Latest news with #HelplineCenter
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
A mother's message after loss
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Anyone could be affected by suicide. A Sioux Falls woman wants to prevent those tragedies and let grieving families know they're not alone. Stefanie Kummer describes her son Alex as someone who was smart and witty. 'He was everybody's friend,' Stefanie Kummer said. But in September of 2021, Alex's friends and family felt the pain of losing him. DOH reports first measles case in South Dakota 'Nobody knew that that was going to happen that day, that he was in a place of struggling,' Stefanie Kummer said. The 16-year-old who had recently started his junior year at Harrisburg High School died by suicide. 'My husband and I have naturally talked about what did we miss? And there's stuff you maybe look back on after the fact, but the thing is when you read the textbooks of the signs and symptoms I would look at those still today even knowing now I lost my son and thought I wouldn't have looked at them and thought this was possible,' Stefanie Kummer said. Stephanie says counseling, reading, and friends have all helped in coping with the loss. 'The support. Nobody can do this alone,' Stefanie Kummer said. Stefanie will talk about Alex and her family's journey this weekend in Sioux Falls. A Helpline Center employee who is friends with Stephanie asked her if she would be interested in being the keynote speaker at the 14th annual Step Forward to Prevent Suicide. 'If we can help one of other family not have to go through this by raising awareness, then we're doing something with our grief and with our pain,' Kummer said. The walk is on Saturday at Fawick Park. It's an opportunity to remember those who have died of suicide and spread awareness about suicide prevention. 'It allows people to come together who have had similar experiences whether that's a loss by suicide or somebody who's potentially struggling with suicide or mental health issues, and so they can be in an environment that's supportive of one another and feel like they're not alone,' Helpline Center CEO Janet Kittams said. The walk is also a fundraiser to benefit the Helpline Center's suicide prevention programming and its services for people who have lost someone to suicide. 'That would include our support groups and classes and our outreach that we do with phone calls and caring cards. And on the other side, the prevention side it helps us do trainings, it helps us share information out with people about our services, about 988, about what we can do for people,' Kittams said. Stefanie says sharing her son's story isn't easy, but it's important. 'As I drove here, I would've much rather over these past couple of weeks been picking him up from college and bringing him home. If I can help other families to make sure that's what they're doing with their kids instead of doing this, then we're doing something important,' Stefanie Kummer said. And in just days, Stephanie will reach even more families. 'I feel like there is still stigma out there around mental health and suicide and if I can show people that we had no idea that this was something that was possible, that one of our children would die by suicide, so have the conversation, talk about it,' Stefanie Kummer said. The 1.5-mile walk starts at 9:00 at Fawick Park on Saturday. You can register online or show up the day of the walk. It's free to take part in the event, but you can make a donation. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, reach out to 988. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Thousands of sticky notes highlight mental health, 988
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Nearly 1 in 4 adults in South Dakota has experienced a mental illness. That's according to a national survey from two years ago. A new art installation in downtown Sioux Falls is giving people thousands of reminders that they're not alone. Head to the third floor of the Washington Pavilion and you'll find a wall covered in colorful squares. But step a little closer, and you'll notice the sticky notes have messages on them. Amy Carter is the Chief Operating Officer of the Helpline Center. The South Dakota Department of Social Services and the Helpline Center unveiled the art installation last week for Mental Health Awareness Month. 'What I think is most powerful about this wall is it really shows you're not alone,' Helpline Center Chief Operating Officer Amy Carter said. 'Be kind to your mind' and 'I am proud of who I am,' are just a few of the thousands of inspirational messages covering the wall. ''Recovery is a journey,' things take time,' Carter read on the wall. The sticky notes don't just feature messages. Some have drawings or the 988 number. The more than 13,000 sticky notes on the wall represent the thousands of calls, texts, and chats to 988 last year. 'I think this says a lot when you have over 13,000 contacts in one year, and those are just the people who are reaching out to 988. Imagine all the other individuals who either haven't reached out for help or are utilizing other services,' Carter said. The display will remain up through the month of May. 'What we want people to take away is mental health is something we can talk about. It's not an issue we should be ashamed of. Any stigma that's attached to it we want to take that away,' Carter said. Reasons people reach out to 988 include thoughts of suicide and anxiety. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
988 signs part of Mental Health Awareness Month
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — There's another reason to highlight the importance of mental health right now. May is Mental Health Awareness Month. DOC: Fights stopped in minutes at state prison Last year, the Helpline Center received 13,577 calls, texts, and chats through 988. There are many reasons people dial the 988 number, including anxiety, thoughts of suicide, and substance use. Yard signs highlighting 988 are now available for your yard. The signs also offer messages of hope. 'Not everyone is aware that, similar to the 911 as an emergency resource number, they can dial those three numbers and they can get access to professional people to help them through their mental health challenges,' Helpline Center Suicide Prevention and Outreach Director Mike Keller said. The nonprofit wants to see the free signs in front of homes and businesses all over the state. 