Sep 30, 2023 –
Greetings, Breaking the Silence New Mexico supporters!
A Message from BTSNM Board President
I have been a part of BTSNM for almost three years and a school social worker for nearly twelve years. Twenty-four years ago, long before I considered becoming a social worker, I volunteered at a drop-in center for homeless youth and had my first experiences with serious mental illness. One of those young people became like a little sister to me and is still a part of my life. My work with Breaking the Silence NM is personal and meaningful because of my relationship with my adopted little sister, Phoenix. She dropped out of school in 9th grade, partly due to how challenging her mental illness was and the lack of support from her school. She also had a parent who experienced mental illness and could not properly care for Phoenix.
Although we have made progress in understanding mental illness and our schools have better support for children, we still have a long way to go in helping youth and families manage mental health issues that impact student health, wellness, and academic success. As a school social worker, I see daily how mental illness and behavioral health impact students, their friends, teachers, and the classroom and school environment. I recently testified before the NM Legislative Health and Human Services Committee. I spoke about mental health in our schools, challenges faced by youth who have parents and family members with mental health issues, how teachers may have mental health issues, and the additional challenges faced by disadvantaged groups and rural New Mexicans.
Breaking the Silence New Mexico does excellent work raising awareness about mental illness and combating the stigma still too often associated with mental illness. But we still have more work to do. Your support is invaluable in our efforts, and I urge you to help us expand our efforts to more schools and classrooms around the state. Thank you for your support and peace be with you.
Sincerely,
Dan Frampton, LCSW
BTSNM Board President
Gratitude for Your Generosity
We are immensely grateful for the unwavering support from our donors! Recently Tracy Jaramillo, Randi Bressler, Alexa Johnson, and Brew Lab 101 played pivotal roles in making their Night of Serendipity Fundraiser event a success! Your dedication to our cause has not only helped raise funds for BTSNM, but it has also brought our community closer together in the spirit of compassion and giving. Your commitment to our mission is inspiring, and we extend our heartfelt thanks for your generosity.
Insights from Executive Director
We are near the end of Suicide Awareness Month, and September tends to be the busiest month of the year for BTSNM. As suicide rates continue to be on the high end of the scale, we are working to share the importance of mental health, mental illness awareness, and suicide prevention across New Mexico.
This past month, we have onboarded two new staff members, Shawnti Gonzales and Georgena Michelizza. Like every other member of our organization, their meaningful stories and experiences empower our work at BTSNM, and they value our mission. Our facilitators presented 24 Talking Mental Health lessons and 1 Suicide Awareness Booster lesson in schools across the state – totaling 239 students reached this month. We were also invited to Taos Vista Grande Charter School to provide our Professional Development curriculum to 14 staff members. Teaching the importance of mental health helps equip school personnel to support mental health struggles a student might encounter.
Speaking of our Professional Development curriculum, did you know that construction workers have the 2nd highest suicide rates of all industries? More specifically, the construction industry has one of the highest suicide rates at 53.2 per 100,000 U.S. workers. This rate is four times above the national average and five times greater than all other construction fatalities combined. Here at BTSNM, the discussion of adding a booster curriculum for construction industries to our Professional Development has been at the forefront. This month, we were privileged to speak and bring awareness to 3,400 Intel construction workers. When surveyed and asked what keeps them from reaching out for their mental health, “shame,” “embarrassment,” and “fear” were the common responses we received. As alarming as the statistics are, we are grateful to support and bring awareness to the discussion. We will end our last Professional Development of the month by speaking at Santo Domingo Pueblo on “Social Media and Its Impact on Mental Health.”
Aside from all our presentations, we participated in five tabling events in Albuquerque to advocate our work and spread the word about our mission. As hard as we have worked this month to bring awareness to a critical cause, we have more work to do. Our goal at BTSNM is to provide our literacy in more schools across the state and support many more organizations like Intel. We want to end the stigma, shame, silence, and fear surrounding mental illness and suicide through education and personal stories. This is possible through our funding and your support. As we end Suicide Awareness Month, we ask for your support by giving a caring donation or becoming a sponsor to our organization. If you are unable to donate, we ask for the gift of sharing the compassionate work we do or consider having Breaking the Silence New Mexico come into your school or organization.
Be well,
Ysidra Tellez, M.A.
Executive Director
Exciting Partnership Announcement
We are delighted to share that BTSNM has partnered with a new school, Bernalillo High School. Earlier this month, we spoke with their students, marking the beginning of an exciting collaboration. You have helped make a difference in your community!
