Products and Resources Catalog

The Northwest MHTTC is excited to co-sponsor the UW SMART Center's Annual 2022 Speaker Series. Originally a series of in-person events, we have moved these presentations to a virtual format due to COVID-19.  Description: School mental health services increase access to mental health care for children and adolescents. However, significant disparities remain in the appropriateness, quality, effectiveness, and outcomes of school mental health services, particularly among students from marginalized racial/ethnic groups and/or families with low income. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased mental health challenges among students and exacerbated disparities in school mental health services. The purpose of this presentation is to provide strategies for addressing mental health disparities and advancing mental health equity in schools.   Objectives: Explain the burden of mental health challenges among children and adolescents and associated disparities in school mental health care State the importance of involving stakeholders in the development, selection, adaptation, implementation, and evaluation of evidence-based school mental health interventions Discuss examples of policies, interventions, and implementation strategies to advance mental health equity in schools Describe the Adapting Strategies to Promote Implementation Reach and Equity framework   Recording & Resources: Presentation PDF Spanish Subtitles Available Here   About the Presenter: Kimberly T. Arnold, PhD, MPH Assistant Professor of Family Medicine and Community Health @University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine Dr. Kimberly Arnold is a public health researcher and practitioner who addresses health disparities disproportionately experienced by Black Americans and engages in multi-sector collaboration to address inequities in social determinants of health in the areas of food security, housing, education, and mental health care access and quality. Dr. Arnold is a leader in health equity, community engaged research approaches, and implementation science. She conducts research—in partnership with community members, practitioners, and policymakers—to increase and improve the adoption, implementation, and sustainability of evidence-based mental health interventions in community settings with a focus on schools and churches. Dr. Arnold earned a BA in Biology with minors in African American Studies and Health from the College of Charleston in 2012, MPH from the Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health and Human Rights in 2014, and PhD in Health Policy and Management and certificate in Community-Based Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2019. In 2021, she completed a National Institute of Mental Health T32 postdoctoral fellowship in implementation science, mental health services research, and academic-community partnerships at the Penn Center for Mental Health. Dr. Arnold is currently an Assistant Professor of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.   Learn more and register for other events in the series here Want more information and school mental health resources? Visit the Northwest MHTTC's School Mental Health page and sign up for our newsletter for regular updates about events, trainings, and resources available to the Northwest region.

As we strive to improve conversations about race, racism, racial equity, and the importance of advancing cultural humility in this country, the environment in which we’re speaking seems to be constantly shifting. Perhaps this is an indication that these conversations are more important now than ever. But talking about race is complex and multi-layered, and despite significant progress, explicit and implicit racism still exist. Nothing bridges the divide of race and culture like informed dialogue that’s grounded in shared understanding. Review our "Diversity Talk" to get tips on how to structure conversations—with clearly framed goals, space for sharing various perspectives, and an acceptance of discomfort—for thoughtful discussion about racial equity and ways to advance and extend cultural humility. To watch the recording, visit: https://youtu.be/HkialJr2fag.    

About This Resource: Youth participation in advising and decision-making in systems change initiatives bring unique and vital insight into our work. This session will explore what is needed to promote youth and young adult engagement in program development and implementation and key factors that can contribute to disengagement. There will be a focus on learning effective strategies for engaging and maximizing youth voice and choice in designing programs and systems that work for them, how to increase young people's active participation in collaborative team settings, and how to assess whether this is happening successfully. In partnership with young adults, we'll explore what authentic youth-adult partnerships look like and learn about tangible experiences of youth about what it means to be meaningfully engaged.    Event Objectives: Review strategies for maximizing family leadership Identify challenges and discuss solutions to engaging family and youth leadership Describe real world examples of operationalizing youth-guided  Understand how to assess youth engagement efforts Presentation Materials: Download Youth Voice Session 2 PDF Youth Voice Session 2 Participant Guide >>> Access Full Series Here! <<< DISCLAIMER: Do not reproduce or distribute this presentation for a fee without specific, written authorization from the Northwest MHTTC. Want more information and school mental health resources? Visit the Northwest MHTTC's School Mental Health page and sign up for our newsletter for regular updates about events, trainings, and resources available to the Northwest region.

