Kids in Crisis is coming to Wausau for a discussion on youth mental health and suicide prevention

Natalie Eilbert, Green Bay Press-Gazette
Carson Molle is a suicide survivor who has used his traumatic experiences to speak up about mental health challenges and suicide prevention. Molle, now 21, is a student at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and he hopes to go on to a career in film and broadcast.
Carson Molle is a suicide survivor who has used his traumatic experiences to speak up about mental health challenges and suicide prevention. Molle, now 21, is a student at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and he hopes to go on to a career in film and broadcast.

WAUSAU – Twelve hours.

That's how long Carson Molle contemplated suicide before he attempted to take his own life in March 2017. He was 14 years old, a running back/defensive back for the Seymour Thunders at Seymour High School, and an avid book reader. But when he ran into a series of challenges — breaking his arm while playing hockey, not doing well on tests — it rocked his reality. He'd always excelled in academics and sports.

"(Suicide) was the option that I thought was my only option up to that point," Molle told the Post-Crescent in 2020. "I had my mind set up to do it that night.”

Even in 2017, stigma wreathed the topic of mental health. The thought has been, until very recently, to hide in plain sight. It would be another four years before a joint-declaration from American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and Children’s Hospital Association sounded the alarm on the youth mental health crisis, and longer still before Gov. Tony Evers' declaring 2023 "The Year of Mental Health" brought the state's struggle to the national stage.

Stories like Carson's, from his need to hide his life-altering plans to his survival, have pushed us, as a newsroom, to have difficult conversations with young people, parents, advocates and providers. We started our series Kids in Crisis in 2016 to engage readers on and off the page, in hopes of jumpstarting the critical work of talking about youth suicide prevention, mental health challenges, unique lived experiences and where to go for help.

Through our more than 40 town hall conversations over the years, we've been able to engage experts from the Wisconsin Office of Children's Mental Health, the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) Wisconsin and clinics around the state to better understand the common themes that have lent themselves to the youth mental health crisis.

And now, for the first time since the pandemic upended life as we knew it and further exacerbated the youth mental health crisis, we're returning to the road for a town hall discussion from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 30, at the Marathon County Public Library, 300 First St., Wausau.

Register for free tickets to the Kids in Crisis town hall in Wausau

Jamie Rokus, an editor for USA TODAY NETWORK-Central Wisconsin, said mental health and suicide awareness is "one of the most important issues that we, as journalists, can shine a spotlight on." Rokus has been part of the Kids in Crisis series since Day 1 and has seen the positive effects it's had on the community.

"I have watched brave, young students from across central Wisconsin share their stories of struggling with mental health challenges and how they have worked to overcome them," Rokus said. "And I am proud that we have been able to highlight issues, such as the shortage of youth mental health providers across the state, and share success stories about programs in our schools and communities that have been successful."

Greg Borowski, executive editor of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, said the Kids in Crisis reporting over the years has made a difference in the lives of youth and families, and it's changed how schools respond to mental health challenges.

The town hall event comes eight months after USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin reinitiated the Kids in Crisis series last fall in response to the pandemic and the slate of challenges unique to young people today: gun violence, anti-LGBTQ+ bills and laws, social media dependence, climate anxiety, post-pandemic life, political division and more.

"This event is an opportunity to turn the outstanding reporting from the past months into dialogue and action," Borowski said. "We hope Wausau area residents will join us for an evening of insightful conversation around this urgent issue."

We are honored to include Molle in our conversation, now a 21-year-old college student at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, whose survival story and mental health advocacy has transformed him into an international public figure.

In addition to Molle, we'll also be joined by the following mental health experts:

  • Michelle Gleason, the director of development at the Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin, who has more than two decades of experience working in human services and is a licensed clinical social worker.

  • Samantha Eastberg, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist specializing in children and adolescents who works with children of all ages, and their families, at Marshfield Clinic Health Systems.

  • Noreen Salzman, a therapist with The Centre for Well-Being in Wausau, has more than 40 years of experience in the mental health field, working in outpatient, inpatient, residential mental health and alcohol/drug treatment programs.

Michelle Gleason, a licensed clinical social worker, has worked with youth for 10 years as a case manager and therapist. Gleason will serve as one of the panelists at the Kids in Crisis town hall event at the Wausau Public Library.
Michelle Gleason, a licensed clinical social worker, has worked with youth for 10 years as a case manager and therapist. Gleason will serve as one of the panelists at the Kids in Crisis town hall event at the Wausau Public Library.

Gleason often says that mental health is everything. Youth, in particular, are vulnerable, Gleason said, because they "depend on adults to help make important systemic, cultural and societal changes to better support their health and prosperity."

Salzman agrees.

Noreen Salzman is the director of and therapist at The Centre for Well-Being in Wausau and also co-chairs Marathon County School Based Mental Health Counseling Consortium.
Noreen Salzman is the director of and therapist at The Centre for Well-Being in Wausau and also co-chairs Marathon County School Based Mental Health Counseling Consortium.

"Our community needs to help our kids heal and grow, and understanding the mental health issues they experience and how we can help them is one of key priorities every community must have for its success," Salzman said.

For Eastberg, "talking openly about mental health is the first step to decreasing stigma and letting kids know there is help available."

Samantha Eastberg, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist specializing in children and adolescents at Marshfield Clinic Health Systems. She works with children of all ages, and their families, to address concerns with anxiety, behavior, mood, and social skills/relationships.
Samantha Eastberg, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist specializing in children and adolescents at Marshfield Clinic Health Systems. She works with children of all ages, and their families, to address concerns with anxiety, behavior, mood, and social skills/relationships.

The town hall meeting will be moderated by Natalie Eilbert, the lead reporter on the series who covers mental health for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin, based out of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. There will be a short discussion with panelists followed by a question-and-answer period. Please bring your questions.

Natalie Eilbert covers mental health issues for USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. She welcomes story tips and feedback. You can reach her at neilbert@gannett.com or view her Twitter profile at @natalie_eilbert. If you or someone you know is dealing with suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or text "Hopeline" to the National Crisis Text Line at 741-741.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Kids in Crisis comes to Wausau to talk about youth mental health

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