Posts tagged mental health resources
Clarity Conversations for Parents of Teens Struggling w/ Substance Abuse

Gail Embt of "Break the Vape" will be offering Clarity Conversations for parents of teens struggling with substance use. They will be small virtual groups of 5-7 people, where parents will bring a challenge or issue they are currently struggling with. Leaders will walk them through the process of exploration and understanding and then brainstorm possible solutions and options for them. Feel free to reach out to her Gail.E@breakthevape.com

Fore more information on Break the Vape, check out their site: https://www.breakthevape.com/about

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NAMINova Covid-19 Resource Guide

We recognize the importance of continuing to provide support to our community during this troubling and uncertain time. While working on adjusting our programs to meet social-distancing standards, we gathered some resources to help keep you safe. https://www.nami-northernvirginia.org/naminova-covid-19-resource-guide.html

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When Is It Time to Seek Professional Help for My Child?

When is it time to get additional help? This is a question a lot of parents are asking when thinking of whether their child’s behavior and emotions are par for the course, or an indicator of a larger need. In a time like this, it’s hard to know for sure what we should do. Two of our Mental Health Partners: school psychologists Megan and Allie, give some tips on when it might be time to seek additional help.

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TLDR (too long, didn't read): This is Your Brain on Stress, By Karen Johnson

Karen Johnson, MSW, LCSW, and member of Abiding Presence, uses her expertise to summarize a video by a leading researcher in the effects of stress and trauma on the brain. Karen Johnson worked over 5 years as the director of trauma-informed services for the National Council for Behavioral Health in Washington D.C. and 19 years in behavioral health, community services, and child welfare at SaintA in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She currently provides consulting services through her business: Trauma-Informed Lens Consulting.

“…During this time of COVID-19, one of my go-to resources is Dr. Bruce Perry, a physician and neuroscientist who researches how our brain and body are impacted by stress, distress and trauma… In this blog I summarize a recent Dr. Perry recording: Understanding State-dependent Functioning… When we are threatened, we start to change the way we think, feel and behave. The more threatened we are, the more we shut down the thinking part of our brain, and default to our brainstem, or our survival brain… This explains why in our current circumstances we are often emotionally and physically exhausted.”

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