As kids across Texas head back to school, stress and anxiety can rise for parents, caregivers, and students alike. Mental health plays a pivotal role in how students cope with school demands, from managing academic pressures to navigating social interactions. For caregivers, understanding and addressing their children’s mental health needs can make a significant difference in their ability to adapt and flourish during this time.
In this final blog post of our summer series, we’ll cover how parents and caregivers can support their kid’s mental wellness as they prepare to go back to school. Along with tips, we’re highlighting virtual webinars, support groups for families, and resources for parents, caregivers, and youth.
Texas Systems of Care (TxSOC) is committed to supporting youth mental health by sharing resources and creating access to services for children, youth, and young adults with or at risk for mental health challenges. Our goal is to equip caregivers with the tools and knowledge necessary to promote a healthy mental state for their children, ensuring a successful and enjoyable start to the new school year!
Ways You Can Prepare Your Child’s Mental Wellness for Back-to-School
The start of school for many students causes some nervousness and anxiety. As parents and caregivers, you want to create a supportive environment for kids to share their emotions and feel ready to get back to their school routines. We hope these approaches will help you feel confident in preparing your child for the new year!
Be BOLD:
Social worker and therapist Beatrice Klokpah spoke with Eyewitness News and shared a fantastic acronym that you can utilize:
“Brave: Ask brave questions to check on your child. How are they really doing?
Optimistic: Be optimistic when unexpected hurdles come.
Lead: Lead in wellness and get yourself and your kids the support needed to thrive.
Determination: Be determined to make the transition smooth for everyone. Consider what you would need as an adult after returning to work after a long vacation.” Read the article here.
Return to Routine Sleep Schedules
Dr. Kristy Donaldson, a Waco, TX mental health expert, shared a few tips on ways parents and caregivers can help students adjust for the school year with television station KWTX. Getting kids back into a sleep routine with a full night’s sleep is her first suggestion. Kids between the ages of five and 15 need at least eight to nine hours of sleep. Not getting enough sleep can lead to all sorts of health issues like depression, diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. “All of those areas then cause more anxiety for the child and the parents as they’re going back to school,” she said. “If we can just keep a really good sleep schedule, we’ve already tackled a portion of some of the areas of concern.” Read the additional tips from Dr. Donaldson here.
Insert Tips from Integral Care (PDF or Image)
Integral Care created this resource guide with 10 Tips for Back to School for parents to support children’s mental health. Download the PDF and share it with other parents!
Back to School Supplies and Resources
Part of the back-to-school stress for parents and caregivers is getting the school supplies ready. Fortunately, there are many resources that contribute to kids’ school supplies!
Operation Backpack: Operation Backpack® is VOA’s initiative to fill in the gap for children experiencing homelessness, poverty, and otherwise underprivileged circumstances.
Tax Free Weekend for School Supplies: August 9 – 11 is Tax-Free weekend in Texas! Only the school supplies on this list priced under $100 qualify for exemption from tax during the sales tax holiday. View the list here.
Find Back to School Supplies Near You:
Several organizations across Texas regions are providing free backpacks and school supplies to youth preparing to go back to school.
Virtual Events and Support Groups for Families and Caregivers
Remember that you’re not alone in this transition. If you’re looking for community and want to hear from others in similar situations or you have questions for mental health professionals, there are support groups you can attend virtually! Virtual events are also a great way to get educated on mental health topics and connect with community.
August PACT Session: Peers and Clinicians Together (PACT) is a free monthly series where you can ask anything that’s on your mind of a mental health clinician and peer support! Anyone can attend.
Beyond the Hype: What Research Tells Us About Social Media’s Role in Youth Mental Health This event was created by Child Mind Institute in partnership with State of California’s Department of Healthcare Services. In this webinar, they will explore what the existing science has uncovered about the role of social media in youth mental health. They’ll discuss the ways social media is both helpful and harmful to mental health, and highlight the key questions that researchers, clinicians, and parents need to be asking.
