Presenter: Cheryl Hansen, Psychology & Spanish, Global Public Health Scholars
For my practicum project I had an internship with the Howard County Public School system and worked in the office of Diversity and Inclusion. The main goal of my internship was to increase awarness of suicide prevention resources among ESOL students in Howard County Public High Schools. This was a target population because many of the students had experienced significant trauma in their home countries and were new to the United States so they were not aware of resources. During the course of my practicum, I helped make materials to distribute to schools about suicide statistics in Howard County as well as different resources availble. Finally, at the end of my practicum I worked with Grassroots of Howard County, a crisis intervention center, and created and gave a presentation to Mount Hebron High School ESOL department in English and Spanish about the warning signs of suicide to look for and what to do if they notice them in their friends. Additionally, this presentation was specifically about what resources were available to non-english speakers.
Hi Cheryl! I really enjoyed your presentation because you focused on how a minority would struggle more with feelings of socially belonging because race/ ethnicity does indeed play a role in public health as they try to integrate into an American culture that is not always so welcoming. Non- English speakers should never feel like they can't or feel embarrassed to reach out for help and I really like how warning signs and prevention actions are taken into consideration. Was there any super significant statistics that stuck out to you while doing your research and raising awareness? I have always wished I was bi- lingual because of the issues they face and have thought of taking up a Spanish minor.…
As someone who enjoyed AP Psychology in high school and gained an interest in it because of that class (it's why I chose to switch to neuroscience), I liked your presentation! Being bilingual myself, I understand the reason as to why non-English speakers were more prone to suicide, and agree with your point entirely that there is a need for better resources for non-English speakers, as well as needing to decrease the stigma around mental health and suicide. When implementing your presentations, were there any encounters/sights that stuck with you?
Hi Cheryl! I really enjoyed your presentation. Your interests in public health and psychology were clear throughout. It is clear to me that you really care about your target audience. Not only did you look for suicide resources that were offered in Spanish, but you also gave a bilingual presentation which is an excellent example to school systems about the accessibility of resources for all students. I had never really thought about it, but it makes sense that students that are new to the United States, who may not know the language or culture, may be particularly prone to suicide and it is good that you brought up this very important social and mental health issue. I see from your…
Hey Cheryl! As a psychology major and Spanish speaker myself I really enjoyed your presentation. It makes a lot of sense that minority groups in public school systems do not feel comfortable reaching out for help, which can lead them more into any depressive symptoms or suicidal ideation that may have. When someone is new to the country and barely speaks the language, they can barely find the courage to ask for simple day to day things, let alone therapy for problems they may not even be able to explain. This is precisely why I think it is so important to implement more Spanish speaking professionals within these communities to make it more accessible for those who need it most.…