Youth Mental Health
The youth in our lives need the guidance and support of a trusted adult, whether it is a parent, relative, teacher or other adult in their life. Take a look at the resources below to learn about important topics to share with a child, adolescent or teen in your life.
Resources
Suicide Prevention - Just like first aid and CPR, suicide prevention is valuable knowledge for everyone to have in their toolkit to support a healthy family and community. Gather resources and learn the steps to take to support a youth in crisis. YFS and MISD counselors offer a “Youth Suicide Prevention for Adults” webinar twice a year in April and November. Check the calendar for upcoming programs.
Parenting Mercer Island - Find resources and tools on stress, anxiety and navigating mental health. Tools are based on the developmental age of your child (0-19)
Youth Mental Health First Aid - Gain skills on how to help an adolescent in crisis or who is experiencing a mental health challenge. Similar to traditional first aid and CPR, mental health first aid is help provided to a person developing a mental health problem or experiencing a crisis before they can get professional treatment or the crisis resolves. Free class for King County residents. Source: Seattle Children’s Hospital.
Understanding Eating Disorders - Eating disorders among youth are on the rise. Eating disorders are serious and potentially fatal illnesses that cause severe disturbances to a person’s eating behaviors. Understanding eating disorders is complex as they can present as restricted eating, obsessions with food, body weight, and occur in all genders. Learn more about warning signs and how to support a youth.
Words Matter
Using inclusive language can help people feel more comfortable and reach out for support when needed. The National Association on Mental Illness (NAMI) provides a simple and caring approach to bust myths and stereotypes.Seattle Children’s Hospital FAST Programs - The evidence-based First Approach Skills Training (FAST) provide parents and caregivers tools to support children/teens with anxiety, depression and challenging behaviors. Source: Seattle Children’s Hospital
Supporting LGBTQIA+ Youth - Youth survey data shows that LGBTQ+ youth experience higher risk of mental health struggles. Learn how you can support and minimize the risks to ensure that all youth grow up feeling supported and seen.