Children’s Mental Health Resources & Forum - Oct 27

October 26, 2021

It's seems that almost every day we see stories about the continued increase of mental health issues in our society, especially in children. Factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, remote learning, and social media have all affected our children and their mental well-being. As a parent, it can be overwhelming and emotional task to ensure your child gets the help they need.

Below I have highlighted a couple resources, including an upcoming mental health forum, for parents with children who are struggling:
 
Immediate Assistance:

  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for English, 1-888-628- 9454 for Spanish, or Lifeline Crisis Chat.
  • Crisis Text Line - Text “HOME” to 741-741, or visit http://www.crisistextline.org/ for more info.

NAMI Education Courses: The National Alliance on Mental Illness offers online education programs for parents and caregivers to learn more about supporting youth who are experiencing mental health symptoms. The NAMI Basics OnDemand is a free, six-session that can be completed on-demand, at your pace.

Children’s Mental Health Forum Tomorrow 

The Children’s Committee will host a roundtable discussion designed for families in crisis this Wednesday, October 27th at 11am. 

This forum will be entirely practical advice for parents of children who are depressed, anxious, suicidal, or engaging in self-harm. The discussion will highlight how to locate counselors for your child, develop family plans and use school resources. It will also cover alternatives to the Emergency Room and specialty LGBTQ+ outreach for kids. You'll learn what to do to start the healing today. 
 
The forum will be held in person at the Legislative Office Building in Hearing Room 1D. If you cannot attend in person, you can watch on 
CT-N, or the Children Committee’s YouTube Channel.
 
This program has been developed with doctors, social workers, and experts... and with love, patience, and understanding. I hope you can join us.