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The Way of the Panther This year's theme takes our students on a journey exploring various behaviors and values that make up The Way of the Panther. Each week, a different expectation is highlighted in the morning announcements, such as "A Panther walks quietly in the halls, respectful of the learning happening around them" and "A Panther helps to keep the school clean by picking up trash and throwing it in the proper receptacle." The Way of the Panther aims to unify our community expectations of ourselves and each other. OPS has a new counselor! Please welcome Mrs. Heather Brown-Huston! Check out her bio, coming soon to the About/Contact page. In the meantime, please feel free to look through the blog posts for information on a variety of topics. If you're looking for information about counseling resources in the OPS area, click here for emergency mental health hotlines, as well as a list of psychotherapy providers used by other OPS families. PLEASE NOTE: If you or a family member are experiencing the signs or symptoms of a mental illness and feel you are in crisis, call 201-262-HELP (4357) or dial 911.
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 Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to learn about stress and coping this month! I hope you and your family have enjoyed the activities presented each week and have learned more about yourselves and each other in the process. Packet 4 (another FUN packet!) provides instructions, examples, guidelines and resources for making your own Family Coping Skills Toolbox. Scroll to the bottom of this post to download or view it, including pictures of others' toolboxes and instructions for making your own stress balls and glitter jars! This concludes OPS's celebration of Mental Health Awareness Month, but if you know me, you know I'm always eager to help people better understand themselves and others. If you have any questions about any of the information presented in the packets, please feel free to reach out to me anytime at [email protected] or 201-261-1180, ext. 1129. Furthermore, if you think you or a loved one could benefit from the help of a professional therapist (counselor, social worker, or psychiatrist), please see the file below called "Counseling_Services_in_the_OPS_area.docx" for a list of providers in the area. Thanks again and be well!! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Are you aware of YOUR mental health? Mental Health Awareness Month (also called Mental Health Month) has been observed in May in the United States since 1949. The purpose is to raise awareness about the mental health continuum, reduce the stigma associated with mental health issues, promote help-seeking behaviors and emotional well-being practices, and prevent suicide through individual education and outreach events. (Learn more from NAMI about Mental Health Awareness Month, including facts/statistics related to mental health.) One of the primary goals of Mental Health Awareness Month is reducing the stigma associated with mental health issues. "Stigma" is when someone, or you yourself, views you in a negative way because you have a mental health condition. People experiencing symptoms sometimes feel shame, or fear rejection, because of them. This shame or fear - stigma - surrounding mental health issues often prevents, deters, or makes it harder for people to seek the help and treatment they need. The truth is 1 in 5 adults will experience a mental health condition in a given year, but less than half get the help they need, even though treatment could provide relief from symptoms. Reducing the stigma surrounding mental health would mean people view going to a therapist for help with symptoms just like they view going to a doctor when you have the flu. (To get involved with reducing the stigma surrounding mental health, check out this months' community events hosted by West Bergen Mental Healthcare, share this video on social media, or visit the Oradell Stigma Free Community on Facebook.) By viewing mental health on a continuum, we are more likely to recognize it as a dynamic state that changes throughout life depending on one's stressors. The continuum model helps to remove some of the judgement and stigma associated with mental health issues, and encourages us to be diligent in continuously assessing our own mental health. Recognizing that life stressors play a significant role in how we feel mentally, we will be more likely to look for ways to maintain and support our mental health during times of stress (managing stress and developing coping skills), rather than wait for mental illness to take root before seeking treatment. Which brings me to our activities for the month! At OPS, we are celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month by providing families with information and exercises designed to foster conversations about mental health between parents/guardians and children. The information and exercises will be focused on identifying stressors, identifying stress symptoms, managing stress, and developing coping skills. The first packet discusses what stress is, and provides exercises to help you and your family identify your stress triggers and symptoms. The worksheets are designed to be done together in order to bring the family together. Questions for discussion are provided to jump-start your conversations. Download the packet below! Packet 2 addresses stress management. While a small amount of stress is actually beneficial, too much stress or chronic stress is detrimental to one’s health. Use this week's packet to learn about "the basics" of stress management, examine what you're already doing well, and identify small changes that could have a big impact. Packet 3 (The FUN packet!) looks at coping skills. Anything can be a coping skill; the question is, is it really helpful? or is it hurtful in the long-run? Read this week's packet to learn about adaptive and maladaptive coping skills. Then use the checklists to determine and discover the best coping skills for you! Packet 4 (Another FUN packet!) provides instructions, examples, guidelines and resources for making your own Family Coping Skills Toolbox. See the packet for pictures of others' toolboxes, as well as instructions for making your own stress balls and glitter jars! This concludes OPS's celebration of Mental Health Awareness Month, but if you know me, you know I'm always eager to help people better understand themselves and others. I hope you and your family have enjoyed the activities presented each week and have learned more about yourselves and each other in the process. If you have any questions about any of the information presented in the packets, please feel free to reach out to me anytime at [email protected] or 201-261-1180, ext. 1129. Furthermore, if you think you or a loved one could benefit from the help of a professional therapist (counselor, social worker, or psychiatrist), please see the file below called "Counseling_Services_in_the_OPS_area.docx" for a list of providers in the area. Thank you!! 
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