>> Good evening and welcome to youth mental KET I'm Renee Shaw.

Thank you so much for joining us.

The pressures on young people today are enormous academic performance and navigating peer relationships are tough enough.

But to add on the anxiety and often isolation caused by the COVID pandemic makes maintaining positive, emotional and mental wellness and even greater challenge.

We've assembled an extraordinary panel of mental health professionals and advocates who can help us understand the challenge is young people's face.

The resources available and how to communicate and even intervene when it seems a young person is in dire distress.

Joining us in the Lexington Studio, our doctor Allen Bruns all with the Kentucky Department for Behavioral Health, developmental and intellectual disabilities.

Alyssa Briggs, a licensed psychologist specializing in adolescent medicine at the University of Kentucky and Damian Sweeney, director of Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging at the Kentucky Department of Education and our Louisville studio.

Doctor job our job with the bounce coalition and a retired school psychologist with the Jefferson County Public Schools and Molly Jones with the PETA Foundation.

We appreciate all being here with us this evening to talk about this very important topic, doctor and Doctor Briggs.

I will begin with you.

Doctor Brown's all.

What do we know from numbers perspective about how many Kentucky kids are dealing with mental health challenges?

>> Well, thanks, Renee.

Fortunately, we do have some good information.

There's a statewide survey known as the Kentucky Incentives for Prevention survey and it's a statewide survey conducted every 2 years about 15,000 students in the some of the data are out for 2020 for 2021.

Is is concerning in that one.

In 5 students reported that they experienced significant psychological distress during 2021. and one in 7 reported that they actually seriously contemplated suicide.

And one in 14 reported that they'd attempted suicide.

So those numbers are disturbing and staggering.

And when we asked students about their mental health and how they experience said one in 3 say that more than not, they have poor mental health And so we are concerned about what what is happening in what the data is showing us.

>> So are those numbers worst that and prepandemic and do we can you connect them directly to the pandemic?

>> So there's some some information in the data that suggest that that it's variable.

So things like suicide in particular.

We've not seen a significant increase, although we experience us to increase PRE 2016 and we've stated a disturbingly high level.

What we are seeing is an increase in those Serious emotional distress.

We're seeing an increase in emergency department visits.

We're seeing an increase in hospitalizations and an increase in fatal or nonlethal attempts.

And so the data does suggest that we have we are seeing an increase in distress.

>> So Doctor Briggs, can you provide more context of that more reporting?

That's got to be a good thing right?

>> Yes, absolutely.

I think, you know, more kids mentioning are feeling comfortable coming forward and saying they're experiencing that kind of distress is is essential because we have to know in order to be able to do something about it.

>> We we participate in and work multiple schools across the state of Kentucky.

And we screen students in those schools and we find that about 30% report feeling I'm anxious or most days.

And you know, our numbers in terms of kids who have, you know, considered ending their life are similar to what they're finding in in the Cape Survey.

>> And what can be done essentially an is enough being done to address it and to deal with issues of stigma and to KET those conversations from coming forth and for being open.

I mean, what do you recommend?

>> Well, I think, you know, the data suggest clearly that, you know, we need to do more.

I think, you know, first and foremost, we have to ask kids directly what they're thinking and feeling.

I think it's essential, you know, to start of the level of doing school-wide screening at all schools asking, you know what, I they experiencing depression and anxiety, thoughts of ending their life.

And, you know, being being able to make sure that kids are connected to the resources that they need.

>> Doctor Barr's own in Louisville.

I want to go to you because for decades you were a school psychologist in the Jefferson County Public School System, the largest public school system in Kentucky.

So when you hear the numbers that Doctor Brown's all resided at the top of the program, I know that your work with the bounce coalition.

I want you to tell us more about what that organization does.

It really resonates with you because you see the distressed with with kids and how caregivers and parents are trying to learn how to help they're youngster.

That is in emotional turmoil.

>> First, thank you for the invitation.

Be part of this Important topic.

I'm glad we're covering it.

It really is.

We've seen as doctor share with you, Ali.

We've seen an increase.

And Joe met mental health issues.

