DOVER – Suzanne Weete is a leader for Community Partners, and she describes herself as a mother who got involved because she saw a mental health problem.
“As a mother, I am passionate about my children,” she said. “So if I didn’t know the dangers and the warning signs, how can I expect anyone else to? We have to educate everyone. I want to teach the kids’ peers, teachers, professors, business owners and other parents to recognize emotional distress. and know what to do to help. If you saw someone with a broken arm, or who had a heart attack, you would help. It’s the same thing.”
Weete was part of a panel discussion at Dover High School on Saturday. The topic was a Dover Mental Health Alliance working group draft report with six targets and more than 100 initiatives to address mental health with a community-wide approach.
Weete spoke about personal responsibility and the need for everyone to get involved and help change the culture and stigma around mental health.
Saturday’s panel was moderated by Laura Knoy, known for her long career with New Hampshire Public Radio. The panel included Weete, manager of education and community engagement with Community Partners; Christopher Kozak, chief executive officer of Community Partners, Christine Boston, assistant superintendent for student services in the Dover School District, and William Breault, Dover police chief. Assisting was Max Latona, director of the Center for Ethics in Society at Saint Anselm College, along with the center’s Anna Gendron and Hannah Beaudry.
How the Dover Mental Health Project began
The mental health crisis affects so many across the country and has worsened during the coronavirus pandemic.
In Dover, the pain is acute for many families and students connected to Dover High School’s Class of 2022.
The class of 2022 lost three students to suicide in three years, and students at DHS started their own mental health initiative, looking for a seat at the table to help find ways to support each other. Thirty high school students and 15 teachers received youth suicide prevention training as part of NAMI-NH’s “Connect” program for youth suicide prevention. The program teaches the risk and factors of a mental health crisis, suicidal ideation, and steps to keep a suicidal person safe. The Dover Mental Health Alliance and NAMI-NH have partnered to help equip students with the resources they need.
Attendees at Saturday’s event passed a powerful photographic exhibit by artist Linda Cutrell as they made their way to the library at Dover High School. Summoned 99 Facethe portraits depict people with schizophrenia, bipolar illness and the people who love and support them.
The draft report of the Dover Mental Health Crisis Services 2022 plan was formulated by the Dover Mental Health Alliance, with the Center for Ethics in Society at Saint Anselm College, and many other city partners, including police, fire, EMS , mental health services, City Council and other city department heads.
“Dover has some of the best leaders who care deeply about mental health,” Latona said. “We were tasked with identifying these initiatives and feel very strongly that the recommendations reflect the best available data.
Dover’s 6 strategic objectives for mental health
Six goals and over 100 specific initiatives for city departments and schools are included in the report. Some can be implemented fairly quickly and others may take years to develop. The goal is to get everyone to buy in, make a cultural change, and create a positive direction moving forward.
The strategic objectives are:
- Expand education to the Dover community about the importance of mental health, the prevalence of mental illness, and the availability of mental health resources in order to reduce stigma and promote treatment and recovery efforts.
2. Expand mental health support training for city leadership and staff to improve the quality of mental health crisis care
3. Facilitating communication between mental health service partners and social service agencies to better understand agency limitations, care coordination, referrals, and follow-up
4. Conduct better tracking of mental health related statistics to better match both staffing and community mental health needs.
5. Provide additional support for mental health care related positions as well as mental health support for city funded staff.
6. Creating better facilities for mental health crisis care.
What panelists say about mental health in Dover
Asked what motivated the panel, Breault said Dover police make mental health calls every day.
“We are seeing an increase in the police station and emergency services,” he said. “People are suffering and we need better mental health services because the numbers keep rising.”
Breault acknowledged that a police response and emergency room visits aren’t always the best response.
“We have to do better,” he said.
Boston said schools are seeing similar increases in mental health needs, and many include suicidal ideation.
“You can’t learn when your basic needs aren’t taken care of,” Boston said. “I liken it to a river. We might be able to pull you when you go downstream. We want to get to the kids before they fall into the river.”
Questions from the audience included how new works 988 changesabout insurance coverage and ways to get involved.
More:New NH law requires 988 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on student ID cards
“The Dover Mental Health Alliance is voluntary,” Weete said. “We offer free training that only requires your time. We have many groups and efforts where we would like more volunteers. There are many ways to get involved.”
“Dover has been an extremely successful experiment,” Kozak said. “I would like to see us in every school. I like this as a model for the county, for the state.”
The plan will be presented to the City Council on November 30 for councilor input and possible approval. Saturday’s meeting was a chance for the public to hear the plan and ask questions, both at the meeting and via a live stream. Latona said Saturday’s discussion will be reviewed and ideas may be added to the report.
“We will receive data over the next week,” Latona said. “We want to hear what you have to say.”
Weete said the report was created by extraordinary people working together.
“I don’t want to see this end up on a shelf,” she said. “I want us to work with every city department. I know a lot of this will take years, but let’s get started.”
For information or to provide input, email dovermha@gmail.com.