A free 90-minute support group for family, partners, friends and significant others of a loved one with a mental health condition.
NAMI Family Support Group aims to help you:
- Understand and gather insight from other’s experiences
- Help you know that you are not alone in this
- Share success stories and gather the knowledge of other success stories
- Be more heard and connected with individuals that endure similar struggles
NAMI Family Support Groups are facilitated by family members who have a loved one with a mental health condition. You are not obligated to share during this meeting.
Virtual | Wednesdays | 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Available Mental Health Resources:
As the school year continues, you may find you or your child are working through mental health issues. There are tons of local and national mental health resources that were developed to help youth, families, young adults, and all. We created a comprehensive list to help you find the support you need:
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIH): Here you can find educational posts about a variety of mental health topics such as depression, substance use and co-occurring mental disorders, and therapies.
- Find a Therapist: Psychology Today offers a directory of mental health practitioners.
- Mental Health America: You can find multiple mental health screening tests on this site. After testing, you’ll see information, resources, and tools to help you understand and improve your mental health.
- Mental Health Texas: This site offers a range of resources, including general mental health needs and specific needs for different populations. It also provides crisis services, substance use referrals, and information on finding mental health treatment facilities in Texas.
- National Alliance on Mental Illness Texas (NAMI): NAMI offers free mental health education and support groups for the community as well as individuals, families, significant others, and friends of people with mental health conditions.
- The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA): DBSA offers online support groups for people living with depression and bipolar disorder.
- Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC): HHSC contracts with 37 local mental health authorities and two local behavioral health authorities to deliver mental health services across Texas. You can put in your zip code to locate services in your area. They also offer mental health and substance use resources.
- A Guide to Obtaining Insurance for Mental Health Care: This resource guides you through the process of getting mental healthcare and explains insurance coverage for mental health services.
For youth under 18
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist Finder: The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry offers this online research tool for parents and other adults who are seeking psychiatric care for their children.
- Child Mind Institute: The institute is dedicated to transforming the lives of children and families struggling with mental health conditions. Whether you’re looking for parenting advice or information about a mental health or learning challenge, their evidence-based resources can help.
- Clarity Child Guidance Center: They’ve created a wealth of online materials for the community about children’s mental health and treatment.
- Hand to Hold: Provides social and emotional support for families who are experiencing a NICU stay. Services are free and include peer mentor matching, in-hospital rounding, and counseling.
- Mental Health Screening Tool for Youth: This questionnaire, provided by Mental Health America, can be used to see if school-age children are having emotional, attentional, or behavioral difficulties.
- National Child Traumatic Stress Network: This network is a resource for the public, professionals, and others who care about children and are concerned about child traumatic stress. They offer educational materials and training for general trauma, assessment and intervention techniques, service systems, and more.
- Navigate Life Texas: This site provides information and resources for families of children and young adults with disabilities or special healthcare needs in Texas. You’ll find resources related to education, healthcare, legal services, financial assistance, community forums, and more.
Helplines
- 988 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the US.
- Crisis Text Line: If you’re in a crisis, you can text HOME to 741741 to connect with a volunteer crisis counselor.
- 2-1-1 Texas: No matter where you live in Texas, you can dial 2-1-1, or (877) 541-7905, and find information about resources in your local community. You can get help with food, housing, child care, crisis counseling, substance abuse treatment, and more.
As the back-to-school season unfolds, we hope you’ll consider these suggestions and resources. Prioritizing mental health is an essential step towards ensuring your child’s success and well-being. TxSOC is here to continue to share resources, events, and community support to help your family succeed.
Let’s Stay Connected!
Subscribe to the Texas Systems of Care (TxSOC) newsletter for the latest updates, valuable resources, and tips to support your family’s mental health.
Follow us on social media to receive timely advice, event announcements, and to join a community dedicated to the well-being of our children.
Share this blog post with other caregivers and families to spread awareness and ensure that everyone has access to the support they need. Together, we can create a stronger, more resilient community for our children to thrive in.
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