Adolescence is a critical time to explore and engage with the world, but for many the pandemic took away this opportunity and left teens in a mental health crisis. Despite efforts to break the stigma and bring awareness to suicide prevention, too many parents shy away from the discussion. The Ryan Bartel Foundation asserts that suicide has touched the lives of too many unsuspecting families to risk avoiding the issue.
Suicide remains the 2nd leading cause of death among teens. “So many programs focus on intervention at the time of crisis. That’s too late,” said Suzie Bartel, founder of the Loudoun County-based teen suicide prevention organization. “If we develop in them the skills to get through the hard times, we’re not going to need intervention.” Ryan Bartel Foundation's upstream suicide prevention programs are designed to help all teens by providing them with skills and strategies to navigate life's challenges with strength, connectedness, purpose, and hope.
After losing her son to suicide in 2014, Suzie Bartel founded the group in 2015. It’s programs now include Sources of Strength – a nationally acclaimed, evidence-based, upstream suicide prevention program used in the Loudoun County Public Schools; FORTitude Teen Workshops; the FORT – multiple, physical safe, inclusive, and accepting spaces for teens to connect with their peers, quiet their minds, and have fun; FORTitude for Parents; and FORTitude Support Groups for parents and teens.
Monthly in person FORT programs occur at Trillium Farm in Purcellville, Fusion Academy in Leesburg, InMed Partnership for Children in Sterling, and Crossroads United Methodist Church in Ashburn. Here, teens participate in experiential workshops in expressive arts, mindfulness, animal-assisted groups, and other activities to learn and practice coping skills they can use on their own when times are tough. One mother wrote of the FORT, “In the time we have been attending, my child has re-engaged in social activities and found strengths within himself. This has resulted in less depression and anxiety, more engagement at school with his friends, and a significant improvement in motivation and success at school.”
When they couldn’t meet in person, Executive Director Val Walters knew that kids and parents needed support more than ever, so the virtual FORTitude Teen Workshops and FORTitude for Parents emerged.
The Foundation’s original FORTitude Teen Workshops were developed uniquely for the Foundation by psychologist and “teen whisperer” Dr. Cam Caswell (Dr. Cam) and mindfulness expert and educator Ofosu Jones-Quartey. Using evidence-led best practices in mindfulness and positive psychology, the workshops address many of the struggles teens face and empower them with a positive acceptance of self. “We empower teenagers with the knowledge, tools, and self-awareness to manage their big emotions, anxieties, and fears. They also develop insight into why they see the world as they do and learn to accept themselves as they are. It’s incredibly rewarding ... when they realize they are not alone and that it’s okay not to be okay. Just knowing that makes them feel more hopeful,” said Dr. Cam.
The teen workshops are delivered as a six-week series, during weeknights at various locations throughout the county including Leesburg, Ashburn, Brambleton, and Sterling. FORTitude for Parents is a monthly online discussion series in which mental wellness experts in their specialist fields provide parents with resources and guidance to better communicate and connect with their kids. These online discussions have included topics such as cyberbullying, ADHD, substance use, and how to recognize the signs of a teen spiraling towards depression.
The January FORT will be on the 22nd at Fusion Academy, 1-4 PM. Starting in January, FORTitude Teen Workshops) will be held in the evenings, 1.5 hours each evening for six weeks, at Crossroads United Methodist Church on Tuesdays and Fusion Academy on Wednesdays. More locations will be added throughout the year. To learn more about the Ryan Bartel Foundation’s programs and events please visit https://ryanbartelfoundation.org.
“We empower teenagers with the knowledge, tools, and self-awareness to manage their big emotions, anxieties, and fears. They also develop insight into why they see the world as they do and learn to accept themselves as they are." -- Dr. Cam Caswell