Jul 11, 2023
Youth mental health outcomes are deeply rooted in social determinants of health. Traumatic experiences, poor access to services, and lack of connection to community during the COVID-19 pandemic contribute to rising rates of poor mental health outcomes for children and adolescents. This four-part series will focus on the role of multiple sectors in addressing comprehensive youth mental health and well-being including for children with Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED).
June 21, 2023, 2 – 3 p.m. ET
According to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, poor mental health symptoms and suicidal ideation are on the rise for high school students. Despite these rising needs for children and adolescents, including those experiencing serious emotional disturbances, research indicates gaps in services. This emphasizes the need for multiple sectors to work collectively to address rising needs in mental healthcare access and services. Public health has a key role to play in youth mental health including convening multiple sectors, addressing data needs, and promoting evidence-based policies.
During this webinar, Safe States Alliance, a national non-profit association of injury and violence prevention professionals, will discuss the role public health can play in supporting a comprehensive approach to youth mental health. The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services and the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development will highlight how the state is working collaboratively to implement data systems, policies, and programs for children and adolescent mental health.
July 12, 1-2pm ET
In the 2021- 2022 school year at least 96% of schools reported offering mental health services to their students, including those experiencing serious emotional disturbances (SED), through individual treatment, case management, referrals, and outreach. This data emphasizes the important role schools play in the continuum of care as part of a comprehensive mental health system. State education agencies, local education districts, and schools should work collaboratively with other sectors to improve access to care.
During this webinar, the National Center for School Mental Health will present how to develop and maintain comprehensive school mental health systems The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will discuss state efforts to increase access to mental health services and programs in schools.
July 25, 1-2pm ET
Nonprofit organizations often offer education and programming that can enhance efforts by schools and other public institutions. This webinar will provide a case study of NAMI’s Ending the Silence, an engaging presentation that helps middle and high school aged youth learn about the warning signs of mental health conditions, including serious mental illnesses, and what steps to take if they or a loved one are showing symptoms of a mental health condition. NAMI Ending the Silence presentations include two leaders: one who shares an informative presentation and a young adult with a mental health condition who shares their journey of recovery. Audience members can ask questions and gain understanding of an often-misunderstood topic, because through dialogue, we can help grow the movement to end stigma.
During this webinar, speakers from NAMI National will feature Ending the Silence as an example of a national non-profit program with a significant local footprint. A young adult from a NAMI local affiliate will share her experience as an Ending the Silence presenter in middle and high schools.
Scheduled Date: Monday, August 14, 1-2 PM ET
In 2021, three leading child and adolescent provider groups – the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Children’s Hospital Association – declared what many U.S. families already knew: the youth mental health crisis has become a national emergency. Higher rates of children and adolescents reporting sadness, depression, and anxiety, coupled with national mental health workforce shortages, have created a tragic gap in services for youth. One solution has been the Pediatric Mental Health Care Access (PMHCA) Programs, sometimes referred to as Child Psychiatry Access Programs (CPAPs), which facilitate telehealth consultations between pediatricians and child and adolescent mental health professionals to support children with serious emotional disturbances. Learn about the collaborations and promising solutions that pediatricians and child and adolescent psychiatrists can utilize to improve youth mental health.
NAMI HelpLine is available M-F, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. ET. Call 800-950-6264,
text “helpline” to 62640, or chat online. In a crisis, call or text 988 (24/7).
