Blog 24: Last Presentation Reflection

(1) Positive Statement: What are you most proud of in your block presentation and/or your senior project? Why?

From this presentation, I am most proud of the fact that I was able to use more interactive games and was able to make it more of a competition. Even though they went a bit shorter than i had estimated, they worked out to keep a competitive spirit throughout my presentation. Since my topic was serious, the fact that i was able to work some competition into my project worked out. Essentially this the fact that my topic was so serious worried me the most, and i wasn’t sure if the competition would even go well. In my presentation what I believed worked the best for me was when I covered body language and was able to be more interactive with the audience. I had them move around and separated suicide from my presentation. I would have them move around and practice different movements and practice it individually.

(2) Questions to Consider

a. What assessment would you give yourself on your block presentation?  Use the component contract to defend that assessment.

P       - I was able to meet all of the P qualifications for my project. In reality I do not believe I did anything above and beyond to deserve an AE, or higher than a P. For my hook I did have a problem using the clicker so it didn't go as i had planned and unfortunately that backfired on me because my hook ran shorter than I had estimated which ran my presentation shorter than I had anticipated overall. Towards the end I was elaborating more on my third answer in order to meet time which was not very professional on my behalf and it hurt my time.

b. What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project? Use the component contract to defend that assessment.

P - For my overall senior project I would give myself a high P or low AE because I was able to keep a solid P for the semester work but received an AE on my first lesson and an E on my second presentation and an AE for my exit interview. Throughout this year I have put in a lot of effort into my work and done what is necessary for the major projects.

(3) What worked for you in your senior project?

For the overall senior project what worked the best was the fact that I had a personal connection to my topic. I had a personal connection to suicide prevention because of a friend who was having suicidal thoughts and had made an attempt and it was a very emotional scenario, but because of this I wanted to make a difference. There were so many things that I did not know, and I because of that I wanted to educate others, even if it was on 30 people.

(4) (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your senior project?

If I had a time machine I wish I had found out about the SAFEtalk program and Suicide Training earlier than December, because they had sign ups for the course in October at the Didi Hirsch Suicide Prevention Center which would take around 30 hours to complete ad itself would’ve been a great Independent Component. My biggest regret was not being able to find out about it earlier, and I would have done more research on that earlier. It would have better provided me with a foundation and more of a base to work off of than what I had to find for myself.

(5) Finding Value: How has the senior project been helpful to you in your future endeavors?   Be specific and use examples.

My senior topic allowed me to find out what I would like to do for a career. I have had my eye in the mental health section, but after looking into suicide prevention for about a year I realized that this is not something I want to do career-wise, however it will be something I do for volunteering, and perhaps become a speaker for it in the future. I hope to be able to talk about suicide to different schools so that everyone has an opportunity to learn about suicide on a larger scale and more importantly allow everyone to understand what suicide prevention is, and that they shouldn’t be scared of talking about it to their loved ones, friends or even peers. It is not a joke, but they shouldn’t be afraid to talk about it in a serious perspective. It can save a life in the long run, and everyone can be a hero, just not everyone knows how to be.

Exit Interview

(1) What is your essential question, and what are your answers?  What is your best answer and why?(2) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?(3) What problems did you face?  How did you resolve them?(4) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?

EQ: What are the primary factors to consider when approaching someone who may be experiencing suicidal ideation?

Answer 1: Before approaching an individual you think may be suicidal,  it is essential to first be able to identify the risk factors and warning sigs that the individual is experiencing in order to pick upon telltale signs.

Answer 2: After identifying the major risk factors, warning signs and risk level, it is necessary to learn the appropriate body and verbal language to appropriately convey our message of concern.

Answer 3: As one begin to help someone recover from suicidal ideation, it is crucial to identify appropriate social support for the person at risk, and the helper.

(2) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?
I believe that my best answer is my third answer because it is the one that is forgotten the most when it comes to helping another person. People tend to forget that the situation is stressful to be involved in, and often times the “helper” is unaware that it is necessary for them to have their own support, just as much as it is for the person at risk to have them as well. In addition to this, support systems (i.e. online chats, hotlines, support groups, individual therapy, etc.) play a big part in the recover of the person at risk, because they create a social movement to help an individual, have it be familial or strangers.

This answer was first inspired when i did my third interview with Lizette Martinez from the Didi Hirsch Suicide Prevention Center. When has entered the discussion on the importance of support systems when the topic of support group and therapy effectiveness for those who are suicidal and the steps to ensure the best results when approaching and individual. After this initial discussion, I continued and began to look into different issues and benefits from different forms of social support including: individual therapy, support groups, online chats, hotlines, and family relationships, all as different mediums for which people could use as social support.

(3) What problems did you face?  How did you resolve them?
Throughout the course of the year, the biggest problem that I faced as in the beginning stage of the project because several groups that I has tried to interview or mentor with did not find it appropriate for me to take part in me mentoring because of my age, which also made interviews difficult initially. By being rejected during my initial attempts, I was able to see the stigma against suicide first hand, which demonstrated how even those involved with suicide prevention failed to set aside the idea that death can play a part of suicide prevention. For this, all that is took was more motivation to find people who were willing to help me grow on my knowledge so I could uphold the best result.  

(4) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?
My most significant sources would be my third interview and my course on The Suicide Prevention and Intervention course provided by Wild Iris Education meant to educate nurses in the work field to face suicidal patients. The Wild Iris course, provided me with a professional touch to suicide prevention by addressing how to identify suicide within those who are at risk within the medical community. My third interview played as a gateway throughout my entire project and motivated me to continue looking into social support as a potential answer to my topic.

