On the heels of cutting its grand opening red ribbon, Imagine by Northpoint-Lincoln is offering guidance to families when approaching topics like mental health awareness and substance abuse as National Red Ribbon Week approaches this month, Oct. 23-31.
Imagine is dedicated to providing comprehensive behavioral and mental health services to adolescents in Lincoln and surrounding areas.
Lisa Anibal, Business Development Manager with Imagine by Northpoint, shared three impactful ways families can engage on these subjects:
Create a Safe Space Through Open Dialogue: Whether you schedule family meetings or spend time connecting 1:1, dedicate time to share thoughts and experiences without fear of judgment. Address topics related to mental health and drug abuse by creating a safe space. This practice not only normalizes these conversations but also strengthens relationships, making it easier to address concerns.
“A lot of kids go out on to social media and see things that maybe have never been discussed in their home or with trusted adults. So prevention and conversations about what is out there can really go a long way in empowering kids to make good or better decisions when those adults are not around,” Anibal told KLIN News.
Promoting Awareness and Prevention: The red ribbon, worn in honor of DEA Agent Enrique Camarena, acts as a symbol for the organization’s purpose to provide awareness, advocacy, and resources to teens regarding the negative effects of alcohol and drug addictions. Anibal says this aligns with the mission of Imagine by Northpoint, aiming to address mental health and co-occurring substance use issues in teenagers through evidence-based, integrated treatment.
Literature, documentaries, and online resources to learn about mental health and drug abuse together.
“We would be really naïve to think that kids are just going to listen to everything that we say,” Anibal admitted. “So being very vigilant about the signs that they might see in their young adults who may have been using substances, checking up on their kids throughout the evenings when they’re not with them, having conversations with their children when they get home, and then having those really difficult conversations when their child is suspected drug or alcohol use, and explaining the consequences of that is so important.”
Empowering Youth through Positive Activities: Red Ribbon Week involves various activities designed to engage youth in fun, educational, and positive experiences. Participating in these activities helps teens build self-esteem, develop resilience, and learn coping skills.
“It takes the collaborative efforts of the entire community to provide opportunities for children to develop and flourish,” said Anibal. “Our Imagine team prioritizes and deeply values the established and new partnerships we have in the Lincoln community and look forward to continuing our shared work that supports our mission to restore relationships and save lives,”
To learn more about Imagine by Northpoint, visit their website: lincolnimagine.com.