APPLY TODAY for the Family Coordinator position! The Family Coordinator will support increased access and connection to children’s mental health services in Hennepin County. The Family Coordinator will act as a liaison between community-based organizations, the children, youth, and families they serve and decision-making organizations such as local government and county agencies
October 2022
In this Issue
1. Parent News, Opportunities and Trainings
2. Collaborative Meetings & Training Announcements
3. Youth Programs are Critical Link for Parents in Children’s Mental Health Services
4. 988 Suicide and Crisis Line
5. Partner News
Contact Margaret at [email protected] to learn more or join other parents!
PCLG Parent Support Group ONLINE
The PCLG SUPPORT GROUP offers a safe place where you can connect with other parents & caregivers who are raising a child or youth with mental health challenges. Learn about resources and advocating for your child as you navigate through the system. Join us on the 2nd Thursday of every month at 7:00 pm to share your challenges and celebrate successes.
Our Next two Live ZOOM Meetings are November 10 and December 8 and 7:00pm
Questions? Contact Margaret at [email protected]
The PCLG hosted a “Let’s Talk About Family Response
and Stabilization Services”. Family Response and Stabilization Services is a new service which offers immediate in-person and culturally-specific support and stabilization services for youth (ages 5-18) and their par- ents in Hennepin County. Kayla Renney of Nexus/FACTS and Asad Dahir of Hennepin County Behavioral Health provided information to families on how to access help
before a situation with their child becomes a crisis. Review the event slides on page 5 and flier on page 17
The Hennepin County Children’s Mental Health Collaborative Governance Committee has been changed to October 26, 2022, from 3:30-5:00 pm. The Executive Committee will meet on November 4, 2022, from 9:00-11:00 am. If you would like to attend or access meeting materials, please contact Laura LaCroix-Dalluhn.
Paulette Mader, Senior Training & Consultation Specialist, with New Jersey’s Children’s System of Care Training and Technical Assistance program through Rutger’s University will join us October 26th from 3:30-5:00 pm to provide an overview of family engagement in system of care and discuss strategies to engage families and in the Collaborative’s work.
The 2022 meeting schedule is available online here.
Funding Youth Mental Health First Aid Training for Youth Workers and Staff in Out-of-School Time Organizations
Parents in Hennepin County rely on youth serving organizations, programs and services to support their child’s mental health and wellness. According to the Collaborative’s journey mapping project, parents seek support to address their child’s social emotional health, e.g. support their activity needs through sports and outdoor activities or practice socializing in groups.
Youth workers have expressed concerns about increased needs mental health among children and youth in Hennepin County. Training youth workers and youth serving program staff and volunteers in youth mental health first aid can help move the children’s mental health care system upstream; and increase knowledge and awareness among adults working with children and youth.
The Collaborative approved funding $15,000 for Youth Mental Health First Aid [insert Youth-MHFA-1 flier] during their September Governance Meeting with the goal of training over 500 youth workers and volunteers in 2022 and 2023. The National Council for Mental Wellbeing offers Mental Health First Aid Training for both youth workers and teens.
The Collaborative approved $10,000 in funding to increase access to and attendance at Minnesota’s School Behavioral Health Conference in 2022. School-linked mental health providers, through the Hennepin County School-based Mental Health Work Group, will have access to these resources.
The Collaborative approved funding $15,000 for Youth Mental Health First Aid during their September Governance Meeting with the goal of training over 500 youth workers and volunteers in 2022 and 2023. More information on Youth Mental Health First Aid training can be found on page 18.
The Collaborative needs your feedback! We are asking all of our partners and stakeholders to please complete this survey. Your feedback will help us identify our successes, prioritize ways to improve, and shape our work for the coming year. The survey should take about 10 minutes to complete.
Please complete the survey by OCTOBER 31.
Families often turned to other types of community programs, such as sports, art classes, or mentoring to support their children with mental health concerns in Hennepin County. While these programs may benefit all children in a number of ways, there are a number of reasons why parents may seek these services as part of their plan for supporting their children’s mental health.
Parents may look for services to help children release energy, express emotions, receive guidance, or gain socialization. Parents may also value these services as an opportunity for some respite from the challenges of parenting.
Most commonly, parents sought support through sports and mentoring programming. Youth Programs are Critical Link for Parents Supporting Children with Mental Health Needs
To learn more about these findings see page 19.
Call, text, or chat using 988 for anyone you know in need of mental health crisis support. Trained crisis specials can help de-escalate situations, support safety planning and offering coping skills. Phone services are currently available in English and Spanish.
The United States began the transition to the new three-digit dialing code 988 to reach crisis support. Calls, texts, and online chat from 988 will be routed to the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (the Lifeline). The change is part of a nationwide effort to transition the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to a phone number people can more easily remember and access in times of crisis.
People Incorporated in New Hope acts as a home base for mental health programs for kids, both day treatment and school based treatment. Bruce Cross supervises school-based therapists out of the New Hope location. Listen as he shares his vision of integrating more mental health into the school day. Or, read more about this important service on page 29.
Or, read more about this important service on page 29.
September 2022
In this Issue
1. Parent News, Opportunities and Trainings
2. Collaborative Meetings & Training Announcements
3. Workgroup Announcements
4. 988 Suicide and Crisis Line
5. Maternal and Infant Mental Health Resources
The Parent Catalyst Leadership Group (PCLG Parents) is a program of the Hennepin County Children’s Mental Health Collaborative.
PCLG Parents work to improve the children’s mental health system AND provide support and guidance to parents and caregivers.
Contact Margaret at [email protected] to learn more or join other parents!
