COVID-19 Mental Health Schools
cALL 800-273-8255 or text "sos" to 741741 COVID-19 Mental Health: (https://bit.ly/2XGF1Ic) The Oregon Department of Education is committed to supporting students, teachers, staff, families and communities during this time of uncertainty. Please feel free to use and distribute the resources below.
Five key ways to
support mental health during the COVID-19 outbreak and
beyond We all play an important role in helping each other in the days ahead. Here are five ways adults can support children and each other: 1. Remain as calm as possible. The most important thing that we can do is to remain as calm as possible. Consider small things that you can do each day to calm your mind and body. Even a moment or two of quiet can go a long way. You can model this for your children, or have them practice calming strategies with you. 2. Children are looking to us for guidance. Children will often mirror our emotions, words, and body language. You do not have to be perfect, but do pay close attention to what you say and do, what media you interact with and how it affects your mood and behavior. It is important to stay updated, but also to take breaks from the news when overwhelmed. 3. Provide a safe emotional place. The more we can provide a safe emotional place for ourselves and children, the less fearful and stressed we will become. Children often fear what they do not understand. Make time to listen, and calmly and directly provide them with clear and accurate information that is appropriate to their age. Expect them to ask the same question more than once. If you're not sure of the answer you can find information about COVID-19 and how to talk with children on the CDC and OHA websites. 4. Take action. There is a great deal that we cannot control right now, and feeling powerless may increase our anxiety and distress. The more we empower ourselves and children to control the things that we can, the better. Use this as an opportunity to teach children how to reduce the spread of disease. That may mean offering instructions about washing hands for at least 20 seconds, keeping at least six feet away from others and coughing or sneezing into a tissue and discarding it. It is important to remember that exerting too much control of children's lives might lead them to feel more anxious. Allow them to make age-appropriate decisions about how to spend their time. 5. Find ways to stay connected with others. Being alone or isolated from friends, family, classmates and other supports can make being out of work or school particularly challenging. Make sure to connect with others at a distance as much as possible. Use the telephone, video conferencing and other forms of messaging and communication to keep in touch, and schedule time with others. Help children to connect with friends and family, and schedule as much quality time with them as possible. Also, make sure to take time and space away from others if needed. How to Help Your
High School Senior Through COVID-19 Pandemic A vocal performance major when she heads to college this fall, she and her mom, Brady O’Mary, mourn that loss and worry about the cancellation of her upcoming choir concerts, father-daughter dance, talent show, prom, pitch night for her entrepreneurship class and even graduation. “It was just a flood of the possibility of all these things being canceled and I remember looking at her and I just didn’t know what to say,” O’Mary says. O’Mary is among the many anxious parents of high school seniors waiting for the other shoe to drop on the seniors, who were born in the shadow of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. “It’s not only the loss of the human connection and the feedback that they get from their teachers and their peers, and the loss of the experience, but it is the loss of the memories because they won’t have them,” she says. We turned to a few experts to get some advice for parents and their seniors who are finding their plans for senior year totally turned upside down. College concerns For many students, this is a critical time to make their final decision on their college by the May 1 deadline (some schools have pushed back that decision deadline so make sure to check). In fact, many families planned their final round of college visits over Spring Break to do it. Those visits, as well as admitted student days and other events, were all canceled. The good news, says Patrick O’Connor, a Detroit-based college counselor and author of College is Yours 2.0: Preparing, Applying, and Paying for Colleges Perfect for You, is that many colleges already have virtual tours online perfected over the years for students who couldn’t get to campus under normal circumstances. He suggests families look for those tours, as well as for social media groups of admitted students to get to know future classmates. In fact, he says, students might even get to know classmates better through social media than if they were actually on campus. Financial aid is another big concern. With the huge stock market fluctuations, parents might be worried about their college investments, he says. If the coronavirus has changed anything for families, such as a layoff or big losses on investments, O’Connor says to immediately call the financial aid office. “These are the folks that want to do everything they can ethically and legally to have you come to college,” he says. “... Financial aid will do everything in their power to make sure it’s a good, affordable investment for you.” He says any decreases in financial aid packages would be the last resort for colleges “simply because their interest is to bring a strong diverse class to campus and they know that the best way to do that is to support them as much as possible.” He also says if circumstances have changed for families, it is not too late to begin the college search again. Many colleges actively look for students throughout the summer months, he says. Students also can consider a delayed start to college; the admissions office can help with those discussions, O’Connor says. To students, he has this advice: “We are all in this together. While this takes away some opportunities for community with some, it creates new opportunities for community with others. That’s probably going to be centered more on family than friends as we hunker down for the next few weeks. This is an opportunity to create some very important moments with people you will not be with much anymore. As a senior, you are leaving and heading off to college. This is as good as a chance as always to create good moments with your family and build on that foundation before you head out.” Memories and mental health Parents are sharing through social media theirs and their seniors’ sadness over possible loss of moments they’ve looked forward to for four years. O’Mary assured her daughter it’s OK to feel everything she’s feeling and that together, students and parents will figure out the path ahead. “It’s your choice and it’s your reality. I have no doubt these kids will do great things. … They will be OK,” O’Mary says. “… I’m hoping our education system will shift a little bit more to be about the journey and the experience as opposed to the grade or the award, because they will, right or wrong, have to figure out what that journey looks like because it’s very different from what they thought it was going to be.” “Good will come out of this. That’s theirs to write. It’s their story,” O’Mary says. What O’Mary is doing with her daughter is just what the experts suggest all parents do. “Let them feel the feelings they have. It is a legitimate loss. It’s OK for them to feel these feelings and to express them,” says Aileen Kelleher, a licensed clinical social worker in Chicago. Find her on Instagram at @aileen_family_therapist. Also, have faith in their ability to create new milestones and memories; capturing this moment is its own milestone, she says. For parents struggling with loss of memory-making moments, Kelleher recommends feeling the loss. “Don’t feel like you must put on a happy face,” she says. How you react models for your kids how to grieve, she says. Veronica Ursetto of Integrative Perspectives Counseling, suggests working with your senior to see if they have interest in brainstorming ways to include the most important people in a virtual private graduation ceremony and even talk virtually with their peers to create a makeup prom. “Often, teenagers are full of ideas about how to get what they want, they just need an adult to support them,” she says. As many parents know, keeping a teen cooped up in the house is so much different than for a toddler. Kelleher suggests parents give teens input into what their schedule looks like, while remembering they still need help in creating a consistent routine and to help keep their spirits up. In that schedule, make sure they build in a lot of movement throughout the day as well as FaceTime and calls with friends, she says. Warning signs “It’s really normal for your teen to experience feelings of anger, sadness and worry,” Ursetto says. “We are going through a shared loss as a community, it’s important to use our strengths to build each other up and support our teens through using this time to explore new interests, connect with family and make their own meaning,” she says. “If you are having a hard time with this transition, imagine your teen with limited life experience trying to understand why life changes one day.” Kelleher suggests parents keep their eyes out if their teen’s behavior starts getting destructive. Other warning signs include self-harm, rough behavior, hoarding, a loss of cheerfulness and an inability to function as they normally would, she says. If they are unable to complete their e-learning work or attend dinners with the family, it could be time to reach out for help, she says. Many therapists are offering teletherapy during the pandemic. One thing to remember, Kelleher says,
is that seeking a therapist is nothing to be ashamed of as
your child and your family navigates all of these
changes. How to Deal With
Racism COVID-19 does not recognize race, nationality or ethnicity. Individuals of Chinese ancestry, or of any other Asian nationality, are not more vulnerable to this illness than anyone else. Accurate information is essential to allaying anxiety about COVID-19 and ensuring that Asian communities are not unfairly targeted or stigmatized. Racism and bias have no place in our school or community under any circumstance and are not a solution to our fears. The goal, when faced with a potential health emergency like COVID-19, is to focus the steps we can take to reduce spread of the virus, not to cause further, unfounded harm. Lashing out at innocent people around us or hating them because of their origins, appearance, ethnicity or choice of dress will not help reduce risk from the virus and will only cause unnecessary harm. All people deserve to be treated with fairness, respect and dignity. America is strong because of its diversity. Differences in culture, religion, ideas, ethnicity and other forms of identity have contributed to the strength and richness of our communities. We are in this together. People of all ethnicities are affected when an emergency event impacts a community. We need to support each other, comfort each other and work together during difficult times. Tips for Teachers, Staff, Parents and Caregivers 1. Stop stigma by sharing accurate information and countering misinformation. Being of Asian descent does not increase the chance of getting or spreading COVID-19. Children should be provided with factual, age appropriate information about how to avoid infections and the spread of disease. Teaching children positive preventive measures, talking with them about their fears and giving them a sense of some control over their risk of infection can help reduce anxiety. 