2015-2016 Richfield Public Library K-12 Youth Mental Health Outreach (Library Partnership with Sevier County School District)

Abstract

Since January 2015, Richfield Public Library has partnered with the six-county Prevention Coalition, including Sevier County School District (Gail Albrecht), Central Utah Counseling Center (Sharon Lopez), Central Utah Health Department (Sue Hildebrand), the Indian Dormitories (Cody Workman), the Central Utah Youth Corrections (John Roberts) to support efforts to reduce drug abuse, domestic and dating violence, and suicide rates in our area. The Library recently received a grant from NIFI (National Issues Forum Institute) to support purchase print and media materials to help engage the public in dialogues on reducing the stigma of mental Illness and enhancing personal resiliency among youth. Outreach programs to Central Utah Youth Corrections (Juvenile Detention) and to selected schools in Sevier County have been ongoing for more than four months, and will be continued and expanded. Library Director Blythe Ogilvie has made use of many of the NLM resources in planning outreach programs including materials on youth mental health, suicide prevention, and helping teens with substance abuse and depression. In addition, the Library has purchased journal articles through NLM to support the school district's prevention efforts. The $1500 grant will be used to purchase a portable LCD projector and screen, in order to provide additional outreach to larger youth and community audiences. Instead of gathering a group around one computer or a laptop, we will be able to take the projector and screen into the dormitories and CUYC for programs. We also plan to provide outdoor programs for youth during the summer reading initiative (which reaches K-8 youth from the Sevier County Schools), using NLM resources and programming ideas. The portable projector and screen will enable us to have a greater impact and reach a wider audience with exciting media available both through NLM and other sources.