Heads Up Camp Greater Sense of Self By Alana Listoe Director of Community Relations Helena, Mont. –A group of upperclassmen from high schools around Montana arrived strangers earlier this week to the Heads Up camp – apprehensive yet curious and eager. The diverse group included two students from Red Eagle in Polson, which the students’ describe as a Native alternative school; one from Helena; and the rest from small towns like Conrad, Shelby and Whitehall. The camp is the first of its kind, focusing on mental health, suicide awareness and behavioral health career exploration. But organizers plan to bring it to communities across the state through students. Craig Aasved, chief executive officer of Shodair Children’s Hospital, which hosted the camp, said the interactions experienced by the students will stay with them forever. “This is an excellent opportunity for agencies and officials to come together to address the community health problem of suicide,” Aasved said. The program was created in response to Montana’s high suicide rate and the lack of access to mental health care. Yet the students also got a bird’s eye view of a comprehensive medical genetics laboratory and a plethora of job options to consider, which could lessen significant shortages in health care fields. Additional partners at the Heads Up Camp include the South Central Area Health Education, Montana Hospital Association, and the Montana Office of Public Instruction. Many local delegates visited during the camp, and Intermountain played an important role in assisting to schedule the guest speakers. It’s important that Shodair is at the table when it comes to suicide prevention, Aasved said. Montana’s youngest residents who are dealing with emotional or behavioral disturbances sometimes find themselves in Shodair’s care, and a large percentage have harmed themselves or others.
Rita Gowen is the board president at Shodair and was able to attend a luncheon with the young adults. “I’m so impressed with each of you,” she told them. “You are going back to your communities as wonderful ambassadors.”
Katelyn (Kit) Smith just completed high school a year early. She was home-schooled until tenth grade, when she enrolled in public school in Whitehall. When she was young, she was certain that becoming a veterinarian was her chosen career path – until she turned 6 years old and learned about euthanasia. Today, she aspires to become a neuroscience cell biologist. She is attending Montana State University this fall, but dreams of attending graduate school at Yale. She said the experience at Heads Up gave her a closer look at a variety of career paths including psychiatry, psychology or even medical genetics. She spent time with professionals from these careers, asking dozens of questions, as they were on the job.
Moffie Funk (D-Helena) also attended the luncheon and urged the students not to feel discouraged if their efforts don’t take off immediately. Sometimes, great work takes time and patience.
Getting more information before college is a positive outcome of the camps, said Shani Rich, director of North Central Montana Area Health Education Center. One student decided through the camp that she isn’t well-suited for working in the mental health industry.
“Realize you do make a different and you are making a difference because of your openness, willingness, and ability to listen and care,” Funk said.
“She learned this wasn’t going to be the path she pursued and we really view that as success because it happened before the onset of student loan debt or a job she isn’t happy with,” Rich said.
“There is a place for us when it comes to suicide awareness and prevention, because we are on the receiving end when other interventions have not yet been successful,” Aasved said. Campers were from all walks of life: One student’s forte is participating in drama, another is captain of her school’s varsity volleyball team, and one student does what she can to keep her grades good while caring for her siblings. Although their interests vary, their commitment to their peers in their home communities is identical. “This camp was way different than I expected,” said Macy Waugh, a junior from Polson. “It was a small group so it was easy for us to connect and we were able to share our struggles.”
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