This online seminar recording provides a general understanding of common emotional responses to the coronavirus pandemic – worry, anxiety, demoralization, moral distress -- and offers efficient strategies to deal with them.  Guest presenter Kaethe Weingarten, PhD, focuses on the witnessing model, a concept she developed, that describes four different witness positions that affect people in their daily lives. Ways of moving into the only effective position are suggested.  Concrete ideas for remaining in one’s resilient zone, not stuck too high, not stuck too low, are also described.  Dr. Weingarten also shares a unique prevention approach to the development of PTSD.  

This workshop recording walks participants through the foundations of trauma-informed care, including its principles and philosophy, why trauma-informed care is important, and strategies for incorporating trauma-informed practices throughout youth peer support services. It is critical for peer providers to understand trauma and its impact on many of the youth and young adults they will be working with. This recorded workshop provides concrete examples of what trauma-informed practice looks like in action and how to apply this philosophy within peer relationships.  

About this Resource:  Evidence-based practices have become the goal for supporting recovery for people with severe mental illness. But, we are not all working in environments that have the capacity to achieve full fidelity to these models.  In Part 3 of our this 6-part series Ms. Lia Hicks reviews core aspects of Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) and Supportive Housing, focusing on practical strategies and skills behavioral health providers can use now to make a difference in assisting clients meet basic needs. To learn more or register for other sessions in this series, please visit our Keeping It Practical: Core Skills for Evidence-Based Practices page or click here. 

February 28, 2022   This presentation will focus on the ways that various forms of meditation can be used by healthcare providers for self-care. In addition, we will explore how the use of meditation can assist providers in their clinical work with clients. After a brief review of relevant research, various forms of meditation will be demonstrated and practiced.   Objectives: - Review research findings relevant to meditation, self-care, and clinical effectiveness. - Demonstrate and practice specific meditation techniques used for self-care and clinical effectiveness. - Provide meditation resources for healthcare providers.   To watch the recording, go to: https://youtu.be/btow5UwLW3g   Presenter: Mark Brenner, PhD, LICSW Mark J. Brenner, Ph.D., LICSW is Professor Emeritus at Bridgewater State University where he taught in the School of Social Work. Dr. Brenner has over 20 years of clinical experience working with children, adolescents, and adults in both inpatient and outpatient settings. He has studied and practiced Zen Buddhism since 1988 in the Kwan Um tradition. As a member of the American Red Cross Disaster Mental Health Team, Dr. Brenner volunteers at local and national disasters. His research interests include the use of contemplative practices and the integration of Eastern philosophies into Western psychotherapeutic models.

ABOUT THIS RESOURCE Leading and supervising people draws on many skills, including the ability to make wise, critical decisions that can empower individuals, shed light on outdated policies, improve workplace culture, and facilitate societal change. We may have to think on our feet and choose what seems best when deadlines are looming, but is it also possible to make quick and crucial choices that come from a solid sense of awareness and confidence? Wisdom to Know the Difference views our decision-making processes through a trauma-informed lens, inviting us to view our own personal history and psycho-neuro patterns, revealing new paths to problem-solving to build an even more dependable foundation of clarity and heart.  Learning Objectives: Apply a trauma-informed lens for recognizing origins of personal decision-making patterns Cultivate and adopt critical self-evaluation skills while in supervisory roles Define and apply broader perspectives to leadership for more effective and inclusive outcomes ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Presentation slides  Highlights & Key Concepts Document The Body Keeps The Score by Bessel Van der Kolk Nothing's for Nothing by Rebekah Demirel Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski The Myth of Normal by Gabor Mate The Wisdom of Trauma (video) Anchored by Deb Dana Widen the Window by Elizabeth Stanley Activate Your Vagus Nerve by Navaz Habib   FACILITATOR   Rebekah Demirel, L.Ac MPCC Rebekah Demirel L.Ac. MPCC, is the founder and director of Trauma Integration Programs, with more than a decade as an ambulance paramedic, twenty-two years as a paramedic trainer, eighteen years of mental health counseling experience, specializing in traumatic stress, and she is a licensed East Asian medicine practitioner and acupuncturist. Rebekah’s unique skill set and experience are informed by her own traumatic childhood and teen years spent on the street and in the foster care system, giving her a special familiarity and empathy for trauma and loss.   Terms of use and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) disclosure statement

