Health organization

Reducing Suicide Risk With Safety Plans

September is Suicide Awareness Month. When children in distress express suicidal thoughts or feelings, therapists often work with them —and their parents— to create what is called a safety plan. A safety plan is a document that spells out a series of things the child agrees to do, if they feel overwhelmed, to keep from harming themselves. Parents agree to things they will do to make their child’s environment safer.

This collection of articles from the Child Mind Institute explains how safety planning can help deter teen suicides, which are often impulsive, by steering kids away from harming themselves until the urge passes. With teenage depression and anxiety on the rise, it’s important for all of us to be proactive when children are in distress.

To see the individual articles in the collection and connect with them in English or Spanish, come here.

State Laws on School Nursing Responsibilities

Child Trends, in partnership with EMT Associates, analyzed the landscape of state statutes and regulations as of October 2021 to better understand how state laws and policies define the role of school nurses. This 2022 brief presents their findings.

Knowing your state’s school nurse policies is important to practitioners, Parent Centers, families, and education administrators and staff alike. The brief details state policies on such matters as whether districts must employ school nurses, what qualifications are required, and nurses’ role in individual aspects of the work.

Additionally, the brief provides current data on state policies for a school nurse’s role in: managing chronic conditions; administering medication; developing and managing student health plans; student immunizations; and infectious disease control. Read CPIR’s abstract and access the brief here.

Facts and Stats about Bipolar Disorder

(2022) | Useful to Parent Centers for sharing with families, schools, and other community organizations involved with children, youth, or adults with bipolar disorder   This article in Medical News Today begins by stating: “Bipolar disorder is a common but often misunderstood mental health condition. The misrepresentation of bipolar disorder and other psychiatric conditions in […]

How to Talk to Kids About Sex and Consent

(Available in English and Spanish) | Useful to Parent Centers, other community groups, and families of adolescent children with and without disabilities   When it comes to sex and our children (and ourselves), it’s important to have boundaries and hold to them. This article from the Child Mind Institute will help parents and other involved […]

Adverse Childhood Experiences in Indian Country

Useful to: Alaska Native and American Indian communities, organizations working with and on behalf of Native communities, Native families and tribes themselves Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are common. Many Tribal individuals, families, and communities have been impacted by childhood experiences causing physical and mental health adversities throughout the lifespan. However, with understanding and effort, individuals […]

Videos to Teach Students 5 Foundational Mental Health Skills

The California Healthy Minds, Thriving Kids project has produced an evidence-based video series with accompanying study guides. There are introductory videos for caregivers and educators, and videos to teach young people five clinically proven mental health skills. Our youth has never needed these foundational mental health skills more than they do right now.

Five topics are treated, each with multiple videos and supporting materials. Those topics are: Understanding Feelings, Understanding Thoughts, Relaxation Skills, Managing Intense Emotions, and Mindfulness. All videos and supporting materials are available in English and Spanish.

Want to know more, and how to access each of the video sets in either language? Come here and read all about it!

Schizophrenia: What It Is and Is Not

(2022, February) | For Parent Centers, families, and school systems, to further their understanding of what schizoprenia is and is not   This article, published in Psychology Today, focuses on clearing up 5 myths about the thought disorder of schizoprenia. In addition to addressing commonly held myths about the disorder, the article includes key points […]

The New Reading Rainbow: Great Books About Race, Diversity, and Inclusion

For young kids, books are an experience, a cooperative reading lessons with pointing, musing, and discussions about the content built into the comfort of bonding. While there are many excellent book lists for young readers that challenge representation and celebrate diversity, this list includes reading recommendations derived from a variety of organizations and experts leading the charge. It was created with the idea in mind that parents would be reading these books with their kids and, when questions arise, breaking down the content in a way that their child can understand. The reading list is also part of the series From The Start: A Parent’s Guide to Talking About Racial Bias, a rich source of guidance into the challenging task of talking about race. Connect with both of these resources here.

Building Responsive Relationships Remotely

In the Spring and Fall of 2020, the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University hosted a series of conversations with members of its Frontiers of Innovation community. Through these conversations, members shared their stories of innovation and resilience as they sought to maintain services for families during the pandemic.

Building Responsive Relationships Remotely is a compilation of the ideas and wisdom that experts from the field shared during those conversations to help others navigate remote interactions. Read more about (and access) the resource here.

How Right Now Partner Toolkit

How Right Now is an initiative to address people’s feelings of grief, loss, and worry during the COVID-19 pandemic. It aims to increase people’s ability to adapt and be resilient during this time.

The initiative’s Partner Toolkit provides materials tailored for use with specific audiences and communities (people ages 65 and over; caregivers; people with pre-existing mental health or physical conditions; those experiencing violence; and those experiencing economic distress). Among the materials you’ll find in the toolkit are sharable graphics to promote the How Right Now initiative and website; graphics that illustrate simple ways to support emotional well-being; and a launch video featuring how people are coping during the pandemic. A Spanish version of the toolkit is available, too! Find out more here.