 |
|
|
Director's Message April 2, 2004To: DHS Employees From: Cindy Becker, Deputy Director In this week's message: 1. Making a lost life count 2. Roast beef and the Governor's initiative to increase efficiency 3. Food for thought 4. Staff news You may remember seeing Senator and Mrs. Gordon Smith last month as they appeared before a U.S. Senate Subcommittee. They tearfully told the story of their son, Garrett, and his struggle with health problems, specifically a bipolar condition and depression. Last September, one day shy of his 22nd birthday, Garrett lost the struggle and died by suicide By coming forward through their personal grief to give national visibility to the issue of youth suicide, the senator and his wife not only paid tribute to their son, but they reached out to other suicide survivors and to families whose sons and daughters are at risk for suicide. We cannot hide from this national problem. In Oregon, suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people 15-24 years old. In 2001, the state's price tag for treating suicide attempts was more than $14 million. To honor the courage of Senator and Mrs. Smith and the memory of their son, I thought it would be appropriate to use part of my message this week to help increase our awareness of this problem. Suicidal thoughts and behavior are common experiences among our youth. Over twelve percent of Oregon teens reported that they had seriously considered suicide in the previous 12 months. Adults today must know how to recognize signs of distress and respond appropriately. Here are some behaviors in young people that may be an indication of suicidal thoughts.
If you feel the situation is urgent, call the American Suicide Survival Line at 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433). Each county in Oregon has a crisis response line, and you can find that number in the front of your phone book. If you need more immediate help, and you believe it's a life-or-death emergency, call 911. In general, ask questions, show them you care and listen without judging or attempting to convince them they're wrong to feel as they do. Then, get them to a professional as soon as possible for evaluation and treatment. Removing access to guns and other potentially lethal items can provide additional safety. If the child is not your own, inform the parents or caretakers that you think the young person is at risk for suicide and why you think so. Don't feel you are intruding. Many of those who show indications they are considering suicide are really reaching out for help. We want to encourage all DHS employees to learn suicide intervention skills and be able to assist someone in need or advise their loved ones. To find out more, please visit our Youth Suicide Prevention Web site. And please pass along this message to anyone you think it can benefit. Every year, because of a mental health problem or life stressor, about 1,600 young people in our state attempt to end their lives. If, through our awareness of this health threat, we can prevent even one child from dying as Garret Smith did, we will be a step closer to making Oregon a safer and healthier place for all our youth. 2. Roast beef and the Governor's initiative to increase efficiency What possible connection can there be between roast beef and the Governor's initiative to increase efficiency? Here is a story that should explain.A little girl watches her mother prepare a roast in their brand new, modern kitchen. She asks, "Mommy, why do you cut off the ends of the roast before you put it in the pot?" "I don't know," said the mother, "It's the way grandma always did it, so it's the way I do it." They decided to call the grandmother, who said it was way her mother did it. So they dialed the ninety-year old great grandmother, who could barely hear them over the phone. "Grams!" shouted the mother, "Can you tell us why you always cut the ends off the roast before you put it in the pot?" "I had to," replied the old lady, "The pot I had was never big enough for the meat." We have thousands of processes and procedures at DHS. And while I'm sure they were all carefully thought out at one point, I'll bet some of them don't pass the "roast beef test" anymore. What I ask of you is to not cut off the ends of the meat without first thinking if there's a better method. Be open to new ways of doing things. Discuss your ideas with your colleagues and supervisors. Remember, to be efficient, we don't have to necessarily work harder, we just have to find ways to work smarter. Finally, if you have a money-saving idea, I urge you to submit it to the state's Employee Suggestion Awards Program. As you may know, the program recently awarded one DHS employee $1,200 and another $5,000. Their ideas (detailed in recent editions of Staff News) changed little things, but provided significant savings. For more information on the state's Employee Suggestion Awards Program, go to its Web site. "The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas." — Linus Pauling View the current issue of DHS Staff news on the Web. Back to top |
|