2. Avoid stereotyping people or countries. Children can easily generalize negative statements to students in their classes and community. Appearing suspicious of individuals of Asian descent and making inappropriate comments and innuendo about Asian communities can create a stressful and unsafe learning environment for innocent groups of people. Be clear about your statements and biases, and help children understand their own prejudices. 3. Understand that your students of Asian descent may likely be experiencing increased anxiety due to awareness of xenophobia and racism, or from being the direct targets of racism during the COVID-19 outbreak. Let students and adults know your expectations of respect for all with zero tolerance for racism. 4. Speak up if you hear, see or read discriminatory comments made by students or staff. Adults must interrupt bias by speaking up against every biased remark every time it happens. Inconsistent responding sends the message that coronavirus stigma and racism are acceptable in some circumstances. Additionally, adults should explain why the behavior or statement was offensive and how it may be interpreted by others. 5. Counter microaggressions with micro-affirmations. Micro-affirmations are subtle acknowledgements to help individuals feel valued and included. These include acknowledging that a microaggression may have occurred, supporting individuals when they tell you they have been targeted because of their Chinese or Asian heritage and visibly confronting inequitable, hostile or biased behavior. 6. Model compassion and acceptance of differences. Children take their emotional cues from the significant adults in their lives. Avoid making negative statements about any racial, ethnic or religious group. Reach out to your neighbors and colleagues who might feel at risk because of their race, ethnicity, religion or other traits. 7. Provide useful information. Accurate information about people, events, reactions and feelings is empowering. Use language that is developmentally appropriate for children. Make sure all information is factually true. This is especially important when news reports have negative statements about any specific group. 8. Stop any type of harassment or bullying immediately. Make it clear that such behavior, in any form (in person, online, social media) is unacceptable. Talk to the children and adults involved about the reasons for their behavior. Offer alternative methods of expressing their anger, confusion or insecurity. 9. Empower students/children to seek help. Adults should encourage students/children (victim and bystanders) to tell a trusted adult or speak out against bullying, harassment or microaggressions (if they feel safe doing so). 10. Ensure that staff, parents, caregivers and community members are respected and protected as well. Students may not be the only individuals at risk of experiencing overt bias or microaggressions from peers or students. Make sure staff and adults know their rights, what an appropriate response may be in the face of such behavior and how to communicate a concern to school leaders. 11. Explore children's fears. Even children who can describe what happened may not be able to express fears, form questions or describe assumptions or conclusions they may have made. Use activities, role-playing, and discussions to explore their fears about the events and their feelings about various groups from diverse cultures or lifestyles. 12. Emphasize positive, familiar images of diverse groups. Identify people of diverse ethnicities, religions and/or lifestyles that children know and who have a positive place in their lives. These could be neighbors, friends, school personnel, healthcare professionals, members of their faith community or local merchants. Discuss the many characteristics, values and experiences the children have in common with these people. 13. Read books with your children or students that address prejudice, tolerance and hate. There are many, many stories appropriate for varying age groups that can help children think about and define their feelings regarding these issues. The school or local librarian can make recommendations. Resources for teaching about racism
CDC Fact Sheets - English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese En Espanol " CDC Website o Los Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades (CDC) están vigilando de cerca un brote de enfermedad respiratoria causada por un nuevo coronavirus que se identificó por primera vez en Wuhan, en la provincia de Hubei, en China. Esta es una situación emergente que está cambiando rápidamente y los CDC continuarán brindando información actualizada a medida que esté disponible. Los CDC trabajan a toda hora para proteger la salud de las personas. Es función de los CDC preocuparse y actuar rápidamente cada vez que haya un problema potencial para la salud pública.
