Referents Archives | Page 8 of 12

In Moraga, California, Twenty-Five Percent of Fifth Graders Have Tried Alcohol

If you’re a parent, teacher, or professional who works with youth in Contra Costa County, California, you might be interested in the current rates of adolescent substance use in cities such as Danville, San Ramon, Walnut Creek, Lafayette, and Moraga. While our past articles have focused on substance use in high school students, this article discusses the alarming rate of early substance use/exposure in elementary school students. The following information

July 22, 2020

Happy National Parents’ Day 2020

You are awesome. You probably don’t hear it often, especially if you’re raising teenagers, but it’s true. And there’s no better time to celebrate you than National Parents’ Day. On July 26, 2020, and every year on the fourth Sunday of July, the nation honors the vital role parents serve in their families and communities. National Parents’ Day was created in 1994 by President Bill Clinton to recognize, uplift and

July 18, 2020

Art Therapy for Anxious Teens

Most teen treatment centers offer art therapy as a supplemental treatment to traditional talk therapies like dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This evidence-based treatment often benefits people with trauma – especially childhood trauma. Art is also a productive medium for opening up treatment-resistant teens. It can help them become more comfortable with the concept of therapy. Jennifer Schulman, LMFT, ATR, registered art therapist and staff member

July 17, 2020

Understanding the Biology and Genetics of Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a leading cause of global disability, with well-defined symptoms characterized largely by persistent mood instability. The classic presentation of the disease includes episodes of extreme elation and severe depression, with periods of relatively stable mood in between. Manic swings may include not only significant elevation in mood, but also related changes in behavior. For many patients, the depressive episodes are more prolonged, and of patients with

July 14, 2020

Parents

July is BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month

In 2005, Bebe Moore Campbell, national spokesperson for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI-LA), began a collaboration with NAMI peer Linda Wharton-Boyd that led to the launch of the first Minority Mental Health Awareness Month (MMHAM). Here’s how Campbell described the goal and message of the first MMHAM: “We need a national campaign to destigmatize mental illness, especially one targeted toward African Americans. It’s not shameful to have a

July 12, 2020

Danville and San Ramon, CA: Mental Health and Suicide Statistics for Teens

Teens in the San Ramon Unified School District took a survey last year to gauge their rates of substance use and mental health issues. This survey, called the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS), asked public school students statewide about a number of different issues in their lives: family connectedness, safety and crime at school, bullying, academics, mental health, substance use, and more. Officials administered this anonymous, confidential survey to students

July 11, 2020

The Trick to Avoiding a COVID-19 Mask Induced Panic Attack

In many parts of the U.S., new rules require citizens to wear facemasks whenever they leave home. The orders are meant to slow the spread of coronavirus and save lives. But many teens feel wearing a mask is uncomfortable. It covers their mouth and nose. It gets hot. Now that it’s summertime, the heart make an extra layer on the face almost intolerable. Teens With Anxiety or Panic Disorder For

July 8, 2020

Mental Health/Suicide Statistics for Teens in Contra Costa County, CA

The most recent data on substance use and mental health issues among Contra Costa County residents is from 2015/2016. That’s the last year that Contra Costa, countywide, participated in the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS). Contra Costa County includes the following cities and towns: Antioch Brentwood Clayton Concord Danville El Cerrito Hercules Lafayette Martinez Moraga Oakley Orinda Pinole Pittsburg Pleasant Hill Richmond San Pablo San Ramon Walnut Creek The CHKS

July 6, 2020

L.A. County Teens: Mental Health and Addiction Statistics

Every year, the California Department of Education Coordinated School Health and Safety Office administers a survey to public school students in school districts across the state. This annual survey is called the “California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS)”. Officials administer this anonymous and confidential survey to public school students in grades five, seven, nine, and eleven in California. The survey asks students about safety and crime at school, experiences of bullying, academics,

July 1, 2020

Referents