Helping Youth Navigate Election Stress
As the school year is now in full swing, the typical stressors that come up for kids and every 4 years, a new challenge is occurring in lunchrooms, hallways and even on the playgrounds - the U.S. presidential election. We expect children are hearing all sorts of spirited opinions about this presidential race, leading to a new set of emotional stressors for our kids. So, how do we help our youth navigate this newly elevated issue and learn how to handle conversations that can become uncomfortable?Read More
A Responder's Perspective on Suicide Prevention
As a family responder, working with youth who struggle with suicidality (deliberately hurting oneself with an intent to die) is a routine part of my job. Parents are often not provided with the same skill set as mental health professionals, yet they are the “first responders” when it comes to their child’s mental health. In my years working with suicidal youth and their families, I’ve noticed trends in the information I share with parents.Read More
How To Identify and Address Bullying
Childhood bullying is a near universal experience with 1 in 5 children encountering it it at some point. To help our children navigate this, it is crucial to engage in candid discussions about various bullying types and effective coping strategies.Read More
Hope Notes: A Small Surprise to Boost Your Child’s Mental Health
With the school year in full swing, the child in your care may be experiencing a range of emotions and feelings, from excitement and normal nerves to anxiety and stress. What is something parents can do to support their mental health while they are at school each day? Send a little note of hope or inspiration with them to school – you can put the note in their backpack, lunch box, folder, or schoolbook as a comforting surprise to find during their day.Read More
Suicide Prevention
September is Suicide Prevention Month, an opportunity to focus on the prevalence of suicide in our communities and talk about steps we can all take to support mental health and suicide prevention. Learn more about the warning signs and what you can do to help.Read More
Supporting Your Student’s Mental Health in the Classroom
Teachers have a profound impact in the classroom, both in how they educate and in how they support their students’ growth. When a student is facing a mental health challenge, teachers often walk a fine line of providing support while being cautious to not overstep boundaries. So, what should teachers do if they observe a student struggling with a mental health issue?Read More
How You – and Your Employer – Can Tackle Caregiver Burnout
Over the past few years, individuals in the caregiving field have been experiencing an alarming increase in feelings of high stress and burnout. This increase can have multiple factors, including lack of staffing, increase in clients, not enough downtime, and poor coping skills and work life balance. What is burnout and how can employers help to prevent employee burnout?Read More
Talking to Your Teen
You heard this would happen. Your little snuggler, your helper, your “mini-me” has become a teen. Attempting to engage with them now may elicit a series of grunts and groans, or seemingly thoughtless one-word answers. Try these techniques to help you reconnect with your teen and keep the lines of communication open.Read More
Heat and Mental Health
While summer can be a busy, fun time of year, and a chance to get outside, we have all experienced the physical discomfort of a sweltering hot day. There are plenty of physical symptoms that can happen from prolonged exposure to extreme heat and sunlight, extreme heat can negatively impact your mental health as well.Read More
Cultivating Workplace Kindness
Everyone wants to be treated with kindness. And yet as adults, many people don’t experience kindness in their workplace. Kindness often comes with barriers that make it inconvenient. An easy way to identify your kindness skills is to see how your actions align with the three levels of kindness.Read More