ABOUT THIS EPISODE From a Supervisory perspective, Rebekah Demirel of Trauma Integration Programs, discusses how we can view decision-making through a trauma-informed lens and explore our own personal history, psycho-neuro patterns, and habitual thought processes to build new decision making paths and lead a team from the heart. GUEST Rebekah Demirel Rebekah Demirel L.Ac. MPCC, is the founder and director of Trauma Integration Programs, with more than a decade as an ambulance paramedic, twenty-two years as a paramedic trainer, eighteen years of mental health counseling experience, specializing in traumatic stress, and she is a licensed East Asian medicine practitioner and acupuncturist. Rebekah’s unique skill set and experience are informed by her own traumatic childhood and teen years spent on the street and in the foster care system, giving her a special familiarity and empathy for trauma and loss.      HOST Christina N. Clayton, LICSW, SUDP, Northwest MHTTC Co-Director Christina Clayton has been working in the behavioral health field since 1993 working with people and programs addressing severe mental health issues, substance use, co-occurring issues, chronic homelessness, integrated care, outreach, physical health, trauma and diversity/equity/inclusion topics. Christina has education and licenses/credentials in clinical social work, mental health and substance use.  She is also a Clinical Assistant Professor and Field Instructor for the University of Washington School of Social Work (MSW ’97).  Learn more about MHTTC Staff & Faculty   LEARN MORE Webinar recording, slides & resources PODCAST SERIES Discover other episodes in the Putting It Together series here. Terms of use and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) disclosure statement

This presentation will help educators gain an understanding of secondary traumatic stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue. Participants will have the opportunity to reflect on self-care practices and develop a personal self-care plan. Session Objectives: Differentiate between burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary trauma Recognize signs and symptoms of burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary traumatic stress Identify practical strategies for self-care Create a personal self-care plan for the future

The Pacific Southwest MHTTC curated a list of resources to support mental health needs in times of crisis. These resources have been curated with social distance mandates in mind and provide many virtual or electronic options for support. The list includes relevant webinars, stress management apps, publications, and online resources.

Recording of the event Treatment of Mental Illness and Chronic Disease Comorbidity in the Black Community, originally held on February 17, 2022.     Presentation slides.

This event was held on February 23, 2022. Access slide deck and other resources by clicking DOWNLOAD above Recording coming soon! Event Description According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people living in rural communities are at higher risk of suicide than their urban counterparts. The combination of greater access to firearms, high rates of drug and alcohol abuse, and limited access to psychologists and other mental health professionals form a lethal triad that contributes to the significantly higher numbers of suicide in rural communities.   In addition to these factors, many people living in rural community’s struggle with the stigma associated with mental health and seeking help.    For rural communities, confronting the reality of higher suicide numbers and the lingering impact on their communities while identifying and understanding how to address the relationships between these factors is key to addressing the problem.  This 4-hour seminar gave providers and anyone providing mental health support to individuals a working knowledge, resources, and community-based solutions for addressing suicide in rural communities. Participants learned about the signs and symptoms of suicide, the impact of stigma on seeking and maintaining treatment, the role of harm reduction, and suicide postvention for providers and families.        The seminar explored the following topics:  Stigma  Signs & Symptoms  Risk Factors vs. Protective Factors  How to Approach the Conversation as an individual and community.  Post-suicide - survivorship of the family "Nothing goes away in rural communities."    Content for this seminar was drawn from multiple sources including Mental Health First Aid, the Suicide Prevention Toolkit for Primary Care Practices, and the American Indian Addendum to the Suicide Prevention Toolkit for Primary Care Practices.     Due to the intensive and interactive nature of the seminar, registration was limited to 25 participants.    For more information, please contact:  [email protected]    Trainer Debra Brownlee, PhD