Multilingual Videos and Resources About the Coronavirus - Multnomah County
Emotions like fear, sadness, anger, frustration and anxiety are natural responses to the COVID-19 outbreak. Many of us will experience some or all of these emotions and others as we cope with the novel Coronavirus. It is important to remember that everyone reacts differently to stressful situations, and that you are never alone. Things you can do to take care of yourself There are things that you can do when you feel distressed, overwhelmed or in a state of panic. These might include:
When to ask for help Youth suicide is the leading cause of death among school-age children and teens. Particularly during the school closure, students may feel alone, afraid and unsure of what to do. At this time, it is natural to experience signs of distress such as:
If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed a lot, or frequently experiencing three or more of these signs of distress, it is important to talk with someone or to ask for help. You can speak with teen peers beginning April 1, 2020 at Lines for Life at: 877-968-8491, Text teen2teen 839863, Chat www.oregonyouthline.org. When we feel overwhelmed, we might believe that things will never change. But remember that the COVID-19 outbreak will end at some point. Most importantly, remember than you are never alone, and there are people waiting to support you at any time. See the crisis
hotlines, chat and online resources at the top of the first
page. How
to Talk With Children About the Coronavirus
Keep Explanations Age Appropriate
What to Emphasize When Talking to Children
Here are some other resources
How
to Support Children and Teens Through Loss and Trauma Everyone experiences stress and trauma differently. Some children may show visible signs of stress and trauma, while others may not. Children with a prior history of trauma, anxiety and panic, those experiencing housing instability, food insecurity, an unstable family climate, discrimination or who have suffered loss of a family member may have a particularly difficult time coping with the significant daily disruption of the COVID-19 outbreak. It is important to
be prepared if children begin to show signs of traumatic
stress. Preschool
School Age (Ages 6-12)
Adolescents (Ages 13-18)
Children with Special Needs
A child's response to trauma and loss is greatly influenced by how the adults in their lives respond. Regardless of a child's age, it is important to offer ongoing and consistent understanding, reassurance and support. By educating yourself about traumatic stress and how to speak with children and teens about loss, you can help your child to effectively handle their emotions and eventually move toward healing. Here are several important things that you can do Manage your own stress: We are all affected by each other's stress. This is particularly true when we are required to stay at home for any length of time. Make sure to attend to your basic health needs such as maintaining a healthy diet, doing a bit of physical exercise each day, giving yourself permission to take time alone if possible, speaking with others about your feelings, balancing time focused on the media with things you enjoy, and asking for support when you need it. Accept that the emotions that you are feeling are natural during this difficult time. Create safety, security and trust: We all need safety to heal from trauma and loss. For children this can mean:
Support children in developmentally-appropriate ways Regardless of age, safety, reassurance and validation are particularly important when supporting youths who are feeling the effects of trauma and loss. It is important to remind youths and adults that you are here for them, are doing everything possible to protect them. In addition, offer developmentally-appropriate physical soothing like hugs if desired, and calming objects such as blankets. Preschool
School Age (Ages 6-12)
Adolescents (Ages 13-18)
Children with Special Needs
Resources for Schools, Staff, Teachers and Practitioners
Resources for Parents
How
to Support Student and Staff Mental and Emotional Health and
Wellbeing in Supplemental Educational Activities Here are some suggestions to help educators and staff center supplemental education around students' mental and emotional health and learning needs: Safety Comes First Safety is essential to physical and emotional health. Make use of short, personal check-ins as often as possible, and routinely ask students about how they are doing or feeling. If a student or staff member reports circumstances in which they do not feel safe, immediately contact the appropriate administrative person in your building and/or a mental health professional in your district or community and share your concerns. Build and Maintain Trusting Relationships If technology allows, utilize face-to-face platforms such as Zoom and Google Meet for regular check-ins with students to continue to build and maintain relationships. When digital technology is not available, telephones allow for important voice contact as an alternative. When possible, establish