Parents can discuss crisis prevention at workshop

Sometimes the toughest part of parenthood is preparing for “the talk.” But kids also need to discuss their troubles, so Indian River School District’s Parent Center is aiming to help adults approach the topic of depression at a Lifelines Teen Crisis Prevention workshop on Wednesday, Oct. 24.

The free lecture will run from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Parent Center, located adjacent to the G.W. Carver Academy in Frankford.

“‘How do I talk to my kid about suicide or depression?’ We provide a guideline to get involved,” said Chris Love of Delaware Guidance Services for Children & Youth. “For the most part, parents are very open. Parents want to learn.”

Delaware Guidance will present parenting strategies to identify crisis signs in teenagers. Topics include promoting the overall emotional health of a child, crisis prevention techniques, how to talk to a teen, warning signs of depression, and support and resources for the family.

The Indian River School District is also helping provide two sides to the conversation. Eighth-graders will see a presentation at school, teachers and staff have attended training, and the night program is for parents. The school district is aiming to address depression early and help children stay safe.

“The intention of workshop is to normalize the conversation about any concerning risk factors,” said Love, “and it give parents a toolkit that they can use to make sure children can stay safe.”

They said the sooner parents learn to recognize any warning signs, the sooner they can have a healthy dialogue with children, confront the issue and not waste time worrying.

“You can’t be afraid to talk to your child or mention suicide. It can’t be taboo,” said Murphy, explaining that some parents fear they will plant the idea of suicide once they mention it to children.

“That’s one of the big things that I would like to see a parent walk away with … it’s OK for kids to talk about to parents about their own wellbeing,” said Love.

People will also learn about what schools are doing to help, and how they, as guardians, can broach the subject.

Any community member may attend the workshop. Pre-registration is requested.

To sign up or learn more, contact Michele Murphy of the IRSD Parent Center at (302) 732-1522.