Mental Health
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Description: Mental health includes emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, act, make choices, and relate to others. Mental health is more than the absence of a mental illness—it’s essential to your overall health and quality of life. Self-care can play a role in maintaining your mental health and help support your treatment and recovery if you have a mental illness. About Self-Care When to Seek Professional Help What to Do in a Crisis Featured Videos...
Description: The CARD™ Toolkit helps educators, parents, and healthcare professionals support youth struggling with anxiety. The CARD™ system (Comfort, Ask, Relax, Distract) is a science-based, proven framework to help prepare children for stressful events, like school-based vaccinations, presentations, and examinations.
Description: With school comes tests, and with tests comes anxiety for many students. Clinical psychologist, Dave Anderson, PhD, provides some helpful ways to beat test anxiety!
Description: What you'll learn from this article: Why is substance use more dangerous for teens with mental health disorders? Why do teens with mental health disorders use substances? Why does substance use make a mental health disorder worse? Experts note that to encourage teens to reduce or stop substance use, it’s important give them other coping strategies to manage their problems without turning to substances.
Description: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline - Beginning July 16, 2022, 988 has been designated as the new three-digit dialing code that will route callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. When people call, text, or chat 988, they will be connected to trained counselors that are part of the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline network. These trained counselors will listen, understand how their problems are affecting them, provide support, and connect them to resources if necessary. The...
Description: The transition to college can be hard on kids’ mental health. Teenagers living away from home for the first time may experience academic stress while also trying to make new friends, build routines, and stay physically healthy. All these changes at once can be overwhelming for college kids. Parents can help kids prepare for these emotional challenges before college starts. First, try to avoid solving problems for your teen. Instead, let them know that you empathize and you’re there...
Description: This webinar was presented by Erica Rouch, PhD, a Clinical Psychologist and a Research Assistant Professor at the UVA Curry School of Education and Human Development. It provides strategies for coping, cultivating self-care, and finding comfort followed by a discussion and Q& A You will need to join Autism Drive to view this video.
Description: Child Mind Institute has compiled information on borderline personality disorder, as well as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia — all disorders of adolescence and early adulthood. What are the symptoms, and how does each develop? Most important, it’s critical to know about the best treatment, which for each of these disorders has become much more effective in recent years.
Description: The California Healthy Minds, Thriving Kids Project features a series of free videos and print resources for parents, educators and students, all available in English and Spanish. Developed in partnership with the state of California, this project promotes children’s emotional health and teaches essential coping skills through five topics. The videos feature the voices and lived experiences of caregivers, teachers and kids today. Videos for the elementary school age group use a whimsical...
Description: This Warm Line is a peer-run service for residents of Virginia. They offer this support line for individuals, family members, and other concerned parties who would like someone to talk to, or who request community mental health resources, or who have specific questions about their recovery journey. The peers who answer this Warm Line listen with compassion and provide non-judgmental support. The peers at MHAV are not licensed professionals, medical providers, or legal advisers. MHAV’s Warm...
Description: In this report, the Child Mind Institute examins the growing body of research on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on children’s mental health, including the results of a survey of thousands of parents conducted by the Child Mind Institute. We explore several key questions, including: What do we know about how the pandemic has affected young people’s mental health? What are some of the most common mental health challenges that children and adolescents have experienced? What are...
Description: IECMHC is a prevention-based approach that pairs a mental health consultant with adults who work with infants and young children in the different settings where they learn and grow, such as child care, preschool, home visiting, early intervention and their home. Mental health consultation is not about “fixing kids.” Nor is it therapy. Mental health consultation equips caregivers to facilitate children’s healthy social and emotional development.
Description: These three videos highlight key resources available to support families of students with the most intensive needs at home and as they transition to and from in-school services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The videos speak directly to parents and recommend that parents share the videos (and the mentioned resources) with the team of educators and other professionals working with their child. CPIR is pleased to add an easy-to-share handout for each of the videos that identifies and links the...
Description: The National Training and Technical Assistance Center for Child, Youth, and Family Mental Health (NTTAC) works to ensure all young people and families get the support they need to thrive. NTTAC is a SAMHSA-funded initiative to increase the access to, effectiveness of, and dissemination of evidence-based mental health services for young people (ages 0-21) and their families, including young people experiencing serious mental illness or serious emotional disturbance (SMI/SED). NTTAC supports a...
