Recommendations for Children's Mental Wellbeing

Recommendations by the Orange County Resilience Project

SUPPORTING CHILDREN’S MENTAL WELLBEING

On October 21, 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), and Children’s Hospital Associations [1] declared a national emergency in children’s mental health. On December 7, 2021, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy then issued a new Surgeon General’s Advisory to amplify the urgent need to address the nation’s youth mental health crisis. This crisis directly correlates to the COVID-19 pandemic and adds to pre-existing challenges.[2]

Families in communities across Orange County, in all socioeconomic circles, are struggling to adjust to a “new normal” that keeps shifting and changing. In light of this crisis, the Orange County Resilience Project (OCRP), a cross-sector coalition that seeks to promote a resilient, supportive, and inclusive community, recommends the following to help support the wellbeing of children and their families in Orange County. ALL of these resources are available at NO COST, and these steps provide an excellent foundation that will support children’s mental health:

1) Adopt and implement trauma-informed, resilience-building, and healing-centered approaches that support social and emotional wellbeing in all school districts, medical practices, human service organizations, law enforcement, and other providers, using the following steps:

Implement Handle with Care in partnership with local law enforcement in all OC K-12 Schools. Contact Deputy Commissioner Lacey Trimble at the Orange County Department of Mental Health at (845) 291-2603 or ltrimble@orangecountygov.com
Adopt, use, incorporate, recommend the Choose Love program in schools, medical practices, human services programs, and home. Contact Stacey Orzell at stacey@jesselewischooselove.org
Build organizational capacity by sending your staff/faculty to an 8-hour virtual professional development training on Trauma-Responsive, Resilience-Building, Healing-Engaged approach offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension on February 16 and 17, from 9 A.M. – 1 P.M., with future dates TBD. Contact Julika von Stackelberg at (845) 344-1234 or jv426@cornell.edu

2) Train all staff members who work with children, youth, and families to attend a Youth Mental Health First Aid training. Upcoming training dates:

February 24, 9 A.M. – 3 P.M., register by 2/9, contact Karen Roselley at kroselleymhfa@gmail.com

3) Aim to build a shared/organizational understanding of the impact of trauma on the immediate and long-term health and wellbeing of children and their families and factors that build resilience among elected officials and community organizations, using the following step:

Organize in-house 1-hour workshops. Contact Cornell Cooperative Extension at (845) 344-1234 or jv426@cornell.edu

4) Promote the Strengthening Families Protective Factor Framework among professionals and organizations working with children, youth, and families. For training or workshops, contact Cornell Cooperative Extension at (845) 344-1234 or jv426@cornell.edu

Resources:

https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-youth-mental-health-advisory.pdf

[1] https://publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/17718?autologincheck=redirected

[2] https://www.aap.org/en/advocacy/child-and-adolescent-healthy-mental-development/aap-aacap-cha-declaration-of-a-national-emergency-in-child-and-adolescent-mental-health/