FINDING HOPE: Sources of Strength program works to end the stigma around mental health

A group of students and teachers at Mountain View High is on a mission to change the culture at one the the the largest high schools in Idaho.

POSITIVE COVID-19CASES CURRENTLYLIE WITHIN THE BOISESTATE UNIVERSITYCOMMUNITY --ACCORDING TO ANEW COVID-19DASHBOARD THATTRACKS CASESAMONG STUDENTS..STAFF... ANDFACULTY.THE DASHBOARD --REVEALS THAT 40 OFTHESE POSITIVECASES ARE OFF-CAMPUS STUDENTS.BOISE STATE SAVED115 OF THEIRRESIDENCE HALLBEDS FOR STUDENTSTO USE IF THEY NEEDTO SELF-ISOLATE...AND THE NEWDASHBOARD TRACKSHOW MANY BEDS ARECURRENTLY IN USE.ACCORDING TO THEDASHBOARD... ONLYTWO BEDS ARECURRENTLYOCCUPIED.YOU CAN HEAD TOOUR WEBSITE IDAHONEWS 6 DOT COM....TO FIND A LINKWHERE YOU CANFOLLOW..

THELATEST DATA.THIS YEAR'SPANDEMIC HASCAUSED SO MANYPEOPLE ACROSS THEGLOBE... TOSACRIFICE SPECIALMOMENTS... TO KEEPTHEMSELVES ANDOTHERS SAFE.BUT SOME THINGSARE BETTER LATE -THAN NEVER.NORTHWESTNAZARENEUNIVERSITYHONORED THEIRGRADUATING CLASSOF 20-20 TODAY ATTHE FORD IDAHOCENTER.IDAHO NEWS SIXREPORTER STEVEDENT SHARES ONEWOMAN'S STORY OFHOW SHE TURNEDHER DREAMS -- INTOREALITY.DIANA HERNANDEZWAS BORN IN MEXICOAND WHEN HERFAMILY MOVED TONAMPA WHEN DIANAWAS 16-YEARS OLDSHE DIDN'T SPEAKENGLISH."I ALWAYS TELLPEOPLE WHEN I WASHIGH SCHOOL I FELTLIKE I WAS DEAF ANDBLIND BECAUSE ICOULDN'TUNDERSTAND WHATWAS GOING ONAROUND ME.

ICOULDN'TUNDERSTAND MYTEACHERS WHATTHEY WERE SAYING ICOULDN'TUNDERSTAND WHATWAS WRITTEN ONTHE BOARDS."A TOUGH TRANSITIONHIGHLIGHTED WITHDIANA'S SIBLINGSSTAYING BACK INMEXICO AS DIANAADJUSTED TO THISNEW CULTURE HERFAMILY MOVED INTO AHOUSE JUST UP THEROAD FROMNORTHWESTNAZARENEUNIVERSITY."I WOULD ALWAYSDRIVE BY AND IWOULD DREAM OFGOING TO THATBEAUTIFULCAMPUS."AND TODAY THATDREAM CAME FULLCIRCLE AS DIANA AND517 OF HERCLASSMATES WEREHONORED BY NNU ATCOMMENCEMENT."I AM FOREVERGRATEFUL WITH MYPROFESSORS WITHMY TEACHERS INMEXICO ALL THE WAYTO MY PROFESSORSHERE AT NNU AND IAM JUST SUPERHAPPY I CHANGEDMY FAMILY'SDESTINY."GRADUATION WOULDHAVE TAKEN PLACEBACK IN EARLY MAYBUT THE PANDEMICDELAYEDCOMMENCEMENTUNTIL TODAY WHENWHEN DIANARECEIVED HERMASTER'S DEGREE INEDUCATION IN FRONTOF HER FAMILY."I JUST WANT TO SAYTHANK YOU TO MYFAMILY MY PARENTSMY HUSBAND MYKIDS AND MY DADWHO IS IN HEAVEN."DIANA'S FUTUREPLANS INCLUDEHELPING THE NEXTGENERATION REACHTHEIR EDUCATIONGOALS CURRENTLYSHE WORKS AS ATEACHER INMIDDLETON."SO I JUST WANT TOSHARE MYEXPERIENCES WITHMY STUDENTS ITEACH SPANISH SO IWANT TO BRING MYCULTURE INTO MYCLASSROOM AND IDO IT IS VERYINNOVATIVE AND FUNWAYS."STEVE DENT ... IDAHONEWS SIX.KEEPING STUDENTSSAFE... BY BUILDINGTHEIR STRENGTHS.THAT'S THE IDEABEHIND A PROGRAMTHAT'S NEW IN THETWIN FALLS SCHOOLDISTRICT... THAT'SWORKING TOIMPROVE MENTALHEALTH CAREACCESS FOR KIDSAND TEENS.AS PART OF'SOURCES OFSTRENGTH'...STUDENTS IN THEDISTRICT AREWORKING TO REACHOUT TO THEIRPEERS... AND BESUPPORT SYSTEMSFOR EACH OTHER.IT'S ONLY IN ITSSECOND YEAR... BUTMEMBERS SAY IT'SESPECIALLYIMPORTANT BECAUSEOF THE ISOLATIONMANY STUDENTSEXPERIENCE..DURING THEPANDEMIC."WE HAD A LOT OFSTUDENTSSTRUGGLE WITHBEING ISOLATED ANDAT HOME--NOT BEINGABLE TO HANG OUTWITH FRIENDS LIKETHEY NORMALLYWOULD OR BE ATSCHOOL.

