We have visited our doctor for a few regular check-ups and she is telling us that our son has depression. He does not seem sad and he is not crying all the time like we would expect if he really was depressed. Why would she think he has depression?

I found a comment on my daughter’s social media having to do with feeling hopeless and not wanting to be around anymore. I am worried about her but do not want to make it a big deal if it’s not. What should I do?

Do you remember the profound sense of boredom that could inflict you as a child? Perhaps with the influx of screens many kids access at will, they don’t have those loooong summer afternoons with nothing to do; the times when it’s on you to make up your own fun. Here we are in 2020, the plaintive “but what will we do?” is being heard again across our child welfare systems as families and kids interact socially distanced, through a video camera or outside. To answer that plea, we offer this list of activities you can do distanced, both with and without materials or objects. 

When asked, “How are you doing?” the answer is always some version of “as well as I can be.” Many things that we used to anchor our safety and security to are gone. And the initial strategy of waiting it out is simply inadequate. Like a child holding their breath to get their way, it just can’t last. As I needed to make peace with the fact that the ground is and will be about as steady as quicksand, I searched for a metaphor to get me through the tough times.

My 4-year-old is really aggressive, and it seems to be getting worse. Other parents do not want him around their children, and before we were all staying at home because of the pandemic, I was getting complaints from daycare. What should I do?

Our daughter was adopted and we don’t know if we should tell her. If we do tell her, we don’t know when to tell her.

With celebrations, graduation parties, and preparing for college in the fall, many young adults completing high school are itching with anticipation to leave “the nest.” These young adults may feel a newly found freedom and take for granted their intricately woven support system that helps them along the way.  For young adults in foster care who are graduating from high school, this transition often looks much different. 

The idea of providing foster care may be an exciting thought for some, but may bring about feelings of nervousness and discomfort for others.  Nexus-PATH Family Healing foster parent, Mike Romans, and social worker, Megan Bjone, put those feelings to ease through sharing their stories and experiences in building families through foster care on the podcast, JJ Meets World.

Sport fishing is the lifeblood of the Mille Lacs Lake area in Minnesota where one of our youth residential treatment facilities, Nexus-Mille Lacs calls home. The simple joys of fishing are apparent – fresh air, the simple beauty of nature, the thrill of “fish on,” and a little peace and quiet to name a few.  But what about some of the deeper benefits that the sport of fishing has to offer?  Things like relationship building, the importance of self-care – allowing one’s mind and body the opportunity to relax and develop positive coping techniques.  Spending time in nature can reduce stress and anxiety and elevate your mood.

Nexus Family Healing, a national nonprofit organization providing emotional, behavioral, and mental health services to children and families, has named Jarrell J. McRae as Executive Director of their Baltimore agency, Nexus-Woodbourne Family Healing.

In this role, McRae will provide leadership and oversee operations of Nexus-Woodbourne’s residential treatment, vocational school, and treatment foster care programs. He will continue the organization’s goals to establish long-term positive outcomes for families by further establishing trauma sensitive care that focuses on the needs of each individual child.