Youth workers at Backstage Youth for Christ in Steinbach have been working with local teens to address mental health issues in the wake of some tragic deaths in the community. 

The organization serves as a resource for young people in the area and has seen firsthand the impact that mental health can have on families and individuals. In response, a number of young people have come forward to speak with YFC about their experiences and the recent deaths in the community. 

Ashley Reimer from Backstage says that whether it’s a conversation, a listening ear, or even just a distraction you are looking for, YFC wants to help. 

“We've had quite a few coffees, different conversations, whether it's anger or grief or just sharing happy memories and photos.”  

All of the staff at Backstage are trained in a suicide intervention training program called ASSIST, which is an acronym for Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training. 

As soon as a crisis happens, they begin to reach out and connect with people who have been affected by the situation.  

They also post online, so youth can see that they're available if they want to reach out. 

Rueben Singh from YFC notes that as a parent, it is important to talk to your children about mental health. 

Don’t be afraid to bring it up first, instead of waiting on your child to initiate. 

"I think there's a stigma when we lose someone to suicide or that sort of thing that we can't talk about it, ‘because what if I give someone that idea?’ Well, that's not the case,” he says. “You're not going to insert an idea that isn't there already, so let's talk about it.” 

Your child may tell you they don’t struggle with mental health, or that they do. Or they may say they don’t when they actually do. 

He suggests asking your kids if they have ever thought of suicide, especially if you are concerned about them. 

You should also ask if they have anyone else in their life they talk to, or at least feel they can talk to. 

Reimer says parents don’t have to be the only people children share their issues with. 

“There are really good supports at schools, Backstage is a good support, and youth groups as well. Just see if they have other adults that they're talking to about their life stuff.” 

The Hanover School Division has a lot of social workers and counselors open to everyone. Even if they aren’t located at your child’s school, every student has access to them. 

She adds on that there are often signs your child’s mental health is not doing well. 

“Not eating enough, eating too much, needing to sleep all the time, just feeling tired, possibly also not connecting a lot with their friend circles or engaging a lot with family.” 

Of course, some of these symptoms might just be regular behavior for your teenager, the key is knowing what is normal for your child and what is irregular. 

Singh says you know your child, you know your friends, and you can tell when their behavior shifts. 

“If so and so is typically a quiet, withdrawn individual, that's normal. If they're really outgoing, but suddenly they're very quiet and withdrawn after a traumatic incident, ‘maybe I need to talk to that person because it's different behavior.’ It's not the norm.”  

Reimer reiterates that it is important to be engaging in conversation about mental health. 

“Ask questions, check in with people on how they're doing, and allow them to answer however they feel,” she says. “When we have trusted relationships, that's when people will be willing to share if things aren't going so good. No one has to do this alone.” 

If you know someone struggling, Reimer encourages you to connect to other resources so you know how to help those struggling.