Waiting for Mental Health Treatment
The emergency room is not typically a place you check-in for the night, but right now in many parts of the U.S., the demand for mental health care is overwhelming, creating bottlenecks. Read about one child’s 17-day saga in the ER.
Developing School-Based WellSpace Centers CHOC has teamed up with the Orange County Department of Education to pilot a handful of school-based “WellSpace” centers that encourage students to take a break from life’s daily stressors in a thoughtfully designed, supervised environment that is safe, calming and inclusive. Learn more about the “WellSpace” at McAuliffe Middle School and its hopes for the future.
Ways to Help Your Child through 'Disenfranchised Grief'
‘Disenfranchised Grief’ typically occurs when someone experiences a “loss that’s not openly acknowledged, socially mourned or publicly supported.” The term is meant to capture the feeling of loss that no one seems to understand and that you don’t feel entitled to. Listen to bereavement expert Kenneth Doka and therapist David Defoe as they explain ways to help children process their grief and adapt to changes in life.
Resources to Become More ACEs Aware
ACEs, or adverse childhood experiences, are potentially traumatic events that occur for children before age 18 and can have a tremendous impact on lifelong health and opportunity. They can include physical and emotional abuse, neglect, substance abuse, caregiver mental illness and household violence. Learn about ACEs and how you can take preventative measures in your community.
Movies to Help Children Deal with Grief
Supporting a grieving child involves normalizing their feelings while giving them tools to cope – talking about death, however, can sometimes feel overwhelming. Film can be a gift in these times. Often, a movie about death can provide just enough distance for a productive discussion. Here’s a list of movies that offer helpful ways to explore death and accompanying discussion questions to get the conversation started.
Check-In Challenge Success!
This past May, for Mental Health Awareness Month, CHOC challenged the community to “check in” on each other with a five-week “Check-In Challenge”. If you missed it in May, here’s a summary of all our successful initiatives that helped spread mental health awareness and care in the community. Even though it’s no longer Mental Health Awareness Month, we encourage our community to continue this challenge and check in with each other!