a regular and predictable communication routine with students. Establish a routine and use posted videos to help create flexibility with online learning for students and families. Less is More Remember that, like you, students are likely experiencing a range of emotions as they learn to cope with these unpredictable circumstances. This means that they may seem overwhelmed more easily than usual. Introduce resources and new learning platforms slowly and incrementally, being mindful of each child's capacity to tolerate and adapt to new information and procedures. Routines are important even in remote learning spaces. Get students acquainted with any new learning platform or routine early and remember that "less is more". Begin with short check-ins, understanding that this type of connection with their peers and teachers will be new for many students. Consider that students will join from diverse settings that may not be private or feel safe to fully engage. Kids Need to Move and Engage Both students' minds and bodies need to be engaged for them to thrive and learn. Many students will be inside and using devices for distraction more often than usual during this time. As much as possible, include short periods of movement and/or live social engagement during online learning to keep them active and engaged. Online Citizenship Predictable routines and procedures are key to establishing safety and trust during online instruction. Establish agreements regarding acceptable online behavior, and communicate these expectations to students. Decide how to utilize online chat features, cameras and "break-out rooms," etc. Direct students toward appropriate and safe online resources, and teach them how to evaluate resources for safety and relevance. Connect with Colleagues Remember, you are not alone. Other teachers and staff are struggling with and sorting through similar issues. Your professional community is vital! Stay in regular communication with your colleagues and set regular times to connect, problem-solve, support each other and celebrate your accomplishments. Try to Stay Positive This is a new situation for everyone, and we are all in this together. Do your best to accept that lessons and learning will be different, and be kind to yourself and allow for your own learning curve. Utilize a Wide Variety of Resources Equity and access are guiding principles that drive quality education. All students have access to some resources, no matter how varied or seemingly limited. Rather than feeling limited by what students may not have, tap into the wide variety of resources that students do have in creative ways. Care for Yourself and Ask for Help During this time, you
are likely to experience added stress as you work toward
learning a new way of teaching and interacting with
students, families and colleagues. Do your best to build in
short breaks between tasks, and connect with others when
feeling overwhelmed. Our colleagues and communities provide
vital sources of support and connection as we all learn to
navigate this new reality. How
Adults Can Help to Prevent Suicide
It is important to remember that everyone reacts differently to stressful situations. How you respond to the outbreak can depend on your background, experience, access to information, social support and the community you live in. Taking care of ourselves and our youth Emotions like fear, sadness, anger, frustration and anxiety are natural responses to the COVID-19 outbreak. Many adults and youth will experience some or all of these emotions and others as we cope with the Coronavirus. It is essential that adults take care of their physical and emotional needs so that we can be available to respond to youth in crisis. Actions to keep ourselves well might include:
When to ask for help It is important to remember that we are all in this situation together. Particularly during the school closure, many children, teens and adults will feel alone, afraid, and unsure of what to do, and parents will be concerned with caring for their children. It is important to talk with a trusted professional if you or your child or student are experiencing three or more of the following for more than a few days at a time:
Suicide Risk Factors There are certain factors that are linked to increased risk for suicidal behavior. These include:
It is important to be aware of these risks, and to take them seriously. Suicide Warning Signs Most youth and adults who are considering suicide demonstrate one or more behaviors that may be signs of suicidal thinking or plans. These include:
