🌟 Editor's Adventure of the Month
This past month I had the privilege of attending Scouting America’s National Outdoor Conference at the Philmont Training Center in Cimarron, New Mexico. Philmont is one of Scouting America’s 5 high adventure bases in the United States, serving upwards of 30,000 campers on their over 90,000 acres of property in 2023. On top of getting to see some insanely beautiful views of the Rocky Mountains, I learned a lot about how to grow and develop MESH programming in a Scouting America camp, our main focus of this month’s newsletter!
🗓️ Simplified Article of the Month
There is such a huge need for destigmatization of mental health supports within youth serving organizations, such as scouting. I have had the pleasure of working extensively with the Scouting America program to implement stronger mental, emotional, and social health supports. To help inform and educate the public I invite you to join me in learning more about the history of MESH in scouting and the 3-step process to implement a program.
🏆 Win of the Month
CT Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) recognizes June Norcross Webster Scout Reservation as the 2025 Partner in Prevention!
🌉 Background: JNWSR has become an outspoken and tread setting organization in the public health space by setting a new standard for what it means to support the needs of youth.
👑 Achievement: the Partner in Prevention award is given to an organization that is not typically from the public health or prevention space but goes above and beyond to support prevention efforts in its community and organization. JNWSR trained 52 scout leaders in YMHFA, 23 in QPR, and continues to be an outspoken member on the Scouting America national scene.
🚀 Stay Inspired
Aside from Scouting, here’s what else is going on!
Securing Funding for 988: How a team of researchers from The John’s Hopkins School of Public Health are finding strategic ways for every state to fund the 988 mental health crisis hotline as suicide rates continue to rise. Read Here
A new way to address opioid addiction: A research study by the National Institute of Health (NIH) found that if people were treated with medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) while incarcerated, they had a 52% lower risk of fatal opioid overdose, a 24% lower risk of non-fatal opioid overdose, a 56% lower risk of death from any cause, and a 12% lower risk of reincarceration after release. Read Here
“This Trend in the reduction of substance use among teenagers is unprecedented”: New data provided by the National Institute of Health continues to show a reduction in teenage substance use. This downtrend has been ongoing since the COVID-19 pandemic. Read Here
🩺 A Better Way of Identifying Suicide Risk
New research funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH) found a new model for predicting suicidality that was found to be more accurate than other currently used processes. This model focuses on evaluating electronic health records (EHR) to predict suicidality. A connection was found that 40% of individuals who die by suicide had visited their healthcare provider in the month before their death, highlighting a need for our healthcare systems to be as equipped as they can be to better identify those at risk.
🕵️♂️ Something to Keep an Eye On
AI and Mental Health: Why Parents Should Monitor AI and What It Is Suggesting to Children
Recent research has found some alarming news about AI models such as Chat GPT and what it has been found suggesting to people about substance use and suicide. Will these AI models would start by explaining warning signs or risk factors, individuals pretending to pose as vulnerable teens were able to find that eventually it would provide instructions on how to use certain substances and even how to take their life by suicide, going as far as drafting a note.
The Takeaway: Artificial Intelligence is still a very new, but wildly popular technology and people should be careful how they utilize such a new and growing technology. With how easy it can be to bypass many of the built in protective measures, parents are encouraged to monitor, much like any other technology, how their children use this when online.
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FROM THE FOUNDER
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-Zach Nailon, Simplified Newsletter