PCLG Parent Support Group ONLINE
The PCLG SUPPORT GROUP offers a safe place where you can connect with other parents & caregivers who are raising a child or youth with mental health challenges. Learn about resources and advocating for your child as you navigate through the system. Join us on the 2nd Thursday of every month at 7:00 pm to share your challenges and celebrate successes.
Our Next two Live ZOOM Meetings are September 8th and October 13th and 7:00pm
Questions? Contact Margaret at [email protected]
PCLG is hosting a Let’s Talk About It event focusing on a new service which offers immediate in-person and culturally-specific support and stabilization
services for youth (ages 5-18) and their parents in Hennepin County. Come learn how to access these important family stabilization services for your family!
This event is being held on September 20th from 7:00-8:00pm. If you are interested in attending, you can register here Questions? Contact Margaret at [email protected]
Register Here!
NAMI Minnesota is hosting training series for parents and caregivers. There are two different options found below, each option has two different meeting dates to minimize schedule complications and maximize attendance.
Register here for September 12th and Register here for September 26th
This class stresses the value of parent engagement and advocacy to ensure the best care and treatment for your child in the doctor’s office, the mental health system, and in public education settings. This class will focus on self care so parents and guardians can effectively advocate for their loved one in all settings.
These sessions take place Thursday, September 15 6:30-8:00 PM and Wednesday, September 28 6:30-8:00 PM
Register here for September 15th and Register here for September 28th
The Hennepin County Children’s Mental Health Collaborative Governance Committee will meet on September 21, 2022, from 3:30-5:00 pm. The Executive will meet on October 7th, 2022, from 9:00-11:00 am. If you would like to attend
or access meeting materials, please contact
Laura LaCroix-Dalluhn.
The 2022 meeting schedule is available online here.
Consultation Specialist, with New Jersey’s Children’s System of Care Training and Technical Assistance program through Rutger’s University will join us October 26th from 3:30-5:00 pm to provide an overview of family engagement in system of care and discuss strategies to engage families and in the Collaborative’s work.
Hennepin County Children’s Mental Health Collaborative and partners have created ad-hoc workgroups to respond the recommendations from children’s mental health journey mapping report, In their own voices: Parent experiences entering the Hennepin County children’s mental health system. The ad-hoc workgroups address the key themes from the report. Contact staff if you are
interested in participating in one of the workgroups to create a plan on how best to address the recommendations in the report.
Awareness of children’s mental health and available services (Staff support: Laura LaCroix-Dalluhn) Parents express great concern finding and accessing services for their children that were appropriate.
Please reach out to staff support if you would like to attend future meetings.
Access to peer support (Staff Support: Margaret Sullivan with support from Laura LaCroix-Dalluhn) Parents stated peer support was extremely helpful when searching for appropriate services for their child(ren). Please reach out to staff support if you would like to attend future meet-
Family-driven Care (Staff Support: Cheryl Holm-Hansen)
Parents expressed challenges working to secure appropriate services for their children, and feeling like they had to continually advocate even when finding services.
Please reach out to staff support if you would like to attend future meetings.
Call, text, or chat using 988 for anyone you know in need of mental health crisis support. Trained crisis specials can help de-escalate situations, support safety planning and offering coping skills. Phone services are currently available in English and Spanish.
The United States began the transition to the new three-digit dialing code 988 to reach crisis support. Calls, texts, and online chat from 988 will be routed to the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (the Lifeline). The change is part of a nationwide effort to transition the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to a phone number people can more easily remember and access in times of crisis.
Pregnancy and a new baby can bring a range of emotions. Many women feel
overwhelmed, sad, anxious, or exhausted at different times during their pregnancy or after having a baby.
These feelings can make it hard to care for yourself, care for your baby, or even do basic daily tasks. Sometimes these feelings
go away on their own. But for some women, these emotions, if they last more than two weeks, are more serious and need treatment.
The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline provides 24/7, free, confidential support before, during, and after pregnancy. The Hotline offers callers:
Phone or text access to professional counselors
Real-time support and information
Response within a few minutes, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Resources
Referrals to local and telehealth providers and support groups
Culturally sensitive support
Counselors who speak English and Spanish
Interpreter services in 60 languages
Frequently Asked Questions about the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline.
REFUGE Conference will be a two-day gathering of families and professionals committed to taking a grassroots approach in supporting the needs of the community and reducing the amount of African- American children in the child protection system.
The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline provides 24/7, free, confidential support before, during, and after pregnancy. The Hotline offers callers: Phone or text access to professional counselors, Real-time support and information, Response within a few minutes, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, Resources and more
The 5th annual Growing Resilient Communities Gathering of Collaboratives & Tribal Nations will be held Thursday, June 16th from 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. This free, virtual event will focus on highlighting community-based approaches that support the development of self-healing communities
The Hennepin County Children’s Mental Health Collaborative released its latest research about parent experience as they enter the children’s mental health system in Hennepin County. In their own voices: Parent experiences entering the Hennepin County children’s mental health system
The Hennepin County Children’s Mental Health Collaborative released its latest research during an online community dialogue with parents, providers, and community stakeholders about parent experience as they enter the children’s mental health system in Hennepin County
The PCLG SUPPORT GROUP offers a safe place where you can connect with other parents & caregivers who are raising a child or youth with mental health challenges. Learn about resources and advocating for your child as you navigate through the system. Join us on the 2nd Thursday of every month at 7:00 pm to share your challenges and celebrate successes.
As children and youth continue to face violence and ongoing trauma in Hennepin County, it is important to keep in mind the trauma impacts each of us differently. Children and youth may not have the words to tell you what they are thinking and feeling.