Maggie Pritchard: Increased collaboration, training future of crisis response

Reading the newspaper headlines of late gives us all pause to contemplate many things. Current events read as real-life tragedies. Many of us are wondering: “What has gone so very wrong in our world?”

It is during these times that we must acknowledge our sadness, the sadness of those around us, and understand our opportunities to empathize, learn, and potentially change how we think and how we can contribute to our future. A future where we see the disintegration and elimination of stigma associated with such things as mental illness, homelessness, and substance misuse, a future where we embrace learning and training that assists others, like a CPR/AED course, mental health first aid, or Narcan administration.

My mother would often say, "the pathway to hell, Margaret, is paved with good intentions.” Perhaps that influenced my decision to be active in my community by helping others, and eventually pursuing a career in social work. As parents, caregivers, law enforcement officers, mental health providers, and concerned community members, we are all probably asking ourselves, “How can these situations be prevented and addressed, and what if it was someone that I care about that was in a similar situation?”

Multiple concerns exist over the issue of officer-involved shootings. Other than the obvious — the impact on the family and friends of the loved one — there is also a significant impact on the involved law enforcement officers and their families. There can be an impact on the entire community. Critical incident training classes in New Hampshire have trained hundreds in our law enforcement community, as well as emergency medical services professionals, who are working with people who experience mental health issues. CIT focuses on behavioral threat assessment, de-escalation, and lethal means counseling. This is how we might change our world and move from tragedy to more positive outcomes.

As a community mental health center, Lakes Region Mental Health Center sees the need to increase local, state, and federal funding to promote increased collaboration and shared training between mental health agencies, city and town officials, and our law enforcement community. Cross training gives us a shared understanding, common language, and improves all of our lives.

Watching a football game and realizing that life can change in an instant, and being prepared to assist and respond, makes all the difference. CPR/AED classes continue to be offered regularly through the American Red Cross (even online) and through other organizations.

As mental health professionals, we recognize that news like this is difficult to avoid, and it may affect children and youth. We encourage you to maintain an open, honest environment when it comes to talking about traumatic events. Kids need a space where they can feel safe and loved. Ignoring, or not talking about the situation, is not the right approach.

There are steps parents and caregivers can take to talk to children about traumatic events, such as:

• Check in: Ask open-ended questions that allow them to explore their feelings. “Are you ok?” or “How are you feeling?”
• Tailor the conversation to their developmental age.
• Reassure them that they are safe and loved.
• Be available for reassurance and conversation.
• If necessary, ask for outside help when needed: from the school, a therapist, the pediatrician’s office, or from your community mental health center.

Parents and community members are encouraged to call us at Lakes Region Mental Health Center at 603-524-1100 if you wish to talk with someone on staff about making a difference, learn more about education or trainings being offered, or helping a friend or family member to access care.

And please remember if you need us for an emergency, our acute care services and mobile crisis response teams are available around the clock by calling 833-710-6477.

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Maggie Pritchard is chief executive officer of Lakes Region Mental Health Center, and president of the NH Community Behavioral Health Association.