Description: Resource Directory This Northern Virginia Family Resource Directory is provided as a free service to families and professionals by Formed Families Forward with financial support of SCAN of Northern Virginia. The Directory provides information and contact information for organizations, agencies and private practices offering programs, services and other resources for children, youth and families. There is a special focus on providers who serve families formed by adoption, foster care and kinship...
Description: The VDOE Office of Student Services has partnered with CIEES at ODU to develop a one-stop professional development and resource collection for school leaders and specialized instructional support personnel (SISP) such as school counselors, school psychologists, school social workers, school nurses, and administrators. Learning Modules include: Chronic Absenteeism (Search "By Course") Defusing Disruptive Behavior (Search "By Course") Refining Your Toolkit (Search "By Course")
Description: The goals of the National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations (NCPMI) are to assist states and programs in their implementation of sustainable systems for the implementation of the Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children (Pyramid Model) within early intervention and early education programs with a focus on promoting the social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes of young children birth to five, reducing the use of inappropriate discipline...
Description: Due to COVID-19, program capacity has become limited due to the need for social distancing. In order to continue ongoing support and education, NAMI Virginia is excited to offer online programs that are available statewide. Online Support Groups NAMI Family Support Group For Parents of Children 17 and Under- NEW: This is a free, peer led support for parents of children living with mental health challenges. Our NAMI Family Support Groups offer a confidential space to share and gain sincere...
Description: The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) is a trusted source for knowledge about high-quality, evidence-based social and emotional learning (SEL). CASEL supports educators and policy leaders and enhances the experiences and outcomes for all PreK-12 students. Our work is critical at a time when educators, parents, students, and employers increasingly recognize the value of SEL. Together, we are united in our call for schools to educate the whole child, equipping...
Description: Many parents are wondering how to bring up the epidemic in a way that will be reassuring and not make kids more worried than they already may be. Here is some advice from the experts at the Child Mind Institute. Don’t be afraid to discuss the coronavirus. Most children will have already heard about the virus or seen people wearing face masks, so parents shouldn’t avoid talking about it. Not talking about something can actually make kids worry more. Look at the conversation...
Description: "The COVID-19 pandemic is understandably causing worry and fear for youth, families, and educators. Each person’s feelings are different; our needs are too. Some crave structure; others prefer freedom to be and feel, rest, connect, play, create, read, or learn in self-directed ways. Caregivers may want to hold children close. Some kids may want that too; other young people are desperate for freedom and time with their friends. The purpose of this post is to encourage everyone to trust...
Description: Microsoft Accessibility includes resource for: Learning: Our applications for people living with learning disabilities can help increase focus, concentration, and understanding—and include tools to improve reading and writing skills. Mobility: Our suite of products helps people living with arthritis, quadriplegia, spinal cord injuries, and other mobility issues to navigate the digital world in non-traditional ways. Mental Health: Learn more about assistive technologies for people living...
Description: The OSEP Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) was initially funded in 1998. In October of 2018 a new five-year funding cycle was launched. The purpose of the new Center is to improve the capacity of SEAs, LEAs, and schools to establish, scale-up, and sustain the PBIS framework to (a) scale up tier 2 and 3 systems to improve outcomes for students with or at-risk for disabilities, (b) enhance school climate and school safety, and (c) improve...
Description: Federal Resources for Stakeholders Who is the audience for these resources? OSEP stakeholders include, but are not limited to, children with disabilities and their families, educators, local and State educational agency staff, researchers, and policymakers. What is in included in the Federal Resources for Stakeholders section? Tool Kits In this section you can access the archived "Tool Kit on Universal Design for Learning (UDL)," the "Tool Kit on Teaching and Assessing Students with...
Description: We are a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting foster, kinship, and adoptive families of children and youth with disabilities and other special needs. We serve families, educators and child welfare professionals in the Northern Virginia area. Formed Families Forward’s mission is to improve developmental, educational, social, emotional and post-secondary outcomes for children and youth with disabilities and other special needs through provision of information, training and support...
