asher . We just need to help the teens focus on that one strong support system.

Blog 17: Fourth Interview Questions

1. How do you feel that helping someone build confidence will help them overcome suicide?
2. What are some ways to help a suicidal teen build self confidence?
3. How is talking about what's going on helping the suicidal teen overcome suicidal thoughts?
4. Why do you believe it's tough to ask someone for help when feeling suicidal?
5. What can be done to change someone's feelings towards talking about suicide?
6. How many support systems do you think someone who is suicidal should have??
7. Why could one support system enough?
8. What are the most common misconceptions about suicide?
9. How can educating the general public be vital to helping a suicidal teen overcome suicidal thoughts?
10. Why do you think teens have such a tough time talking about suicide?
11. What group of people do you think would benefit most from being educated in suicide?
12. Why wouldn't it be more beneficial to educate the other?
13. What do you consider a safe home?
14. What would make a safe home enough?
15. How would a suicide awareness event affect teens at school?
16. What group do you think has a tougher time approaching suicide?
17. What can be done to let people know what to do to approach suicide?
18. What is the importance to educating teens on what can happen if they don’t report a friend who is suicidal?
19. What can be done so that suicide is taken seriously?
20. What is the most effective way to help a suicidal teen overcome suicidal thoughts?

February Blog Post

I got my bag! It's a bag for the materials I will need for mentorship. Yes, it's a little ate, but hey, I still got it.

My mentor had told me that a lot of the kids she works with enjoy playdoh, it relaxes them. I really love this bag, it has everything that my mentees enjoy! I might also add a few books in there, maybe duplicate what's in the bag so that both of my mentees get these great things. 

Blog 16 Advisory Meeting #2

Content:

What is the most effective way to help a suicidal teen overcome suicidal thoughts?

The most effective way to help a suicidal teen overcome suicidal thoughts is by helping them increase their self confidence. 

Self confidence often gives someone a positive outtake on life.
~Demi Lovato was suicidal, one of the things that helped her was gaining self confidence, it allowed her to look at the world a little differently.
Someone who lacks self confidence often finds it hard to be successful. 

~I used to lack self confidence, it was hard for me to do anything. I didn't want to really talk to others in fear of what they would think of me. Now that I've gained some I feel comfortable enough to talk to others, I have a job, co-captain of the drama club etc.

Someone with self confidence often works hard to cover up mistakes.

~One can consider self harming a mistake, instead of reaching out for help most just literally cover up and try to forget about it.
Building self confidence is a very important part of overcoming suicide. My mentor has tried it and succeeded. 

Blog 15: Independent Component 2 Approval

Content:
1. I plan to make a school wide assembly, or 9th, 10, and maybe 11th graders. I want to communicate the difference between attention and intention, I also want to teach the crowd different coping strategies. I want to be able to change people's view on suicidal teens/youth.
2. I am going to take pictures of when I'm planning the assembly and me setting up. I plan for the assembly to be held at iPoly, I will take pictures of the crowd, and of me speaking.
3. My topic focuses on helping different teens cope with suicide, and helping people overcome suicidal thoughts. I know that being able to talk to a big crowd about it will help me do just that.
4. Done.

Blog 14 : Independent Component 1

Literal
a) I, Paola Rodriguez, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.
b) My mentor is Patti Azevedo.
c)Done.
d) I went to San Jose Elementary School and I was a mentor to two 8th graders named Miranda Diaz and Jessica Gonzales. We went over their days and I made sure to remind them how important they are and that they matter. We spoke of their therapists, I also spoke to Jessica's mom about her problem with the therapist.

Interpretative
When I tell people what I do, they think about how crazy it is. It is, it's extremely stressful. The rewarding part is what makes everything worth it. The tears I shed when I go home, the extra effort I put into making sure my girls know they are important.

Applied
This component helped me better understand the foundation better by allowing me to have hands on training. I knew it was going to be difficult when I chose this topic, but with my mentor I was able to understand it better. I was able to mentor young girls who are suicidal. Jessica has the symptoms of a Schizophrenic, I had to do extensive research on Schizophrenics in order to know how to handle the situation where she could become hostile. So that I could know what to do if she begins to hear voices and whispering again. Miranda still has a little bit of troubling opening up about what's going on. I've been doing research on what to do to make her feel more comfortable. Without this experience I would just be doing research, because of this I have been able to learn hands on training.

This is San Jose Elementary School.

This is where their class is located

This is where we go when it's rainy, or when they want to get away from the class.

These are my girls <3

Blog 12: Third Interview Questions

What is the best way to help a suicidal teen overcome suicidal thoughts?
What is the best way to help a suicidal teen overcome suicidal actions?
What do you believe is a harder thing to put a stop to, thoughts or actions, and why?
Have you had any experience in finding a "best way"?
Have you found any success in a stress box?
In our previous interview we spoke of your personal experience, what would you say helped you most?
Would you say there are some common interests in suicidal teens? If so, what are they?
How do you believe we can use these interests to help suicidal teens overcome suicidal thoughts?
Going back to our question, what do you define as "best way."
How will "suicidal thoughts" be measured?