Teenagers from Iola and Johnson County will lead a revamped “13 Reasons to Fly SEK” mental health awareness event at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center. on Monday.
The annual event, which began in 2019, offers workshops to talk about suicide and mental health, with programs to teach coping skills and share stories. In previous years, it was a weekend activity aimed at the entire community.
This year’s event is organized mostly by a group of IHS students and will be presented to other students. Zero Reasons, an organization led by teens, will give the featured presentation.
Zero Reasons formed in 2018 in response to an increasing number of teen suicides. Six schools in Johnson County formed a group to amplify teen voices, share stories and encourage the entire community to take action.
“The conversation about removing the stigma about mental health is decades old, but it seems like that’s starting to happen among teens,” said Davis Finley, an organizer with Zero Reasons.
“In any major social movement, the people who are closest to the problem always play a big, if not the biggest, role in effecting change.”
SAGE Shaughnessy, a senior at IHS, shared his story about struggling with mental health during a school program on suicide prevention.
It resonated with his fellow students, prompting Shaughnessy to start a new high school club, Students Spreading Awareness. The group formed earlier this school year, offering a resource to other students who want to learn more about mental health or find resources.
The idea is that students may be more comfortable going to their peers when they are struggling. Perhaps a student wants therapy but doesn’t know where to start, so SSA members point them in the right direction.
Membership has been limited to 10, and students must apply and go through a screening process. They receive training about how to talk about mental health and how to access resources. They also come from a diverse background. Some are athletes, some are passionate about the arts and theater. The hope is that students will find someone they can trust and talk to.
SSA members work with school-based counselors provided by the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas. Many students don’t know they can talk to a mental health professional right in the school.
Shaughnessy wasn’t available to comment for this article, but three juniors who belong to the SSA group met with the Register to share their experiences.
JUNIOR RIO Lohman was one of the students who heard Shaughnessy speak and it affected her so deeply, she wanted to join the new club and help others.
“I thought that was really brave of him. I always thought he was this happy guy and I was shocked to hear what he had gone through. It made me think maybe there are others all around our school who are going through something,” Lohman said.
“I thought it was a good idea to have some place where kids could reach out, because I know his story really connected with me.”
Chris Holloway will lead the group as its president next year. Brigham Folk and Lohman are also passionate about helping classmates with mental health issues.
