Kim Leifso

Passionate suicide prevention advocate, educator (SD35) therapist (M.Ed. CCC) Die-hard Cincinnati Bengals fan. Message me for training options (Let's talk!)

[Kim Leifso @KimLeifso]

Don’t know where to start? Need to know how to start the conversation? Want more training for you & your staff?Simply care too much to ignore this? Let’s talk! This stuff is my passion, my expertise & my training. How can I help you? #WorldSuicidePreventionDay #bced #counseling

[World Health Organization (WHO) @WHO]

Today is #WorldSuicidePreventionDay.

#Suicide is a global public health issue.
All ages, sexes, and regions of the 🌎🌍🌏 are affected.

Lives are lost, while suicides are preventable.

👉 https://t.co/M0K8sRMUSH

[Rach D @rach_d]

Oh… not Matthew Perry 😔

Rest peacefully.

[Kim Leifso @KimLeifso]

I didn’t know all of this. #morethanfriends

[Mira Sorvino @MiraSorvino]

I want to leave Matthew Perry’s own words here as the way we remember him. There will never be another like him- he lit up so many hearts in so many ways. Godspeed to Paradise!

[The Modest Teacher @ModestTeacher]

Central Office folks, listen up…

Stop pulling your principal from the building for meetings.

Less talking about their job and more time to actually do it.

[Kim Leifso @KimLeifso]

#IYKYK

[Fred Rogers Institute @FredRogersInst]

Happy Birthday, King Friday! Did you know the royal puppet, King Friday Xlll, celebrates his birthday every Friday the 13th? He was given his name and birthday to try to help break superstitions around the day and celebrate it instead.

Photo provided by Fred Rogers Productions.

[Teacher2Teacher @teacher2teacher]

To get a great answer, you must first ask a good question!

T @AshleyPTaplin suggests these strategies for leveling up #StudentVoice in your classroom. 💬

[Dr. Bryan Pearlman #MaslowBeforeBloom @DrP_Principal]

When a child is in a state of fear, their functional IQ can drop up to 40 points. If a child is in a state of terror, their IQ can drop up to 50 points.
-Dr. Bruce D. Perry
@BDPerry

[nina @ninagrewrites]

in my 20’s I’ve learnt that when people know they’ve sabotaged chances to have a healthy connection with you and don’t possess the maturity or humility to repair it, you’ll be painted as the problem to others because they can’t admit their faults. and you have to let them do that

[Grassroots Suicide Prevention @GrassrootsSP]

LGBTQ youth are not inherently prone to suicide risk because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Instead, they are placed at higher risk because of how they are mistreated and stigmatised in society.

Below are small ways we can be allies to the LGBTQ+ community.❤️

[MeganDykeman @MeganDykeman]

Who in your community has done extraordinary things for the good of others or been there to help in a time of crisis? Why not recognize them by submitting a nomination for a Medal of Good Citizenship by Sept. 4, 2023 at: https://t.co/myBJ8hkrym

[Kim Leifso @KimLeifso]

@steve_hanke It is definitely really bad. They have not however been ordered to evacuate the province. They have been ordered to evacuate their homes and the area(s) of the fire. BC is a huge place!

[Keith Baldrey @keithbaldrey]

Incredibly moving story by @CassidyMosconi on @GlobalBC tonight. Captures the moment when a West Kelowna resident is informed by phone that his home has been destroyed by wildfires. "I have nothing," he said, quietly looking down at his feet and his dog companion. Heart wrenching

[MindShift @MindShiftKQED]

The factors of happiness, according to a Duke University study.

Sketchnote via @tnvora

[Kim Leifso @KimLeifso]

One of my all time faves

[Buitengebieden @buitengebieden]

A life lesson..

[Big Bird @BigBird]

Happy birthday, @MrSnuffleupagus! Everyone help me celebrate Mr. S but dropping some 🍝 emojis!