Blog 22" Independent Component 2

(a) “I,  Jocelyn  Sanchez, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30  hours of work.”

(b) Sources

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1D_25XELuHqZWXHeRHetaJpfUH2EYQxOv3wko3B5CvOo/edit?usp=sharing

(c) Throughout the course of these last several months, Katie Lopez and myself set off to create an online campaign in order to help create awareness among teenagers, in order to do so we created a suicide prevention website such as the one by the Trevor Project, Teen Line Online and the Suicide Prevention Association. However as I looked into these websites, I noticed that they did not provide enough information to create a motivational support system or even had a forum for recommended aid, such as therapy, chat lines, support groups or even the effectiveness of these forums for individuals. In order to ensure that there was one, we created a “super” website which included all of this information, which can also be found on the link below, as posting is pending on  a blog schedule as set by my partner, Katie. While i focused on the research and background of the website, Katie focused on the aesthetic and importance of different mediums to complete our IC.  

Link to Information: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PeatOL0uKPrOcoZlxGrxgXlPyoNxLw799L2spGtYRjs/edit?usp=sharing

(d) How did the component help you answer your EQ? Please include specific examples to illustrate how it helped.

While creating this website I began to see the flaws in the current suicide prevention campaigns where they focus on one aspect, such as online chats or in person contact and often do not provide enough information to help an individual. Although some websites do provide steps, there is yet to we a site aside from our own that encompasses the topics of each on of these aspects. With having all the information needed on one forum, helping another person will be a simpler task than as presented before. Since I was responsible for research, I was able to first hand see the time the is necessary to put all of these forums in one place. It takes a lot of time, but with motivation it is worth saving lives.  

Link to Website: http://keepaimingcampaign.wix.com/suicideprevention

Blog 21: Fourth Interview Reflection

1. What is the most important thing I learned from the interview?  

The most important aspect that I learned from this interview with Patricia Janice Overley has been the ever growing necessity of support through the process of suicide and the effort needed to come back, after a loved one passed by suicide. Now more than ever it is necessary to be able to understand how the suicide of a close relative or friend can take a toll on an individual, and seeking help in a support group is one way of getting the emotional and social support, especially when everyone has had similar experiences and can relate to one another. Without any stigma, people can share their experiences with complete strangers but create a bond and a support system that can help different individuals evolve and move forward if that is the case.

2.  How will what I learned affect my final lesson?

This interview has allowed me to focus on my third answer which is finding support for yourself and for the person who is at risk. Overall Ms. Overley was able to explain the importance of suicide prevention through support, a tool often forgotten in the time of help. Suicide prevention is more than taking someone to the proper psychologist, but about knowing the proper support and help that an individual may need. For some people, a support group works effectively, for others a one on one meeting will be sufficient, however for some both of these are necessary, and depending on the age group, even online chats can become appropriate.

Fourth Interview Questions

Even when life seems dark and nothing seems to be in order, hope will illuminate the way. 

1.  Who do you plan to interview?  What is this person's area of expertise?

For this interview I plan on interviewing Patricia Janice Overley, M.S. who is a support group leader for the Hope After Suicide Group in Chino Hills who meet bimonthly to provide support for families who have had relatives or friends through suicide.

2.  Post 20 open-ended questions you want to ask an expert in the field concerning your senior project. Your focus should be finding answers to your EQ.

1. What is a support group?
1. how does a support group work?
2. Why do people seek out assistance in this form?
3. What is the benefit of a support group over traditional individual therapy or other forms of help?
4. When a relative or friend of someone who went through with suicide, what is the first step they would have to take?
5. What is Hope After Suicide?
6. How did it come to be? How did you come to lead this group?
7. Why is it important to have support?
8. Most people who seek help in a support group have little to no prior relations before joining this group, what would you say is an essential part in creating the trust that each person needs?
9. In your years of experience, how would you explain the general process of recovery for each individual?
10. Why is it important to seek help after a close relative or friend dies through suicide?
11. Should an individual who is trying to help a suicidal individual seek personal help during the beginning of helping their friend or when?
12. Does seeking personal support make anyone less inclined to follow through with suicidal thoughts?
13. What are the risks of not seeking support after someone close completes suicide?
14. If someone did not go through with suicide, what would you recommend for steps to take?
15. Should there be a restriction to when an individual should be able to learn about the risk of suicide?
1. If so, how old should they be?
16. Do you recommend support groups to children?
17. What do you believe are the primary factors to consider when approaching someone considering suicide?
18. What has been the most rewarding experience for you when regarding HOPE after suicide?
19. What is your background in suicide prevention, or in psychology?
20. Would you recommend any resources for me to look more into support as a tool for suicide prevention?

Blog 19: Third Answer

1. EQ

What are the primary factors to consider when approaching someone who may be experiencing suicidal ideation?

2. Answer #3 (Write in a complete sentence like a thesis statement)*

Among the biggest factors in approaching someone, is having the proper support for yourself and the person who are helping.

3. 3 details to support the answer

Having the proper emotional support as the helper will ensure that the person who are trying to move away from suicidal tendencies. According to the American Psychological Association, social support is a crucial factor in how one will respond to social situations. That is without saying, how one will use the opinions and resources another provides to help them be a stronger individual.

During the period of approach and assistance, the individual at risk is very delicate and requires constant communication, this having their own support, as in a therapist, friend, relative, support group of even hotline to talk to will provide sufficient support until they see their main support next.

4. The research source(s) to support your details and answer

Source 17

Interview 3

Source 48f

5. Concluding Sentence

Support plays a major factor in the interpretation and development of how one progresses from suicidal ideation.

Blog 18: Answer 2

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