THAT'S ABIG PART OF ASTUDENT'S LIFEWHEN THEY'REYOUNG."COMING UP INTOMORROW NIGHT'SFINDING HOPE...IDAHO NEWS 6REPORTER NATASHAWILLIAMS WILL SHOWYOU HOW THEPROGRAM WORKS...AND INTRODUCE YOUTO ONE OF THESTUDENTS TAKINGPART IN THEPROGRAM.STILL AHEAD ONIDAHO NEWS 6...A HEALTH OFFICIALFROM THE OREGONSIDE OF THETREASURE VALLEY...SAYS MORE WORKCAN BE DONE TOMITIGATE THEPOTENTIAL OF ASPIKE IN COVID-19CASES.AND COMING UPNEXT...WHY THEALZHEIMER'SASSOCIATION SAYSTHE CORONAVIRUS ISMAKING THINGSHARD FOR -- NOTONLY PATIENTS -- BUTCAREGIVERS ASWELL."IDAHO NEWS 6 AT5:30 CONTINUESNOW."A HEALTHDEPARTMENTOFFICIAL IN ONTARIOOREGON ISSOUNDING THEALARM.... HOPINGTHE REGION ALONGTHE IDAHO OREGONBORDER WILL TAKECORONAVIRUSPRECAUTIONS MORESERIOUSLY.SARAH POE WORKSIN THE MALHEURCOUNTY HEALTHDEPARTMENT ANDLIKE MANY PEOPLE INTHIS AREA... SHELIVES IN IDAHO ANDTRAVELS OVER THERIVER TO OREGONFOR WORKEVERYDAY.SHE SAYS ALTHOUGHCOMMUNITIES AREON DIFFERENT SIDESOF THE BORDER ITREALLY IS ONECOMMUNITY.THAT DYNAMIC HASCREATED A UNIQUEREGION ... BUTDURING THEPANDEMIC IT HASALSO CREATEDCHALLENGES."WE ARE JUSTASKING THATEVERYBODY WHOCOMES INTOMALHEUR COUNTYFOLLOWS THOSERULES AND PEOPLEWHO RESIDE INMALHEUR COUNTYAND GO TO IDAHOSTILL MAINTAIN THEPRACTICES THAT WEKNOW KEEP OURCOMMUNITIES SAFE."THOSE RULESINCLUDE LIMITINGGATHERINGS ANDWEARING MASKSWHEN SOCIALDISTANCING ISN'TPOSSIBLE.POE WORRIES THATIGNORING HEALTHDEPARTMENTGUIDELINES WILLCAUSE A SPIKE INCOVID-19 CASES.SOME OF THOSEWITH FAMILIES INASSISTED LIVINGHOMES ARE FEELINGFRUSTRATED AFTERCENTRAL DISTRICTHEALTH GAVE BARSTHE GREEN LIGHT TOREOPEN ONCESCHOOLS MOVE INTHE YELLOWCATEGORY.DIANASANDERS' 90-YEAROLD MOTHER IS ARESIDENT AT ANURSING HOME INTHE TREASUREVALLEY.SANDERS SAYS SHEHASN'T BEEN ABLETO SEE OR HUG HERMOTHER, BESIDESTHROUGH A WINDOW,IN A COUPLE OFMONTHS.SANDERS IS UPSETTHAT CENTRALDISTRICT HEALTHSAYS BARS AREGIVEN THE CHANCETO REOPEN, BUT SHEIS NOT ABLE TOSPEND TIME WITHHER SICK MOTHERWHO IS RECEIVINGHOSPICE AT THENURSING HOME.SHE SAYS OTHERRESIDENTS AS WELLAS HER MOM'SMENTAL HEALTH ANDQUALITY OF LIFE ISDECLINING DUE TONOT BEING ABLE TOINTERACT WITHTHEIR FAMILY."I FEEL LIKE THEYHAVE A RIGHT TO SEETHEIR FAMILYMEMBERS AND AS AFAMILY MEMBER, IFEEL LIKE I HAVE ARIGHT TO BE THEREFOR MY MOM.