Description: This includes: A free monthly Webinar, A 1-minute Insight Video, Free Counseling Insights Handouts (Safety and Wellness Plan, Goal Setting, Informal Suicide Risk Assessment and Identifying Emotions), Free Handouts (Examples include: Mindful Breathing Tips, Myths about Suicide, Healthy Habit Log, Crisis Response Log, and more), Free Manual (Subscribe to our newsletter and receive a free download of our 52 page Anxiety – Practical Intervention Strategies resource manual)
Description: A growing body of research has made it increasingly apparent that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are a critical public health issue. ACEs are potentially traumatic experiences and events, ranging from abuse and neglect to living with an adult with a mental illness. They can have negative, lasting effects on health and well-being in childhood or later in life.1 However, more important than exposure to any specific event of this type is the accumulation of multiple adversities during...
Description: Childhood trauma is common. More than two thirds of children in the United States experience a traumatic event or circumstances—such as abuse or neglect, death of a loved one, or community violence—by the time they turn 16. Young children in particular are disproportionately exposed to traumatic events and circumstances. Children exposed to trauma may display heightened aggression, impulsivity, or poor social skills. They often struggle...
Description: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities.
Description: Childhood experiences, both positive and negative, have a tremendous impact on future violence victimization and perpetration, and lifelong health and opportunity. As such, early experiences are an important public health issue. Much of the foundational research in this area has been referred to as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).
Description: What is ARC? ARC is a framework for intervention with youth and families who have experienced multiple and/or prolonged traumatic stress. ARC identifies three core domains that are frequently impacted among traumatized youth, and which are relevant to future resiliency. Designed to be applied flexibly across child- and family-serving systems, ARC provides a theoretical framework, core principles of intervention, and a guiding structure for providers. ARC is designed for youth from early...
Description: NCTIC works to eliminate the use of seclusion, restraints, and other coercive practices and to develop the knowledge base on trauma-informed care. Trauma-informed care is an approach to engaging people with histories of trauma that recognizes the presence of trauma symptoms and acknowledges the role that trauma has played in their lives. NCTIC facilitates the adoption of trauma-informed environments in the delivery of a broad range of services including mental health, substance use, housing,...
Description: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC) Attachment, Regulation and Competency (ARC) (Trauma Center at Justice Resource Institute) Child Trauma Toolkit for Educators (2008) (The National Child Traumatic Stress Network, NCTSN) Enhancing and Practicing Executive Function Skills with Children from Infancy to Adolescence (Activities Guide) Handbook: The Heart of Learning: Compassion, Resiliency, and Academic Success (Compassionate Schools: The Heart of...
Description: The Heart of Learning: Compassion, Resiliency, and Academic Success is a handbook for teachers written and compiled by OSPI and Western Washington University staff. It contains valuable information that will be helpful to you on a daily basis as you work with students whose learning has been adversely impacted by trauma in their lives. Table of Contents Chapter 1: Trauma, Compassion, and Resiliency: Background and Definitions Chapter 2: Self-Care: An Ethical Obligation for Those Who Care Chapter...
Description: All kids feel anxious from time to time. But kids with learning and attention issues are more likely to struggle with anxiety. How can you tell whether your child's level of anxiety is typical and appropriate? Learn when it's something to be worried about or a side effect of a medication like Ritalin. Then, read what one mother learned when her son got a 504 plan—beginning with the fact that there's absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.
Description: The mental health of our children is a natural and important concern for us all. The fact is, many mental disorders have their beginnings in childhood or adolescence, yet may go undiagnosed and untreated for years. We refer to mental disorders using different “umbrella” terms such as emotional disturbance, behavioral disorders, or mental illness. Beneath these umbrella terms, there is actually a wide range of specific conditions that differ from one another in their characteristics...
Description: The Virginia Family Network (VFN) is a contractual agreement between the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) and NAMI Virginia launched in 2011. The purpose is to create a statewide network of families who support, educate, and empower other families with children and youth with mental health needs while also promoting family-driven and youth-guided policy throughout the child-serving systems. The initiative is designed to...
Description: Healthy brain development is essential for realizing one’s full potential and for overall well-being. For children and youth who experience child abuse or neglect and associated trauma, brain development may be interrupted, leading to functional impairments. Ongoing maltreatment can alter a child’s brain development and affect mental, emotional, and behavioral health into adulthood. Frontline child welfare professionals are in a unique position to recognize developmental delays in...
