Tracking mental health in children

Ayush April 17, 2024

MENTAL HEALTH OF CHILDREN. A SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE PEW RESEARCH CENTER FINDS THAT IT IS THE NUMBER ONE CONCERN AMONG PARENTS OF KIDS OF ALL AGES AND DEMOGRAPHICS. LOCALLY, THE CENTER FOR CHILD COUNSELING IS LEADING THE FIGHT TO HELP LOCAL CHILDREN FIND THE RIGHT RESOURCES WHEN FACED WITH MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES AND HERE TO TALK MORE IS THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE CENTER FOR CHILD COUNSELING. WE HAVE RENEE LAYMAN WITH US AND ALSO PEDIATRICIAN DOCTOR SHANNON FOX LEVINE. LADIES, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE WITH US THIS MORNING TO TALK ABOUT WHAT IS A VERY IMPORTANT AND CRITICAL TOPIC. SO, RENEE, WE’LL START WITH YOU. WHAT ARE YOU SEEING WITH CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH RIGHT NOW? WELL, NATIONALLY AND LOCALLY WE HAVE A YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS ABOUT 1 IN 4 CHILDREN ARE EXPERIENCING SOME SORT OF MENTAL HEALTH CONCERN. AND WE ALSO HAVE A LACK OF QUALIFIED CLINICIANS WHO CAN ACTUALLY SERVE THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN THAT ARE IN CRISIS. WE’RE SEEING RISING RATES OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND AT ANY GIVEN POINT, WE HAVE A WAIT LIST OF ABOUT 300 CHILDREN WAITING FOR SERVICES. WOW. WHAT DO YOU WANT PARENTS TO KNOW WHO MAYBE ARE TRYING TO SEEK SOME HELP FOR THEIR CHILDREN? WELL, LOOK AT THOSE SIGNS. PREVENTION EARLY INTERVENTION WORKS. WE WE ALWAYS SAY WE DON’T HAVE TO WAIT FOR A CHILD TO FALL APART EMOTIONALLY BEFORE WE DO SOMETHING. SO WE REALLY BUILD A LOT OF THOSE PREVENTION EARLY INTERVENTION SUPPORTS FOR PARENTS. THEY CAN REACH OUT. WE HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE. WE HAVE WORKSHOPS AND VIDEOS AND SUPPORT GROUPS REALLY TRYING TO MITIGATE THE IMPACT OF ADVERSE CITY TRAUMA. EARLY ON SO E CAN SUPPORT FAMILIES. DOCTOR FOX LEVINE I ALWAYS THINK WHEN IT COMES TO MENTAL HEALTH, RIGHT. IF WE WERE TO SPRAIN YOUR ANKLE, BREAK OUR ARM, WE’RE GOING TO GO SEE A DOCTOR, RIGHT? WE’RE GOING TO GO GET HELP, MAYBE POSSIBLY SOME MEDICINE. SO WE SHOULD BE TREATING MENTAL HEALTH THE SAME WAY. MIND BODY CONNECTION. RIGHT. THE MIND IS THE BODY. THE BODY IS THE MIND. SO SEPARATING OUT MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH DOESN’T REALLY MAKE SENSE. BUT THAT’S UNFORTUNATELY HOW PEOPLE THINK OF IT. AND PEDIATRICIANS EVEN, YOU KNOW, WE HIT BARRIERS TO CARE FOR MENTAL HEALTH. UM, THE TIME THAT IT TAKES TO SCREEN APPROPRIATELY AND, AND TO FIND RESOURCES TO PLUG PATIENTS INTO AND THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WE NEED THAT IT’S, YOU KNOW, STILL LACKING IN TRAINING. AND SO THIS IS REALLY A PARTNERSHIP SHIP THAT, YOU KNOW, RENEE AND I HAVE WORKED TOGETHER FOR MANY YEARS ON AND RECENTLY WE DEVELOPED A MODEL TO TRY TO HELP THE PEDIATRICIANS IN OUR COMMUNITY BETTER HELP OUR CHILDREN. DO YOU FEEL THAT THERE’S BEEN SOME PROGRESS? WE’VE DONE A LOT OF CHILD MENTAL HEALTH SERIES HERE ON OUR NEWSCAST AND IN THE MORNING, AND I REMEMBER SPEAKING WITH ONE CLINICAL THERAPIST WHO SAID THAT AFTER COVID, THEY KIND OF TURNED A LOT TO PEDIATRICIANS. AND TRYING TO WORK WITH THEM SO THAT PARENTS KIND OF HAD SOMEONE THEY COULD GO TO IF THEY HAD ANY QUESTIONS. AND IT IS WHO THEY SHOULD GO TO. YOU KNOW, WE ARE THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND. WE KNOW THEM FROM BIRTH TO 21. WE ARE PART OF THEIR FAMILY. AND SO IT MAKES SENSE FOR FAMILIES TO COME TO US FIRST. HOWEVER, WE NEED TO KNOW AS PEDIATRICIANS WHAT TO DO NEXT, RIGHT? AND THERE ARE VERY, YOU KNOW, OVERWHELMING SOMETIMES AMOUNTS OF INFORMATION OUT THERE FOR PEDIATRICIANS TO BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHERE TO START. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, OUR OUR COMMUNITY IS FULL OF RESOURCES. BUT SOMETIMES TO PUT THEM ALL TOGETHER AND TO FIGURE OUT AGAIN WHERE TO START CAN BE CHALLENGING. SO, YOU KNOW, WE’RE WORKING TOGETHER TO EDUCATE OUR COMMUNITY AND AGAIN, ADVOCATE FOR THE PEDIATRICIANS, REALLY TO HELP THEM. SO THAT THEY CAN ADVOCATE FOR OUR KIDS. AND DO YOU KNOW THE BEST JOB WE CAN WITH THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS AND THE CENTER IS SUCH A WONDERFUL RESOURCE FOR ALL OF THAT. TALK TO US ABOUT THIS IMPORTANT EVENT. YOU HAVE COMING UP. SO IT’S A PART OF A SERIES THAT WE’VE BEEN DOING FOR OVER EIGHT YEARS NOW. IT’S CALLED LEAD THE FIGHT, AND WE’RE LOOKING AT SYSTEMS LEADERS AND PEDIATRICIANS ARE SO IMPORTANT. THEY REALLY ARE. THE FRONT DOOR FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM. SO WE ARE PROVIDING A SERIES THIS YEAR. TONIGHT WE LAUNCH IT WITH SHANNON AND SOME OF OUR TEAM THAT ARE GOING TO REALLY PROVIDE EDUCATION TO OVER 70 PEOPLE THAT WILL BE IN ATTENDANCE TONIGHT, PRIMARILY PEDIATRICIANS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE WORK YOU’RE DOING FOR OUR CHILDREN HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY. IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION ON THE CENTER FOR CHILD COUNSELING, WE’VE PUT A LINK ON OUR WEBSITE, WPBF DOT COM. SO JUST GO THERE, CLICK ON THAT. AND EVERYTHING WE JUST TALKED ABOUT ALONG WITH ALL OF THOSE RESOURCES TH

Tracking mental health in children

The Center for Child Counseling is leading the way to help local children with mental health. They are hosting an event for other medical professionals. Click here to learn how the center can help you. Related: Challenges finding mental health professionals of colorTop headlines:

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. —

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