When you are worried about your child’s mental health, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and unsure of where to turn. You don’t have to figure it out alone. Here, you’ll find practical guides I’ve created, simple tools to help you stay organized, and trusted resources I’ve personally found helpful – all designed to give you clarity and confidence as you take the next step.
Parent Guides
Overwhelmed to Organized
If you are feeling scattered, unsure of where to start, or juggling appointments and symptoms, this guide helps you get everything in one place so you can take the next step calmly and confidently.
The Overwhelmed to Organized Guide is a downloadable parent resource designed to help you bring structure and calm to the process. You’ll learn simple, step-by-step ways to gather and organize the information that matters most for your child’s care, manage important details, and communicate more effectively with providers and your partner. With printable templates for contacts, appointments, treatment notes, and community resources, you’ll have everything in one place. Instead of spending hours trying to piece it all together, you’ll have a clear system to help you feel more confident and in control. Click below to learn more.
Free Parent Resources
Help at Your Fingertips: Crisis Numbers and Support for Parents
If you are concerned about the safety and well-being of your child or you need help immediately, this page provides quick access to reliable crisis and support hotlines and websites. Keep it handy so you can act quickly, stay calm, and know where to turn when things feel overwhelming.
Finding the Right Words: A Parent’s Validation Quick Guide
If your child shuts down, pulls away, or pushes back when things feel hard, this guide gives you the exact langauge that helps them feel understood. Keep it on your phone or print it out so it’s ready whenever you need the right words. And be sure to check out my Blog post on validation and why it is especially important when your child is struggling.
Holiday Survival Guide
If you feel overwhelmed about making it through all of the events and activities that come with the November and December holidays, this guide helps you come up with a plan for reducing overwhelm, talking with family and friends and making sure you and your child is less overwhelmed. This nondenominational guide provides worksheets, scripts, and strategies for navigating the holiday season from Thanksgiving through New Year’s. Also see my blog post with tips and ideas to make the holidays easier on you and your family.
Find Local Support
The following links are examples of searchable databases that can help you find mental health and substance use resources in your state or local area.
Search by zip code and distance to find state and local NAMI organizations and programs, including support groups.
Search for mental health and substance use treatment facilities by address, city, zip code, or facility name.
Resources on how to find a mental health or substance use program based on the type of health insurance you have, or if you don’t have health insurance.
Search for a therapist, psychiatrist, treatment center, or support group by city or zip code. The site includes the ability to filter by specific needs like diagnosis, insurance, specialties, types of therapy, gender, ethnicity, language, and more.
Additional Helpful Links
There is a wide variety of federal, state, and local resources available to support families that are concerned about mental health. I am sharing just a few that I have found to be most helpful.
NAMI provides many online and local resources to support families and individuals living with a wide variety of mental health conditions. I have had some friends share that they did not feel like NAMI resources were relevant since they believed it is for those with more severe mental illness, but I can confirm that they provide resources that are helpful to anyone who is concerned with the mental health of someone in their lives. Some of the key resources NAMI offers include
- Searchable database of state and local NAMI affiliates
- NAMI Support Groups
- Information about mental illnesses, including warning signs, symptoms, and treatment options
- Resources for family members and caregivers
SAMHSA provides a wide variety of resources related to mental health, substance use, and related support. This includes resources that are specifically designed to support children and families.
- Children and family support, including resources related to social media safety and screen time.
- Suicide and suicidal behavior, including warning signs, preventing suicide, and additional resources.
- Support services and information to find health care or support, learn about mental health and substance use treatment, options for paying for treatment, and how to talk with someone about getting help.
- How to Talk About Mental Health offers suggestions on how to have open and honest conversations about mental health, and those who may need help, or those who care about someone struggling with their mental health.