Preventing Suicide The most important thing that we can do to prevent youth and adult suicide is to take the threat seriously. Particularly during times of high stress, youths and adults may feel anxious, afraid, alone, and overwhelmed. Some people may show few if any signs of their distress. There are a number of important steps that adults can take to keep youths and other adults safe. 1. Provide a safe environment, and a safe, supportive, trusting relationship where children, teens and other adults feel comfortable discussing their thoughts, feelings and concerns. If that is not possible in your household, encourage youths and others to speak with adults who can provide safety, security and trust like mental health professionals or counselors, medical professionals, elders, adult family members, or spiritual or religious advisors. 2. Become aware of and make use of other resources to support youths and families. These may include family and peer support, school and community members, school-based health clinics, crisis teams, trained mental health and medical professionals, religious or spiritual advisors, professional adults trained in identifying and intervening with students at risk for suicidal behavior, national and local crisis services listed above. a. Beginning April 1, 2020 Lines for Life will provide a remote suicide risk assessment and safety planning service for schools. Call 800-273-8255. 3. Create networks of supportive adults. School mental health and crisis team members, school-based health center staff, local mental health and medical professionals, and emergency personnel are responsible for conducting suicide risk assessments, warning/informing parents and family members, offering recommendations and referrals to community services, and often providing follow up counseling and support at school or in the community. Collaborating between adults, families, schools, local agencies and public health departments is essential for keeping youths and adults safe. 4. Never ignore or keep information a secret. Peers and family members should not agree to keep the suicidal thoughts of a friend a secret and instead should tell an adult, such as a parent, teacher, school psychologist, doctor, or mental health provider. If you believe a threat to be urgent or immediate CALL 911 or a local crisis line. In non-emergency circumstances, parents and other adults should seek help from community mental health resources as soon as possible. School staff who are aware of a youth at risk for suicide should take the student to the designated school mental health professional or administrator, or consult with a local mental health professional. 5. Get immediate help if a suicide threat seems serious. a. Contact one or more of the resources listed at the END of this website page. 6. Stay informed by making use of these and other resources. Here are a few suggestions for responding to the Coronavirus outbreak. a. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network has a guide for parents and caregivers to help families cope with the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Suicide is preventable It is important to remember that suicide is preventable. Youth and adults who are contemplating suicide often give warning signs of their distress. It is VERY IMPORTANT to ALWAYS TAKE THESE WARNING SIGNS SERIOUSLY, AND NEVER PROMISE TO KEEP THEM A SECRET. If you suspect that a child or adolescent or someone you know may be suicidal and are not sure what to do, contact one of suicide prevention resources listed above as soon as possible. If you or someone you know is experiencing severe emotional distress or is suicidal, GET HELP IMMEDIATELY by contacting one or more of the following:
Suicide Prevention Training Resources for School Personnel
Fortunately, there are a number of things that you can do to prevent stress from turning into distress. Most importantly begin with:
Knowing the signs of distress Although stress is a normal response to life's challenges, stress can turn to distress when we feel as though we have more to manage than we have the energy or resources to handle. There are many common signs of distress:
Knowing how to relieve distress There are many things that you can do to manage stress and distress. First, it is important to take care of your physical needs by:
There are also many ways that you can take care of your emotional needs. You may want to try:
Knowing when it's time to ask for help No one is invincible. Infectious disease outbreaks are highly stressful events that affect us all. It is natural to experience some distress regardless of whether or not you or your loved ones are sick or at risk for becoming ill. Most people will need some form of support during this challenging time, but many may not feel that it is OK to ask for help. But, if we do not care for ourselves, it is nearly impossible to support others, so asking for help is a worthwhile investment in you, and those you care for. If you or someone you know shows signs of distress listed above for several days or weeks, you can get help and support by accessing one of the resources below or contacting a local mental health provider. Call 911 or contact one of the distress helplines listed below right away if you or someone you know threatens to hurt or kill himself or herself or someone else, or talks or writes about death, dying, or suicide. Emergency Resources National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
SAMHSA's Disaster Distress Helpline
SAMHSA's National Helpline
Non-emergency Resources for Talking To Children
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