[TeacherGoals @teachergoals]

Do you agree?

[Bhupinder Singh Hundal @BhupinderHundal]

For those in #Kelowna, #WestKelowna
@GlobalBC & @GlobalOkanagan will provide easier access to vital information.
@GlobalOkanagan will now have critical information on screen 24/7 during the crisis.
#BCWildfires

[Dr. Nicole LePera @Theholisticpsyc]

Feelings are fleeting. They’re not facts. They’re not always right. Don’t take feelings as the truth. Let them come and go. Don’t let them make decisions for you.

[Kim Leifso @KimLeifso]

@JustinTrudeau Love the hoodie! Where can I get one?!

[Kim Leifso @KimLeifso]

This!! So often the "quiet and compliant" kids get overlooked.

[Dr. Bryan Pearlman #MaslowBeforeBloom @DrP_Principal]

Quiet & Compliant Student…

I returned to the building after a meeting and my assistant principal and counselor were at the front door waiting for me. They informed me that they were very worried Emily, a fourth-grade student, was going to harm herself. Emily was an above-average student who had won several attendance and character awards. She generally flew under the radar. She did not seek attention and preferred to work by herself. Emily was the definition of a quiet and compliant student.

Emily was not working in class, ignored the teacher’s directions, and was not acting like herself. The teacher sent her to the counselor’s office. The counselor met individually with her and Emily articulated a detailed plan on how she was going to kill herself after school today. The counselor attempted unsuccessfully to reach her parents. She was not able to contact them or the other emergency contacts.

As a team, we decided to call for an ambulance so that Emily would get an emergency psychiatric evaluation. While waiting for the ambulance, I tried to talk to Emily. She had her head down and did not respond. I decided to give her a pen and some paper. I let her know that she could draw or write until the ambulance arrived.

When the paramedics and a police officer arrived, they walked Emily to the ambulance and the counselor went along with them. I let her know that I would finish the school day and then meet them over at the hospital.

We had a school assembly, a parent meeting, and then we finished our dismissal procedures. When the day was over, I returned to my office and began to pack up to head to the hospital. I looked across my office and noticed a folded-up note on the table next to where Emily had been sitting. I thought to myself that this was weird. I generally kept the table cleared off and didn’t remember setting anything on it. The folded piece of paper had writing on the outside that said “To Dr. P.” I unfolded the paper and read the note: “Dr. P, I’m sorry for ruining your day and causing such a big problem today. You probably don’t know who I am. I am very sad most of the time and alone. My parents don’t get me, and every day is pretty much the same. I don’t have any friends. I really can’t see things getting better in the future. I feel bad and hopeless most of the time. I wonder a lot about whether it is worth being alive at all. Your student, Emily.”

I put the note down and started to tear up. I thought about Emily and remembered that she came in third place in our school spelling bee earlier that year; she was the second fastest runner at our annual school run; and, I even remembered the power point that she presented in her class last year about pollution. How could there be such a disconnect between what we knew about Emily and how Emily was feeling right now? I sat there puzzled because in my mind she had everything going for her — she was smart, athletic, and very kind. At the same time, she was only a few hours away from taking her own life before her tenth birthday.

The psychiatrist at the hospital said that he was fairly certain that Emily would have made an attempt that day. She had a plan, she knew when her parents and siblings would be out of the house, and she was ready to go.

Emily has been an active participant in therapy for several years, has a supportive friend group, graduated college, has a boyfriend, and just started a great job!

I am so appreciative of the school staff who recognized that Emily was not acting like herself. They did not wait days to get involved. It is so important to look for changes in behaviors, changes in attitude, and changes in appearance.
What have you done to ensure that every student is on someone's radar (even the quiet and compliant students)?

From the book: “Whatever It Takes!: For All Students to Succeed in School and Life”: (https://t.co/gDlQoij54k)

Join the “Maslow Before Bloom” Facebook group: https://t.co/015cLKjJ1m.