'We do have them available in our offices in Rapid City and Sioux Falls, but we also have other distribution points throughout the state. We've had signs in Aberdeen, Watertown, Huron, Mitchell, and even in Pierre and Brookings too,' Helpline Center CEO Janet Kittams said. The Helpline Center will also help host a pair of Mental Health 101 training sessions for the public this month. 'We want to strengthen people's understandings of mental health challenges and the resources available,' Keller said. Those are just a few ways to get involved during Mental Health Awareness Month. 'I think we've had some problems with stigma surrounding mental health, so I think this is really opening up that conversation to talk about mental health and it's okay to bring those subject matters up,' Kittams said. The first mental health training is Tuesday at 10 a.m. at the downtown library in Sioux Falls. The second training is May 27 at Peace Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls starting at 5 p.m. The trainings are put on by the Sioux Falls Suicide Prevention Task Force. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
TEDx Sioux Falls topics to include eSports, D&D therapy, cancer survival
TEDx Sioux Falls announced Thursday the full lineup of speakers for its annual event, taking place April 17 at the Washington Pavilion. Co-organizer and entrepreneur Thadeus Giedd, who was awarded the license for TEDx Sioux Falls in 2018, was joined in 2023 by Wendy Mamer, who said a record-breaking 178 applicants vied to be one of eight taking the stage next month. 'The number of applications we received this year reflects the community's enthusiasm and commitment to sharing innovative ideas,' says Mamer, who works as the suicide loss and support coordinator for the Helpline Center in Sioux Falls. She and Giedd say they are addressing a few new topics this year, including gaming, immigration and caregiving. 'We have the utmost confidence that we have selected the right people to lead the dialogue,' Mamer says. 'They each bring their own unique perspectives that will both influence and inform the audience, with the hope of igniting deeper curiosity and challenging long-held beliefs.' The TEDx program is an offshoot of TED Talks that brings local, self-organized events to communities worldwide. All TED Talks are recorded and shared online for TED's global audience, with the goal to share 'ideas worth spreading.' Here's a look at who will speak and what they will speak about: Educator Kade Wells will speak on video game Dungeons and Dragons as education and therapy. He has been using D&D, game-theory and product-based, experiential learning in the classroom for over a decade and is training teachers at the University of Sioux Falls on a grad credit class that allows students to play D&D for continuing education credit. 'D&D is educational by the nature of its design,' said Wells, who plays D&D with his students on Friday nights. 'Reading and understanding text are critical to playing the game. D&D also possess amazing therapeutic power. It's been used in studies by many mental health specialists for everything from autism to trauma.' Titled 'The Stories Crimes Tell: Listening Beyond the Evidence,' Jon Carda's presentation will reveal his experience as a detective for the Crimes Against Persons Unit, where he investigated and conducted suspect interrogations on many cases of homicide, suicide, assault and abuse. His focus for TEDx is on the art of listening and observing victims, witnesses and suspects to reveal evidence as a detective. 'Evidence can reveal the what, but only listening uncovers the way,' says Carda, who served as a city police officer for 31 years. For audience members, Carda will demonstrate how the same listening techniques used in investigations can help navigate challenges and strengthen relationships in our personal lives. Nick Wendell is the executive director and CEO of the South Dakota Board of Technical Education and serves as the deputy mayor in Brookings. For his presentation next month, he will share handwritten notecards and personal journal entries that help to reveal life lessons and the 'tremendous opportunity' cancer survival can have to grow in confidence, resilience and empathy. As the youngest speaker for this year's event, 19-year-old Northwestern State University student Abiah George will present on the 'imperfect immigration system' and how the 'land of opportunity remains a land of uncertainty for many.' She is pursuing a psychology major and was recently accepted into law school, where she intends to go into immigration law. Organizer and founder of SoDak Circuit, Hannah Boquet is excited to share the unexpected quality time that came with 'caving to the pressure' from her three boys to play Fortnite with them. What transpired was a respect for 'an inclusive, engaging platform where kids develop problem-solving, leadership and communication skills,' as well as 'strengthening family bonds and preparing for future careers,' Boquet says. As a former coach for athletes of all ages and current educator on 'athletic identity,' Dr. Andrea Powell will talk about the struggle student-athletes sometimes have acclimating to professional careers. She recently founded ADAPT Retirement Coaching to provide education, community and support for those in 'sports retirement.' She is currently an assistant professor of exercise and sports science at Augustana University. After losing her mother to Alzheimer's, patient-centered advocate Lisa Groon has dedicated her work to redefining how we think about dementia care for our families. 'Alzheimer's doesn't take away dignity, we do,' says Groon, who has worked alongside health systems and community organizations to improve patient experiences and reframe how we approach aging. 'But that means we can give it back.' 'Dr. Mo' is the executive director of Midwest Street Medicine, CEO of telehealth platform Straight Up Healthcare and co-author of 'The Alcohol Reset.' Her talk is about enlightening the audience on street medicine, a healthcare approach that meets the unhoused community right where they are, providing acute care for substance abuse, infections and trauma. Dittberner is an existing TEDx speaker, a prevention specialist and peer specialist in Sioux Falls and is in 'long-term addiction recovery,' providing empathy for those in need of healing and empowerment. TEDx Sioux Falls will be 7 p.m. Thursday, April 17, at the Washington Pavilion. Pre-program entertainment starts at 6:15 p.m. Tickets are $30 and available on the TEDx Sioux Falls website. This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: TEDx Sioux Falls announces full lineup of speakers for April 2025