SHE'SIN HOSPICE.

SHEDOESN'T HAVE ALONG TIME TO LIVE.I'D LIKE IT TO BEQUALITY OF LIFE ANDFOR US TO BE THEREFOR HER."CENTRAL DISTRICTHEALTH DIDANNOUNCE IN THEIRMEETING LAST NIGHTTHAT BARS WOULDBE ON A CLOSEWATCH AND SHUTDOWN IMMEDIATELYIF THEY DO NOTFOLLOW THEAPPROVEDGUIDELINES.WITH COVID-19PUTTING A STOP TOGATHERINGS... THEALZHEIMER'SASSOCIATION HAD TOTAKE THINGS ONLINEIN ORDER TOEDUCATE PATIENTS...CAREGIVERS... ANDFAMILIES.THE ORGANIZATIONIS HOSTINGWEBINARS ALLTHROUGH THEMONTH OFSEPTEMBER... FORANYONE TOREGISTER FOR... ANDPARTICIPATE IN.SOME OF THEWEBINARS AREFOCUSING ONWORKING WITHALZHEIMER'S ANDDEMENTIA PATIENTSDURING COVID-19 --AND OTHERRESOURCES FORCAREGIVERS.THE ALZHEIMER'SASSOCIATION SAYSCOVID-19 HAS MADETHINGS HARD FORNOT ONLY PATIENTSBUT THECAREGIVERS ASWELL."ANOTHERCHALLENGE THATWE HAVE THAT HASTO DO WITH THAT ISPROVIDING OURCAREGIVERSUPPORT GROUPSBUT NOW HAVING TODO IT VIA THE WEBAND THAT PRESENTSA CHALLENGEBECAUSE PEOPLELIKE THAT ONE ONONE INTERACTIONBUT AGAIN, THESEARE HIGH-RISKFOLKS SO WE HAVETO DO IT THIS WAY."YOU CAN FIND A LISTOF ALL THEDIFFERENTWEBINARS AND HOWTO REGISTER FORTHEM ON OURWEBSITE, IDAHONEWS 6 DOT COM.ADLIBSWEATHER TEASE"ON YOUR SIDEFORECAST"HERE IS A LOOK ATTHE WEATHER WEARE EXPERIENCINGIN THE VALLEY...ACROSS THE STATEAND AROUND THENORTHWEST.THE SATELLITEPICTURE SHOWSHOW THE CLOUDSAND STORMS AREMOVING ACROSS THEREGION.THIS IS MY IDAHONEWS SIX FORECASTFOR TOMORROWFOR FOR MUCH OFSOUTHERN ANDCENTRAL IDAHOSHOWING THE SKYCONDITION I EXPECTAS WELL AS THE HIGHAND LOWTEMPERATURES.MY EXTENDEDFORECAST SHOWSTHOSE SAME SKYAND TEMPERATURECONDITIONS FOR THENEXT WEEK.PLANS ARE TAKINGSHAPE FOR A NEWMARINA AT TAMARACKRESORT...THATCOULD MAKEFUELING UP -- WHILEBOATING -- A BREEZE.WE'LL HAVE THELATEST DETAILS -- UPNEXT."YOU'RE WATCHING 6ON YOUR SIDE AT5:30."