As we strive to improve conversations about race, racism, racial equity, and the importance of advancing cultural humility in this country, the environment in which we’re speaking seems to be constantly shifting. Perhaps this is an indication that these conversations are more important now than ever. But talking about race is complex and multi-layered, and despite significant progress, explicit and implicit racism still exist. Nothing bridges the divide of race and culture like informed dialogue that’s grounded in shared understanding. Get tips on how to structure conversations—with clearly framed goals, space for sharing various perspectives, and an acceptance of discomfort—for thoughtful discussion about racial equity and ways to advance and extend cultural humility.   To watch the recording, go to: https://youtu.be/p0kSiuYNkeM    Presenters:  /*-->*/ /*-->*/ /*-->*/ /*-->*/ /*--> Dietra Hawkins, PsyD and Maria E. Restrepo-Toro, BSN, MS

ABOUT THIS EPISODE We talk with Rebekah Demirel of Trauma Integration Programs, how we can view decision-making through a trauma-informed lens and explore one's own personal history, psycho-neuro patterns, and habitual thought processes to build new decision making paths towards a more stable and dependable foundation of clarity and heart. > GUEST Rebekah Demirel Rebekah Demirel L.Ac. MPCC, is the founder and director of Trauma Integration Programs, with more than a decade as an ambulance paramedic, twenty-two years as a paramedic trainer, eighteen years of mental health counseling experience, specializing in traumatic stress, and she is a licensed East Asian medicine practitioner and acupuncturist. Rebekah’s unique skill set and experience are informed by her own traumatic childhood and teen years spent on the street and in the foster care system, giving her a special familiarity and empathy for trauma and loss.      HOST Christina N. Clayton, LICSW, SUDP, Northwest MHTTC Co-Director Christina Clayton has been working in the behavioral health field since 1993 working with people and programs addressing severe mental health issues, substance use, co-occurring issues, chronic homelessness, integrated care, outreach, physical health, trauma and diversity/equity/inclusion topics. Christina has education and licenses/credentials in clinical social work, mental health and substance use.  She is also a Clinical Assistant Professor and Field Instructor for the University of Washington School of Social Work (MSW ’97).  Learn more about MHTTC Staff & Faculty   LEARN MORE Webinar recording, slides & resources PODCAST SERIES Discover other episodes in the Putting It Together series here. Terms of use and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) disclosure statement

ABOUT THIS RESOURCE Life can be complicated, and there may be times we feel overwhelmed by the many choices and decisions we are faced with. Sometimes it’s hard to know what direction to go, and that can just add to our level of stress. In this webinar, the audience is encouraged to view decision-making through a trauma-informed lens and explore one's own personal history, psycho-neuro patterns, and habitual thought processes. Through discovering roots of our thoughts and actions, and by applying nervous system healing techniques, we bring fresh awareness to our everyday life; this makes it possible to build new decision making paths towards a more stable and dependable foundation of clarity and heart.  Learning Objectives: Apply a trauma-informed lens to recognize personal decision-making patterns Cultivate self-evaluation to notice personal decision making styles Define and apply broader perspectives how decisions are made   ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Presentation slides Highlights & Key Concepts document Anchored: How to Befriend Your Nervous System Using Polyvagal Theory by Deborah Dana Nothing's for Nothing by Rebekah Demirel Activate Your Vagus Nerve: Unleash Your Body's Natural Ability to Heal by Navaz Habib The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, & Healing in a Toxic Culture by Gabor Maté Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski Widen the Window: Training Your Brain and Body to Thrive During Stress and Recover from Trauma by Elizabeth Stanley The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel Van der Kolk The Wisdom of Trauma (video)   FACILITATOR Rebekah Demirel, L.Ac MPCC Rebekah Demirel L.Ac. MPCC, is the founder and director of Trauma Integration Programs, with more than a decade as an ambulance paramedic, twenty-two years as a paramedic trainer, eighteen years of mental health counseling experience, specializing in traumatic stress, and she is a licensed East Asian medicine practitioner and acupuncturist. Rebekah’s unique skill set and experience are informed by her own traumatic childhood and teen years spent on the street and in the foster care system, giving her a special familiarity and empathy for trauma and loss.         Terms of use and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) disclosure statement

