From childhood, Tere Geckle’s life has been shaped by the power of kindness. Inspired by her father’s philanthropic spirit, Tere embraced giving back.

In many fields of work, burnout is as common as physical ailments amongst staff. This can be described as a beast – a phantom that creeps up. When feelings of burnout begin to creep in, remind yourself why you do what you do, challenge yourself to start a new hobby, take mindful breaks from work, and seek support in friends, coworkers, and supervisors.

Sara and Mike Schneider’s dream of a complete family came true with the adoption of Luke and Bella, followed by the surprise birth of Noah. From infancy, Luke exhibited unusual needs and destructive tendencies. Despite countless doctor visits and therapies, answers remained elusive until age nine when they contacted Luke’s birth mother. The devastating truth emerged: Luke had suffered brain damage in utero due to domestic violence and alcohol exposure. 

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? 

With three sons, Matthew and Ingrid weren’t planning to add anymore kids to their already busy family. But when Matthew’s biological nephew needed a forever home, Matthew and Ingrid found themselves in the position for a Kinship adoption.

Kinship adoption is a type of adoption where a relative of the youth can adopt them into their family. It’s a great option, when possible, as children tend to do best living with someone they know or have a connection with, and it’s proven to be the most successful plan for children in foster care, as it allows them to stay connected with their biological family and maintain their identity.  

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.

Nexus-Indian Oaks announced that Melissa Webster, LCPC has joined the agency as Executive Director.

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.

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.

With school in full swing, let your child know that you are thinking of them with our hope notes down below, which can be cut out and placed in their lunch box, backpack, book, or wherever you think seeing it will brighten their day!