Health Office Info and Forms
RMS
Contact Nurse Murphy
Ellen Murphy R.N., B.S.N., N.S.N.C.
School Nurse
Rochester Memorial School
School:
(508)763-2049 ext. 2019
Important Forms to Complete and Return:
Resources for Families & Students
- #BeThe1To - A few ways to talk about difficult issues...
- Vaping Information
- Emergency Mental Health Care
- Mental Health Resources
#BeThe1To - A few ways to talk about difficult issues...
Vaping Information
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- NIH (National Institutes on Health) National Institute on Drug Abuse
- NEMOURS Foundation - Teen Health Topics
- http://betobaccofree.hhs.gov
- www.thetruth.com
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New York Times: https://nyti.ms/2JbG3lL
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Wall Street Journal: https://on.wsj.com/2qfQop0
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MA Dept. of Health - Getoutraged.org
"Vaping is becoming more of a concern in (and out of) schools, recently. We are working on making it more of a curriculum focus in our health classes and are also looking at bringing in speakers around this topic.
Over half of the e-cigarette market share involves the device JUUL. The Juul works by heating up a cartridge containing oils to create vapor, which quickly dissolves into the air. Many JUULs look like a USB flash drive.
A ”pod” is placed in the JUUL to vape. One pod can contain as much nicotine as found in a pack of cigarettes. In addition to the negative health implications of nicotine, vaping often contains harmful chemicals. Some e-cigarettes contain toxic chemicals, including formaldehyde (used in embalming fluid), and ethylene glycol (used in antifreeze).
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health indicates that among Massachusetts high school youth, nearly half (44.8%) have used e-cigarettes, which was 27.8% in 2015. High school youth are much more likely to use e-cigarettes than adults. This has not been the case for cigarettes. While the current youth cigarette use rate in Massachusetts is just half of the adult use rate (7.7% vs. 14%,) the current youth e-cigarette use rate is more than 9X higher than the adult use rate (23.7% vs. 2.6%).
Some vaping devices enable students to vape THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) the active ingredient in marijuana. Marijuana has become much more potent. The average strength of marijuana in the US today is around 15-20% compared to about 1% in 1980. Vaping is often odorless. Both nicotine and marijuana are also harmful to the developing teenage brain.
Emergency Mental Health Care
EMERGENCY MENTAL HEALTH CARE
If your child or someone else in your life is experiencing a mental health emergency, Emergency Services run by MA Child and Family Services offers comprehensive mental health evaluations 24/7 to help you navigate these situations and access treatment. Please see the link below for more information and verify your insurance is accepted prior to presenting to their location.
https://child-familyservices.org/emergency-services-crisis-center/
Alternatively, anyone can seek emergency mental health evaluations at a local hospital. The closest hospitals to our community are:
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Tobey Hospital
43 High St, Wareham, MA 02571
(508) 295-0880 -
St. Luke's Hospital
101 Page Street, New Bedford, MA 02740
(508) 997-1515
Mental Health Resources
988 Lifeline (formerly the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline)
Dial 988 to speak to a counselor 24/7/365. Services for deaf and non-English speakers are available through the website linked above or when you call.
There may be a wait but it is usually not very long. The phone number used to be 800-273-TALK (8255) and it now reaches the same crisis center staff as 988.
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MA Substance Abuse & Education Helpline 800-327-5050
Helpline provides free and anonymous access to information and resources in Massachusetts.
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Al-anon & Alateen
Support for friends or family of people who struggle with alcohol. Find local group meetings.
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GLBTQ National Help Center
Free and confidential peer support, information and resources serving LGBTQ
800-340-4528
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Domestic Violence Helpline
Seek help 24/7 with the free and confidential hotline. Support for survivors of domestic violence.
800-899-4000
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National Institute of Mental Health
General mental health information.
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Multiservice Eating Disorder Association
Support services for individuals or families recovering from eating disorders.
617-558-1881
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National Runaway Safeline
Youth, parents or guardians can seek help 24/7. Resources available to connect with community support.
800-786-2929
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Planned Parenthood
Information for reproductive health care ,sex education and counseling.
800-230-7526