  ABOUT THIS EPISODE Healthcare and mental health systems have a long history of pathologizing and marginalizing people who identify as transgender. In this episode, we speak with Ryan Tieu, who brings their professional experience as a social worker and lived experiences as a first-generation immigrant, queer, transgender, and young person of color.  GUEST Ryan Kim Tieu Ryan Kim Tiêu is an Associate Clinical Social Worker, former Executive and Mental Health Director at the Gender Health Center, a grassroots nonprofit staffed by and providing mental health, healthcare, and advocacy services for queer and transgender community members in Sacramento, CA. HOST Christina N. Clayton, LICSW, SUDP, Northwest MHTTC Co-Director Christina Clayton has been working in the behavioral health field since 1993 working with people and programs addressing severe mental health issues, substance use, co-occurring issues, chronic homelessness, integrated care, outreach, physical health, trauma and diversity/equity/inclusion topics. Christina has education and licenses/credentials in clinical social work, mental health and substance use.  She is also a Clinical Assistant Professor and Field Instructor for the University of Washington School of Social Work (MSW ’97).  Learn more about MHTTC Staff & Faculty   LEARN MORE Webinar recording, slides, & resources: "Transgender Mental Health: Co-Conspiratorship"  PODCAST SERIES Discover other episodes in the Putting It Together series here. Terms of use and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) disclosure statement

  ABOUT THIS EPISODE Join us to learn about suicide care with Dr. Kate Comtois, a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington and director of the Center for Suicide Prevention and Recovery (CSPAR).  GUEST Katherine (Kate) Comtois, PhD, MPH Katherine (Kate) Comtois is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington. She has developed or adapted interventions to improve care and clinician willingness to work with suicidal patients including Caring Contacts, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS), and Preventing Addiction Related Suicide (PARS), and Accepting the Challenges of Employment and Self-Sufficiency (DBT-ACES), a program to assist psychiatrically disabled individuals find and maintain living wage employment. Dr. Comtois is the director of the Center for Suicide Prevention and Recovery (CSPAR) whose mission is to promote the recovery of suicidal individuals and the effectiveness and well-being of the clinicians and families who care for them by conducting rigorous and ecologically valid research, developing innovative interventions, improving policies, systems and environments of care, and providing expert training and consultation. In addition to clinical research, she founded the Society for Implementation Research Collaboration (SIRC) and is the PI and Director of the Military Suicide Research Consortium Dissemination and Implementation core.  These organizations focus on disseminating and implementing innovative, evidence-based interventions in the systems that need them. HOST Christina N. Clayton, LICSW, SUDP, Northwest MHTTC Co-Director Christina Clayton has been working in the behavioral health field since 1993 working with people and programs addressing severe mental health issues, substance use, co-occurring issues, chronic homelessness, integrated care, outreach, physical health, trauma and diversity/equity/inclusion topics. Christina has education and licenses/credentials in clinical social work, mental health and substance use.  She is also a Clinical Assistant Professor and Field Instructor for the University of Washington School of Social Work (MSW ’97).  Learn more about MHTTC Staff & Faculty   LEARN MORE Webinar recording, slides, and resources: "Maximizing Therapeutic Alliance in Suicide Risk Assessment, Management, and Treatment" PODCAST SERIES Discover other episodes in the Putting It Together series here. Terms of use and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) disclosure statement

