Blog
Start a conversation on race and racism with your children
It’s all over the news and social media. Tens of thousands of people have shown up to protest over the killing of George Floyd, over numerous incidents of police brutality and over the systemic racism that is pervasive in this country. There are growing demands to have racism recognized as a public health emergency. Hatred, bigotry and violence are happening on a massive scale. If you’re not already talking to your children about race and racism, you should. Start now. It’s not too late. It is that important. … Continued
Teenage substance use struggles during COVID-19
Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health (C&A) offers two programs/services to Stark County teenagers in regards to substance use. The first program is a prevention program – Stark County Youth Led Prevention. The second program offers help for kids who have substance use problems – our Gemini program. Within the Gemini program are two levels of treatment based on client needs. Alternatives is an education group and Decisions is the intensive outpatient program group. During a typical school year, children are attending in-person classes from August through May. This … Continued
A 2020 graduate provides honest, raw emotions of lost senior year
2020 has already been a rollercoaster ride for everyone, however, as a senior in college, I assumed this ride would look a lot different. When I would daydream about this year, I saw myself spending my last semester hanging out with friends, spending long nights in the library, talking to my professors face-to-face about my future and having a job laid out. In reality, this hasn’t been the case. Instead, I went on spring break, and returned to my campus just to be sent home later that week. … Continued
Acknowledge the emotional loss of their senior year and create alternative celebration
You’ve been looking forward to this since the day your child walked through the door for his or her first day of Kindergarten. Maybe it was earlier than that, maybe it began when they started preschool or maybe you started imagining it while you were still waiting for your child to be born. In any case, it is a major milestone that every parent looks forward to – hearing your child’s name called, seeing your child walk across the stage in cap and gown, seeing the diploma be … Continued
Day Treatment students move to online learning and therapy
The COVID-19 Pandemic has forced all Stark County children in grades K-12 to move to online learning. Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health’s (C&A’s) Trauma Informed Day Treatment students and teachers have had to adapt as well. The students attending C&A’s Day Treatment program, kindergarten through 12th grade, deal with emotional and behavioral challenges that most students do not face. The students attending school at C&A have experienced trauma that does not allow the child to participate in the classroom in their home school district. For these students, routine … Continued
Positive Childhood Experiences
For years now, we have all been hearing about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s) and the detrimental effects they can have for the rest of a person’s life. Have you heard about Positive Childhood Experiences (PCE)? Research comparing adults who reported high numbers of PCEs with those who reported low or no PCEs found that adults reporting more PCEs showed 72 percent lower levels of adult depression and/or poor mental health and were 3.5 times more likely to get the social and emotional support they need as an adult … Continued
COVID-19 teaching collegiate skills independent life skills
At the outbreak of the pandemic COVID 19 virus, The Ohio State University was the first university in Ohio to shut down in-person learning and move to online learning for the rest of the school year. Soon, one-by-one, big and small colleges and universities in Ohio followed in their footsteps. Upon closing their doors to in-person learning, soon thereafter, students were asked to move out of their dorm rooms and move home the rest of the semester. Many collegiate-age students either where they were attending school or commuting, … Continued
Reckless youth attitude: I will not get COVID-19
You’ve probably seen the pictures, teens and young adults crowding the beaches in Florida, completely ignoring the warnings about contagion and recommendations for social distancing. What are they thinking? There isn’t a simple explanation. Teens and young adults aren’t a homogenous group. They don’t all think alike and they don’t all have the same reasons for doing what they do. There are a number of factors and perspectives that contributed to young people behaving the way they do. Underestimated Risk – Many young people have a hard time … Continued
The Impact of COVID-19 on high school students
Reactions to the novel coronavirus/COVID-19 have caused a great many changes to daily life in recent days. One group particularly affected by these changes is high school students. They are facing challenges this year that have never happened before on this scale. How high school students are affected by school closures School provides structure and routine to the lives of students. Following the routine of getting up at a certain time, going to classes at specific times and coming home at a certain time provides a sense of … Continued
C&A provides tips for families during the COVID-19
The Corona Virus is presenting challenges Americans have not faced at any other time in our country. Certainly, there have been viruses – the chicken pox and polio – and economic challenges. Americans have faced other challenges in the form of war, the stock market crash and 9/11. The challenges today are different, yet the same as fear and anxiety of the unknown is a difficult task. In addition, routines are changing for households as children are learning from home for at least the next three weeks. Parents … Continued