{"id":413159,"date":"2024-09-09T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-09T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=413159"},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-29T14:00:00","slug":"One-of-the-bravest-things-to-do-is-reach-for-help","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/One-of-the-bravest-things-to-do-is-reach-for-help\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018One of the bravest things to do is reach for help\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cWe are worth it. We are worthy and we deserve to be here,\u201d survivor Sharina Clark shared to an audience of community members, healthcare providers, and local leaders at the Kensington Hotel’s Kensington Hall in San Roque last Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Clark was one of the inspirational speakers at the official launch of the Blue Ribbon Initiative during which she shared her survivor\u2019s journey through constant abuse as a child through to her adult years, her battles with depression, self-harming, and her attempted suicide.<\/p>\n

She shared that one of the hardest things was to ask for help, especially since she worked as a healthcare provider, but added that she soon realized the benefit of it.<\/p>\n

\u201cTherapy has helped me. Talking about my experiences has helped me. Continuing my education, understanding brain function and trauma has helped me. Amazing people in my life who show up for me on the daily when I feel like I don’t deserve it have helped me. I am still on my healing journey but there is no doubt in my mind, that healing is possible. Today at 39 years of age I can finally say that I’m proud of myself. Life has been more than hard but I have worked hard to be a good mother to my eight children, to keep them safe loved and protected. I have worked hard to get two master’s degrees and this fall I am a Ph.D candidate,” she shared as the room erupted in applause.<\/p>\n

\u201cI work hard at my job every day to help people who are struggling the way I have struggled\u2026I now choose it\u2019s hard. I know and acknowledge my worth. I am not ashamed of my experiences… to those in this room who are struggling with lots of [thoughts of] suicide, depression, and anxiety, I hope you know that help is available,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

During the ceremony, acting governor David M. Apatang joined Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. CEO Esther Muna and Community Guidance Center Addiction Service Unit administrator Joe Kevin Villagomez and their staff to officially designate September 2024 as National Recovery Month and National Suicide Prevention Month in the CNMI. The designation includes the Commonwealth in the national commemoration, underscoring the islands\u2019 ongoing commitment to mental health awareness and accessible support services.<\/p>\n

After the proclamation signing, Apatang emphasized the importance of the initiative and community awareness of suicide prevention.<\/p>\n

\u201cThroughout my experience in life I’ve been through this issue as a veteran serving combat for two years in Vietnam. I went through a lot of these issues,\u201d said Apatang. \u201cPTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) also, and I didn’t just sit and wait. I went and sought help.\u201d<\/p>\n

He shared that he was referred to a medical center in Hawaii where he spent a month going through counseling and therapy. He shared that what he learned he still puts into practice today.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat’s what I’ve been doing and I’m here 76 years old now. And I’m still recovering and I know how to prevent that, so please if you know somebody that’s experiencing PTSD especially my fellow veterans… [really] anybody can experience PTSD whether you were out on the road and got into an accident and traumatic issues and all that, you can get PTSD, it not only happens to veterans who served in the military. So, it’s important for you to seek help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Apatang added, \u201cWe have a lot of professionals here to help us out. Take a look at your family and don’t be afraid to refer anybody for help. That’s very important.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Blue Ribbon Initiative is an ambitious effort aimed at tackling the growing mental health challenges faced in the community, and at the forefront of the Blue Ribbon Initiative is the Community Guidance Center, offering vital intervention services and crisis counseling to anyone dealing with behavioral health concerns or mental distress.<\/p>\n

When speaking with Villagomez, he shared, “every quarter we have the Blue Ribbon Consortium meeting that brings in all the stakeholders and we train and educate them on different ways of addressing behavioral health which includes mental health and substance misuse disorders. This is very important for us this year because mainly we’re focused on fentanyl. Fentanyl is an opioid that is deadly even in a minute amount so we brought in a consultant who is going to be doing the presentation this afternoon to educate us because nearby in Guam there are already seeing people dying from fentanyl.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Villagomez hopes fentanyl hasn’t reached the CNMI\u2019s shores yet, he said the reality is the illegal drug will get here eventually.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, we need to make sure that everybody is well versed about what this drug is, how those using it may appear, and what immediate treatment can be instituted to prevent death. And this information has to be out in the community and not just in a treatment site.”<\/p>\n

He shared education for every member of the community is very important for they need to know how the drug looks like and how someone who is on this drug acts and what are needed interventions to prevent deaths.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is especially important to work with our frontliners, Department of Public Safety and Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services officers in particular who will most likely be the one that will reach those in crisis first,\u201d said Villagomez.<\/p>\n

A recent community needs assessment, he said, also determined the stigma around mental health and substance use continue to prevent people from seeking help even when available.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe still have much to do. The No. 1 thing is to educate yourself. Educate yourself so that if a family member should appear they’re on it and you’re able to address it.”<\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s thoughts of suicide, substance use, or any form of emotional struggle, the CGC provides a lifeline for those in need. Community members seeking more information on events tied to Recovery Month or Suicide Prevention Month, or those looking for mental health resources, are encouraged to visit the CHCC website or its social media pages.<\/p>\n

For immediate assistance, individuals are urged to reach out to the Crisis Hotline at 988.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

From left, Community Guidance Center mental health counselor Sharina Clark, inspirational speaker Manny Camacho Jr., proclamation reader Mike Evangelista, Substance Use and Suicide Awareness Committee vice chair Jawn Joyner, Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang, Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. CEO Esther Muna; CHCC COO Halina Palacios, CHCC board member Mariah Barcinas, and CGC administrator for Addition Services Joe Kevin Villagomez pose for a photo last Wednesday at the Kensington Hotel in San Roque.<\/p>\n

-CHRYSTAL MARINO
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\u201cWe are worth it. We are worthy and we deserve to be here,\u201d survivor Sharina…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-413159","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-local-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/413159","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=413159"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/413159\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=413159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=413159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=413159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}