Access slide deck with the green DOWNLOAD button above CLICK HERE to watch the recording This event was held on February 22nd, 2022.  Event Description Everyone can all think of things they want to change about themselves or their behavior. Why is it so difficult for many people to make those desired changes? In a word, motivation. When someone is motivated, changing their behavior for the better is no longer a matter of “if” but of “how.”  This understanding is the essence of Motivational Interviewing (MI), a popular psychotherapy technique that helps individuals make positive changes to their health, relationships, and quality of life.     Motivational Interviewing is a person-centered, non-confrontational counseling technique that prompts behavior change.  Behavioral and Cognitive Psychotherapy defines MI as “a directive, client-centered counseling style for eliciting behavior change by helping clients to explore and resolve ambivalence.”  Originally MI was designed to address alcohol or other drug addictions but has recently been effective in situations where people may feel ambivalent about making positive behavioral changes. Motivational Interviewing is widely used to help patients address eating disorders, thoughts of suicide, smoking, gambling, hoarding, substance use disorder, and co-occurring disorders.  In this one-hour training, participants went away with a clear understanding of what Motivational Interviewing is and what it is not. Including steps on how to begin to use it most effectively to assist patients in discovering ways to make positive changes in their lives.     Trainer Ivory Tubbs, PhD Technical Expert, RCORP WICHE Behavioral Health Program                 Prior to earning his doctorate in psychology, Ivory served in the United States Air Force during Operation Desert Shield in logistics in 1991. Prior to his discharge from the military, Ivory’s career in the mental/behavioral health field began in Las Vegas, Nevada as a crisis intervention specialist. Later, he transitioned to the role of child development assistant with Clark County Family Services.  In 1999 he was appointed as the Executive Director of Windsor Village Social Services, an agency working in conjunction with FEMA to provide emergency food, shelter and utility assistance for area residents. In addition to fulfilling his duties as Executive Director, Ivory was also a Senior Public Health Investigator with the City of Houston, Bureau of Epidemiology conducting psycho-social assessments regarding sexual practices and opioid use within the HIV/AIDS community for the CDC. After his simultaneous roles as Executive Director and Senior Public Health Investigator, Ivory began adding to his knowledge base by joining the University of Texas School of Health Sciences, Psychiatric Center working with acute and subacute psychosis patients as well as patients in the forensic psychology unit for the Houston Police Department.  Ivory was also a Psychological Assessor focusing on dual diagnosis patients as well as outpatient therapy to monitor psychotropic drug interactions. Ivory took a hiatus from behavioral health to become an HR Manager in compliance and performance management for Walmart US. Ivory has served on several boards of directors and has done extensive work in the homeless community. He has also held the role of director working with the developmentally delayed population. 

Este plan de estudios, desarrollado por el National Center for School Mental Health en asociación con la Oficina de Coordinación de la Red del Centro de Transferencia de Tecnología para la Salud Mental, describe los componentes centrales del desarrollo, funcionamiento y mantenimiento de un sistema integral de salud mental escolar en los distritos escolares. Contiene ocho módulos diseñados para ser impartidos en sesiones en servicio de 60 minutos a cargo de un instructor de salud mental escolar designado a nivel estatal o distrital. El plan de estudios contiene manuales para instructores y participantes (con diapositivas, hojas de trabajo y otros recursos a los que se hace referencia en los módulos) y diapositivas de PowerPoint con notas para el presentador. Los Sistemas Integrales de Salud Mental Escolar (Comprehensive School Mental Health Systems, CSMHS) se definen a continuación y pueden funcionar a nivel de distrito o escuela.

While schools serve as a natural setting for student mental health services, relying solely on school-based staff and resources may create system strains and inadequately meet all student needs. Building partnerships and utilizing collaborations with community health organizations can broaden access to mental health care. To support New Jersey schools and districts with identifying potential system partners, the Northeast & Caribbean Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) has developed the New Jersey School Mental Health Resource Directory. This directory includes nearly 200 organizations throughout the state of New Jersey that provide mental health services to children and adolescents. When utilizing the directory schools and districts may find it most helpful to: determine the types of services for which support is needed, use the directory key to identify the type of organizations that may be applicable, and search by county for organizations that fit your needs.

Worry and anxiety are regular parts of life, but they can also be indications that your child needs more support. The recognition of anxiety disorders in young people has increased significantly over the past 10 years. Approximately 30% of children and adolescents will experience an anxiety disorder at some point in their young lives. Knowing the signs and seeking professional help when needed will help to interrupt a progression that can lead to depression, poor school performance, and substance use.

While people used to think that depression only occurred in adults, we now know that children and adolescents can also experience depression. In fact, on average, approximately 3% of children ages 3-17 have a diagnosis of depression. That rate increases by 6-10% during adolescence. While many children experience down moods, the symptoms of depression should not be ignored.

Suicide is a serious and real concern among children and teens. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth ages 10-24. Suicide attempts are often related to other mental health conditions, but not always. Particularly among younger children, suicide attempts can be impulsive. Warning signs of suicide or suicidal statements should always be taken seriously and evaluated by a mental health professional. Suicidal feelings are treatable with appropriate intervention and support.