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Teens: Join a Depression, Bipolar, Support Group Made for You

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) offers online support groups for teens age 14-17 living with mood disorders, such as depression or bipolar disorder. Support groups for teens will take place virtually twice a week. Mondays at 5:30p.m. CDT and Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. CDT. Support groups will be powered by Haven Now, an online meeting platform. 

Space is limited. To apply to join a teen support group, click here. 

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Support Groups for Parents and Caregivers 

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) offers online support groups for parents and caregivers of children living with mood disorders, such as depression and bipolar disorder. The support groups are 90-minutes and are organized by the age group of the child. Register here. 

 

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) supports preparedness efforts by states, U.S. territories, tribes, and local entities to deliver an effective mental health and substance use-related response to disasters. SAMHSA helps states and communities with disaster mental health and substance use (disaster behavioral health) preparedness and response issues directly

 

Parent Guidelines for Helping Youth after the Recent Shooting

In this 3-page tip sheet released shortly after a shooting, the NCTSN describes how such an event may affect children and teens as well as parents and other caregivers. The tip sheet lists reactions common among people of all ages, offers coping tips for caregivers, and suggests ways for caregivers to support children and youth in talking about and managing their reactions. 
https://www.nctsn.org/resources/parent-guidelines-helping-youth-after-recent-shooting

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Tips for Survivors: Coping With Grief After a Disaster or Traumatic Event

In this tip sheet, SAMHSA defines and describes grief, discusses ways of coping with grief, and explains complicated or traumatic grief. The tip sheet also offers relevant resources for additional support.
https://store.samhsa.gov/product/Tips-for-Survivors-/SMA17-5035

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Children and Adolescents

Several sections of the SAMHSA Disaster Behavioral Health Information Series (DBHIS) resource collection focus on the common responses and needs children and adolescents may have during and after disasters. These sections include resources that highlight the unique needs of children and adolescents in and after disasters, as well as how adults who work with children, and parents and other caregivers, can offer support to children and adolescents in coping. Following are SAMHSA DBHIS sections related to children and adolescents:

Resources intended for children: 

https://www.samhsa.gov/resource-search/dbhis?rc%5B0%5D=audience%3A20195

Resources for adolescents:

 https://www.samhsa.gov/resource-search/dbhis?rc%5B0%5D=audience%3A20192

Resources about children and disaster: 

https://www.samhsa.gov/resource-search/dbhis?rc%5B0%5D=populations%3A20575

Resources about adolescents and disaster:

 https://www.samhsa.gov/resource-search/dbhis?rc%5B0%5D=populations%3A20151

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Tips for Talking With and Helping Children and Youth Cope After a Disaster or Traumatic Event:

A Guide for Parents, Caregivers, and Teachers—This SAMHSA tip sheet can help parents, other caregivers, and teachers recognize and address problems in children and teens affected by a disaster. The tip sheet describes reactions that are common in young survivors at different ages, as well as how to help children cope with these reactions.
https://store.samhsa.gov/product/tips-talking-helping-children-youth-cope-after-disaster-or-traumatic-event-guide-parents/sma12-4732

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Understanding Child Trauma

This web page from SAMHSA presents statistics on child trauma, which may be experienced as part of a natural or human-caused disaster, and lists signs of traumatic stress in children and youth. It also offers tips for parents and other caregivers for helping children and youth to cope with trauma. Links are also provided to downloadable infographics in English and Spanish provided by the SAMHSA National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative.
https://www.samhsa.gov/child-trauma/understanding-child-trauma 

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Psychological First Aid: Adults Working with Children and Teens

Provided by the New York State Office of Mental Health, this information and tip sheet describes for parents and other caregivers how disasters may affect children and factors that can shape how children react to disasters. It identifies steps parents and other caregivers can take to support children and teens in coping after a disaster.
https://www.omh.ny.gov/omhweb/disaster_resources/pfa/adults_children.pdf

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Responding to Stressful Events: Helping Teens Cope

Developed by the Mental Health Support Network of Canada, this brochure advises parents and other caregivers and teachers on how they can support teenagers in coping with disasters. The brochure describes common reactions to disasters in teenagers, ways adults can respond that may be helpful, and activities for teens that may help them in coping.
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/reports-publications/responding-stressful-events/helping-teens-cope.html

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The Georgia System of Care Website is Live! 

 

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Key features include:

  • A centralized location for all training and workforce development opportunities

  • Contact information for system of care coordinators and providers 

  • News and announcements: national, state, & local 

  • Access points for families to enter community based services 

 

Stress Reduction Tools

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 In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, learn more about the needs of Latinx/Hispanic communities by downloading the MHA BIPOC Mental Health Month toolkit. 

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The National Child Traumatic Stress Network has developed resources to help children, families, educators, and communities navigate what they are seeing and hearing, acknowledge their feelings, and find ways to cope together. These resources include:

 

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