By: Sheryl Allenson (Volunteer) and Josefina Alvarez (Board President) As the Illinois General Assembly goes back this year, we want to give you an update on laws related to mental health that became effective in 2020. Many of the new laws support youth mental health but others were passed to make it easier for Illinois … Continue reading Illinois Mental Health Laws Effective in 2020
What Teenagers Say about Self-love and Mental Health
2019 2nd Place Art Winner- The Power of Music as a Coping Strategy By: Josefina Alvarez, Board President and Rachel Hageli, Volunteer Recognizing the important role it plays in mental health, the MHA-NS Youth Advisory Board selected self-love as the theme for the 2019 Essay and Multimedia Contest. Over 220 local students in 6th through … Continue reading What Teenagers Say about Self-love and Mental Health
Manage Stress Mindfully… Reconnect to your Sense of Calm and Competence
By: Marsha Smith, LCSW I am a therapist, mindfulness, and focusing practitioner. One of the most frequent questions people ask me is, What can I do when I’m emotionally overwhelmed?” Photo by Lukasz Szmigiel on Unsplash When you’re feeling pressured, under stress, or find yourself in demanding situations, it can be harder to keep your emotions balanced. When … Continue reading Manage Stress Mindfully… Reconnect to your Sense of Calm and Competence
Fighting Stigma
By: Ashley London & Sherry Fleydervish About 1 in 5 of us will experience a mental health issue. That means someone dear to you like a loved one, friend, or colleague may be dealing with a mental health condition. Ashley’s longtime friend has been struggling for 15 years with hiding her symptoms of bipolar disorder. … Continue reading Fighting Stigma
WHAT TEENS WANT THEIR TEACHERS TO KNOW
By Ashley London and Sherry Fleydervish Every year, we sponsor an essay and multimedia contest for high school students. In 2016, 150 students entered the contest, most sent essays; others sent artwork or videos. Contestants shared many concerns that affect their mental health and ability to focus in school, such as: Balancing school and other … Continue reading WHAT TEENS WANT THEIR TEACHERS TO KNOW
TEEN STRESS IS A SERIOUS HEALTH PROBLEM
By Josefina Alvarez and Kari Peterson Our children are dealing with more stress than adults. A 2013 survey of over 1,000 U.S. 13-17 year olds by the American Psychological Association1 found that: 31% feel overwhelmed, 30% feel depressed and 36% feel tired as a result of stress. 42% believe their stress level will increase in … Continue reading TEEN STRESS IS A SERIOUS HEALTH PROBLEM
HELPING TEENS BE HEARD
By Marla Vannucci, Ph.D., Adler University May is Mental Health Month, and Mental Health America’s theme for 2014 is "Mind Your Health". While many of us can improve our habits for coping with stress, youth in particular often lack knowledge about or access to resources to help them cope. A key resource for many teens … Continue reading HELPING TEENS BE HEARD
SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL LEARNING SKILLS HELP CHILDREN SUCCEED IN SCHOOL, WORK, AND LIFE
By Sue Laue, SEL Trainer and Coach To navigate life’s most challenging hurdles, we need to learn skills that help us build relationships, defuse conflict, make wise decisions and plan for our futures. These are called social and emotional learning (SEL) skills. Children with strong social and emotional skills are able not only to form … Continue reading SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL LEARNING SKILLS HELP CHILDREN SUCCEED IN SCHOOL, WORK, AND LIFE