Employees at Panhandle Mental Health Center celebrated Substance Abuse Prevention month with the hashtag #PowerandPrevention to raise awareness to the issue of substance abuse in the the Panhandle.
One local agency is working hard to help youth in the Panhandle.
The Panhandle Mental Health Center (PMHC) recently held an open house and people from the community and organizations around the Panhandle came to learn about the services they offer. PMHC has many prevention and treatment options, as well as finding ways to help youth stay off drugs and become successful adults.
PMHC has been hosting a number of events throughout October to raise awareness about substance abuse. Assistant Executive Director Phil Darley, Substance Abuse Therapist Daniel Palomo and Access Supervisor Ronda Haught spoke about the problems they see in the community and how PMHC intends to help.
Darley said we understand more about adolescents today and how they physiologically haven’t fully developed yet.
“Kids don’t think through consequences,” Darley said. “Many times, the signs of adolescence look like a mental health issue for an adult.”
After watching a presentation by retired State Trooper Chuck Elley on Oct. 14, Haught said she was flabbergasted by the amount of substance abuse reported in the middle high schools in the community.
“We have to fight back. We have to get our kids interested in something besides partying,” she said. “We have encourage them to make the right choices and get them to understand that the choices they make today affect their life tomorrow.”
One of the biggest issues Darley sees is that even if he opens his doors for people to learn, visit and get connected to services, there is still a stigma associated with walking through the doors. He wants people to have a place they can go to and feel safe and comfortable.
“Daniel has been instrumental in getting clients not only involved in treatment, but educating them about what we do,” Darley said.
Palomo said PMHC is capable of changing with the times and is the place to get a plethora of treatments to meet every need.
Palomo said communication with your child is first and foremost, but also knowing who your children hang out with on a regular basis.
“The youth of today are different than I was,” he said. “So, I go play when my kids are playing video games and meet them in their environment where they’re comfortable.”
Darley said parents need to be parents and be willing to set limits and boundaries for their children. He said that the issue of discipline has become a gray area and it can be hard to tell if you’re crossing the line.
“If it’s the parents struggling, we can help them to understand, how to break the cycle, get new parenting skills and acknowledge there is another way to live,” Palomo said. “If you’re struggling, there is help.”
PMHC helps everyone who comes to the agency by meeting them where they are and getting them the proper level of treatment they need at the time.
“I can tell you 5,000 things to do and you probably won’t do them,” Palomo said. “So, I’ll put those things in front of you and you decide what you’re going to do.”
Haught said the best thing anyone can do is to talk to children. Children have access to the world at their fingertips and can search on a computer for what they want to know, she said.
“Regardless of what role you play in their lives, have a 10-15 minute conversation with them,” she said. “Any longer and it becomes a lecture.”
Haught said the agency is about helping people have a better day. It’s not a matter of being your friend, but about how they can make you life or job easier.
“Our youth are in trouble,” she said. “We, as a community, are here to help.”
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