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Children & Mental Health

Parents and Schools Working Together

Denise Giuliano

Executive Director

NAMI Howard County�dgiuliano@namihowardcountymd.org

Joseline Castaños

Board Member

Parent Support Group Facilitator

joselinecastanos@gmail.com

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Why does Mental Health Matter?

Mental health can affect your child’s

Ability to learn
Attendance
All relationships:

peers, family, school, community

Physical health
Developmental milestones
Long-term success

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

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Facts about Mental �Health and in Children and Youth

13% (ages 8-15) and 20% (ages 13-18) of youth live with a mental health condition¹
50% of mental health conditions have signs and symptoms by age 14
50% of 8-15-year-olds with a mental health condition don’t receive treatment²
The average delay between onset of symptoms and treatment is 8-10 years³
17% of high school students seriously consider suicide⁴

¹NAMI. (2013). Mental Illness Facts and Numbers. ²Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014). Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance–United States, 2013. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 63(4), 1-168.

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Why Partner with Schools?��

You and your child’s teachers are their closest observers.
Behaviors caused by mental health issues can look very different at home and school.
Good communication between school and families helps get a complete picture of the issue.
Early identification & intervention offers the best chance for student success

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Know the WARNING SIGNS

Children with mental illness experience constant, unrelieved and challenging symptoms.

Keys to Early Symptom Recognition:

Intensity: how severe are the symptoms?

Duration: how long do they last?

Level of distress: how much do they impair daily functioning?

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

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Signs of a Mental Health Condition�In Children (same in adults!)

Feeling very sad or withdrawn for more than 2 weeks
Severe out-of-control behaviors
Sudden overwhelming fear for no reason
Severe mood swings that cause problems in relationships
Drastic changes in behavior, personality or sleeping habits

Jensen et al. (2011). Overlooked and Underserved: “Action Signs” for Identifying Children With Unmet Mental Health Needs. Pediatrics, 128(5), 970-979.

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Examples of Behaviors Seen at Home

Never slows down or has “head in the clouds”
Nothing pleases the child
Severe separation anxiety/not wanting to go to school
Exhausting and demanding behavior
Low frustration tolerance, making it difficult to participate in family activities
Disrupted sleep cycles or night terrors
Prefers isolation to involvement in social activities

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Examples of Behaviors Seen at School

Misses class frequently
Misses assignments and tests
Quality of work gets worse
Extremely disorganized
Expresses violence, thoughts of death, hopelessness, social isolation or confusion in schoolwork
Frequently seeks special conditions
Shows patterns of perfectionism
Responds very emotionally to grades

Cornell University. (2009). Recognizing and Responding to Students in Distress: A Faculty Handbook.

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Warning Signs of Suicide

Talks, writes or draws about death
Says they

want to die, hurt or kill themself
have no reason to live
are a burden to others
won’t be here tomorrow
feel hopeless, desperate or trapped

Looks for ways to take their life
Gives away possessions
Behaves recklessly

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC

Immediate attention is needed if your child:

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If Behaviors are Life-Threatening

Ask: “Are you thinking about hurting yourself?”
Sheppard Pratt Walk-in Clinic
Call Mobile Crisis Team (MCT) 410-531-6677

Now available 24/7

988 National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

Call, text and chat with Trained Counselors
Available 24-hrs (English, Spanish)

Take action IMMEDIATELY:

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If Behaviors are not Life-Threatening

Share your concerns

Ask what teachers see in school
Refer to academic indicators if applicable

Establish communication channels

Email, folder, phone/text

Ask about classroom adjustments

Preferential seating
Flexible HW assignments
Special education – 504 Plan, IEP

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

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Important Strategies for Parents

Keep records of warning signs/problematic behavior, interventions
Initiate physical and psychological evaluation
Notify school if your child is taking medication and/or getting counseling/therapy
Encourage contact between school and outside mental health providers/doctors

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Good Practices for Communicating with Your Child

LISTEN. Validate and name their feelings
Remember they are not choosing to behave this way.
It’s okay – and often a good thing – to be honest. Admit when you are struggling too.
As parents, we often want to FIX everything. Just like adults, sometimes kids just need to vent!
To the best of our abilities, we should be modeling good coping skills (regular exercise, plenty of sleep, daily schedule).
When possible, help them problem-solve.

Most of all KEEP CHECKING IN WITH THEM.

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Tips for Supporting Kids through Transitions

Provide a stable routine and clear expectations.

Keep a schedule posted, have a designated place where they will work

Lay out the expectations early and often

Create a safe and positive learning environment

Help Prepare for Change

(whenever possible!)

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Plan Ahead for Challenges

Talk with your child about what to do if they need help or get frustrated
Ask them what strategies they have that they can use?
Who can they go to for help?

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�Ensure Adequate Down Time

Avoid over-scheduling your child

Kids today spend more time on school and adult-directed activities -- and face higher expectations -- than their parents did in their youth

We all need time to “recharge”

Children need opportunities build resilience to stress and worry.

Free play is best (rather than adult-directed activities). Provides the opportunity to develop solutions on their own.

Important to teach children that they don’t need to be perfect, and mistakes are a part of life.

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Use NAMI Howard County as a Resource

Support Groups for:

*Parents/Caregivers of school-aged kids
*Parents/Caregivers of young adults
Family member/friend of an adult with mental illness
Adult living with mental illness

Education Classes

*NAMI Basics

6-session class for parents/caregivers
No diagnosis necessary
NAMI Basic onDemand (available 24/7 @ nami.org)

Family-to-Family (8 weeks)
Peer-to-Peer (8 weeks)

Connection to Local Resources

All at NO cost

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What happens �in a parent support group?

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Parent Support Group for parents/caregivers of �school-aged kids�Second Monday of the Month� 7:30pm-9pm

How do you join a parent support group?

You register through�NAMI HC Website
You attend through �Zoom (Instructions)
Online Support Group� Frequently Asked Questions

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Use NAMI Howard County as a Resource

Contact us!

Denise Giuliano

Executive Director

dgiuliano@namihowardcountymd.org

410-772-9300�

Joseline Castaños

Board member

Facilitator, Parent Support Group

joselinecastanos@gmail.com