Mental Health Awareness Month – Week of May 8-12th
MONDAY – FRIDAY - MAY 8-12
o Dillon Middle School students celebrate HOPE week with students who are tapped as
part of the HOPE SQUAD.
o The HOPE SQUAD has a special “theme” for each day of this week and will host an
event for all DMS students on Friday, May 12th .
o They are a peer to peer suicide prevention program. They focus on the importance of
good mental health and substance abuse prevention for youth.
TUESDAY – MAY 9 TH
o Do you have questions about Fentanyl, what it is, why it’s causing such controversy,
and why it seems to be all over the news?
o FREE VIRTUAL Fentanyl Series on May 9th
o There are five 60- minute sessions with a different focus for each presentation:
1. What Parents Need to Know About Fentanyl Poisonings and Overdoses - 10 am MST
2. Fentanyl in Party Drugs: Harm Reduction Strategies – 11:30 am MST
3. The Illicit Fentanyl Crisis: Different Paths to Common Ground – 1 pm MST
4. How Fentanyl Really Shows Up in Our Communities: Who, Why, When, Where & Now- 2:30 pm MST
5. Predictable Patterns of Drug Overdose Deaths: Does Fentanyl Follow the Rules? – 4 pm MST
WEDNESDAY – MAY 10th
o Debbie from “The Bookstore” reads BRAVE EVERY DAY by Trudy Ludwig during her
weekly “Debbie Reads” series on Southwestern Montana News.
o It’s a story about managing anxiety and finding the courage to stand up for yourself and
others. AGES 4-8 years old.
o Most kids love hide-and-seek, but Camila just wants to hide. Hiding is what she does
best when she worries, and she worries a LOT. What if... I can’t... I’m scared!
A class trip to the aquarium causes her worries to pile up like never before. But when an
anxious classmate asks for help, Camila discovers her heart is bigger than her fears.
THURSDAY, - MAY 11 th
o 10 a.m. Chief of Police Jeremy Alvarez is a guest on “What’s On Your Mind” on
KDBM/KBEV to talk about the level of substance use and abuse in Beaverhead County
and the very real threat of fentanyl poisoning.
o 7 p.m. COMMUNITY ROUND TABLE at the Sweetwater Coffee Shop for a discussion
about fentanyl, marijuana, and other substances our youth encounter and the potential
for addiction and death with Chief of Police Jeremy Alvarez. Police Jared Ramsey
provides training on the administration of NARCAN, a nasal spray, used in suspected
cases of fentanyl overdose.
FREE “VIRTUAL” FENTANYL SERIES - May 9 , 2023
1. What Parents Need to Know About Fentanyl Poisonings and Overdoses - 10 am MST
National Fentanyl Awareness Day is pleased to present a conversation between two pediatricians and a psychologist, about substance use, mental health, and the impact of illicit fentanyl on teens. Learn the fundamentals about fentanyl, how to talk to young people in your life about it, and steps you can take to support their mental health and wellbeing. REGISTER @: https://www.fentanylawarenessday.org/speaker-series
2. Fentanyl in Party Drugs: Harm Reduction Strategies – 11:30 am MST
A discussion for young adults to share tips for preventing, recognizing and responding to an overdose. Hear from two harm reduction experts and a community organizer about Narcan, test strips, and how Good Samaritan laws work to best prepare yourself and your friends when partying. REGISTER @: https://www.fentanylawarenessday.org/speaker-series
3. The Illicit Fentanyl Crisis: Different Paths to Common Ground – 1 pm MST
A conversation between three people who experienced the evolution of the fentanyl crisis firsthand, from distinctly different vantage points. A person in recovery, an impacted parent, and a retired DEA agent will share how their lived experience informs their current community work and advocacy. Hear how each speaker sees the need for "both and" solutions and interventions: adequate support for those in need, reimagined youth drug education, and
recognition of the mental health challenges that underlie substance use.
4. How Fentanyl Really Shows Up in Our Communities: Who, Why, When, Where & Now- 2:30 pm MST An inclusive overview by two experts with lived experience about the varying ways the illicit fentanyl crisis is showing up in U.S. communities. Take a close look at the data across age, race, and gender over time, learn about who is using drugs in America and why, and hear reflections about how this complex moment is an opportunity for unification. REGISTER @: https://www.fentanylawarenessday.org/speaker-series
5. Predictable Patterns of Drug Overdose Deaths: Does Fentanyl Follow the Rules? – 4 pm MST Deep dive with two epidemiologists and a policy expert to understand drug overdose trends and patterns over the past 40 years. Explore what we know about the long-term, predictable trends of drug overdose deaths, how fentanyl fits in, and key considerations for policy solutions.
Join us for the Community Round Table on Fentanyl - MAY 11 @ 7 p.m. – SWEETWATER COFFEE