Description: In almost every early care and education (ECE) program across the country, there are children who have experienced trauma or who will, during their early childhood, experience traumatic events. Trauma in early childhood takes many forms, including abuse or neglect, witnessing violence, and having prolonged separation from or loss of a parent. An extensive body of research has documented the negative impacts of trauma on young children’s behavior, learning, and other long-term school- and...
Description: This includes the following chapters: Enhancing Progress for Meaningful Family Engagement in all Aspects of Positive BehavioralInterventions and Supports (PBIS) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support Family Engagement Foundations: Supporting Children and Families Engaging Families Through School-Wide Positive Behavior Support: Building PartnershipsAcross Multi-Tiered Systems of Support Translating Family Engagement Strategies to Practice in Local Sites Implementing PBIS Promoting Family Engagement...
Description: This web app provides online resources to help famililies raising children and youth in foster care and kinship care, where children and youth are brought up by non-birth parent relatives. The following topics are covered: Trying to Enroll a Child in School? Concerned about Learning or School? Concerned about Mental Health or Behaviors? Need Public Benefits? Concerned about Transitions Through School and After? Concerned about Disabilities and Special Health Care Needs? Involved in the Court...
Description: The Administration for Children and Families, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administrations, the Administration for Community Living, the Offices of the Assistant Secretary for Health and the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation at HHS have worked together to develop the resources at this website, which was released in January 2017. Visit the site to discover concept papers, discussion questions, examples, and frameworks. Taken together they provide an...
Description: The information specialists at NARIC use these resources every day to help our patrons find agencies, organizations, and online resources for treatment, benefits, and services. These pages are organized by subject. Please note: Inclusion in the NARIC Ready Reference does not constitute endorsement of any product or service listed on the websites we link to. This resource is provided as a courtesy to our patrons.
Description: You can play an important role in helping your children and teenagers recover from traumatic events. We have designed these pages for birth parents, adoptive parents, resource/foster parents, grandparents, caregivers, and all others who care for children and teens. We are using the words "child" or "children" to include adolescents. Although teens may not think of themselves as children, parents and caregivers most often refer those of any age (toddler, school-age, teen, youth, adult) in our...
Description: Research suggests that approximately 25% of American children will experience at least one traumatic event by the age of 16. A child's reactions to trauma can interfere considerably with learning and/or behavior at school. Schools serve as a critical system of support for children who have experienced trauma. Administrators, teachers, and staff can help reduce the effects of trauma on children by recognizing trauma responses, accommodating and responding to traumatized students within the...
Description: Information for Educators: Trauma Facts for Educators Suggestions for Educators Psychological and Behavioral Impact of Trauma: Preschool Children Psychological and Behavioral Impact of Trauma: Elementary School Students Psychological and Behavioral Impact of Trauma: Middle School Students Psychological and Behavioral Impact of Trauma: High School Students Brief Information on Childhood Traumatic Grief for School Personnel Self Care for Educators Information for Parents and Caregivers:...
Description: Who We Are The National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health is a national family-run organization linking more than 120 chapters and state organizations focused on the issues of children and youth with emotional, behavioral, or mental health needs and their families. It was conceived in Arlington, Virginia in February, 1989 by a group of 18 people determined to make a difference in the way the system works. Where We Come From Members of the National Federation come from all...
Description: Trauma affects youth in all communities, and responses to those experiences by child-serving systems are critical. It is important for providers serving youth to understand how best to respond and support healing. This brief discusses the concept and prevalence of trauma; techniques for coping with, and recovering from trauma at an individual and systems level; the core principles for building a framework for understanding trauma; and implementation of elements essential for a trauma-informed...
Description: STRYVE, or Striving To Reduce Youth Violence Everywhere, is a national initiative led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to prevent youth violence before it starts among young people ages 10 to 24. STRYVE’s vision is safe and healthy youth who can achieve their full potential as connected and contributing members of thriving, violence-free families, schools, and communities. STRYVE’s goals are to: Increase awareness that youth violence can and should be...
Description: An easy-to-read booklet on Bipolar Disorder in children and teens that explains what it is, when it starts and how to get help.