And we know even before the pandemic hit, one in 5 children had a mental health challenge in Kentucky and just to kind of put that into perspective, there's about 650,000 students who go to schools and public schools in Kentucky.

20% of that is 130,000.

So if you filled up Kroger field way, UK football plays every weekend, a lot of twice that time.

Many students in Kentucky have a mental health challenge for on the pandemic.

That creates even more challenges.

And then also with bounce does is we work with child and family and community facing organizations that deal with trauma.

And so and adverse childhood experiences.

I think one of the important things as we try to bring in more resources to our kids are typically that's in school as we also have that one of things we really want to focus on is not only getting the resources, but also make that reconnection getting the child.

The children reconnected to schools right, and give them that sense of belonging because so often with many of our students, their 2 anchors and their life, one is their family.

Right?

And then the second is their school, right?

And especially with what happened in Western Kentucky when the tornado and what happened currently in eastern Kentucky getting that recreating that anchor for them, that sense of belonging and connection to school.

It's critical in addition to providing clinical services to that small group of students who may need additional support.

>> Doctor margin, I appreciate you bringing eastern Kentuckyian western Kentucky.

We can't forget that there's only just been a few months removed and the recovery from the tornadoes that struck a so many Kentucky towns in the western part of the state.

And to get to that point about, you know, the Western Kentucky didn't suffer as much school damages Eastern Kentucky.

So we know there have been some delays and school starting.

Can you kind of provide us some some input on on how that can affect a child dealing with the trauma of surviving a natural disaster and then not being able to resume a normal routine.

That includes a normal school day.

>> Actually, the best thing to do is recruit a restart that natural some social support system that they had before these natural disasters and so many times that involves that family and community partners, they may be involved in after-school provider services such as the YMCA and Boys and Girls Club or Sports.

A lot of those supports when away or they cease to exist.

And so what I think with schools and communities are doing right now, the first thing is to make those reconnection and reestablish those natural support, social support systems and then put because the ligatures clear that most young people with the right supports the social support will overcome natural disasters.

Okay.

But the important the one of the important piece to that is this is that there's some data out there that at the Katrina, 2005, they followed some of the students and southern Louisiana and they found that there was a spike in post traumatic stress disorder, diagnoses 2 years out.

And so what I think school districts and communities need to be thinking about is not only providing immediate support.

But when the focus goes away and then other things come up in the year, 2 that they have built ace layered approach all a framework of support for young people because we have to be thinking what's going to happen in the year when a lot of the focus goes away.

But that now we have some of those young people saying I'm still struggling.

What's out there?

What kind of support so we need to think strategically and long-term to support all students and make that reconnection as quickly as possible to those social support systems.

Doctor Briggs, I'd love to get your comments on on that and PTSD after a traumatic event that is beyond anyone's control such as a natural disaster.

I don't think many of us >> have made that connection as well as doctor barge adjusted for us.

>> Yeah, absolutely.

I think, you know, we need to be be thinking ahead and through prevention oriented framework, right?

We we have we have the research.

We have the data to say suggest what we may expect is coming for us and we need to think creatively about how to layer in services for students.

You know, so that students who need intensive service cuts is can access them.

And that for students who just who to have their social support network strength and great, how how can we make sure that that happens for them?

And I think, you know, when we when we screen students and schools are when we see the screen students who come into the clinic, you know, we don't just screen for, you know, what are the risk factors that place.

But we also screen for what are some of the protective factors in place, right?

So do you have a close friend, right?

Who you feel that you can go to for support?

Is there an adult outside of your family who understands you?

You can go to for support?

Is there somebody at school who you feel connected to?

Right?

And so, you know, we need to understand also what what is in place for our kids and make sure that we're building up their network as well.

>> I do want to ask you a little bit more about the screening process and what's involved.

Is it just this casual conversation with a young person asking those questions that you just laid out?

>> How how different school structure it, you know, depending on the resources they have at hand, what we work with schools on doing is doing a Web great bay screening.

That takes about 5 minutes of students.

Time yet.

At the same time, we only screen as many students as he we can follow up with by the end of the day, right?

So if we have one percent available, who's trained to do follow-up risk assessments.

We only screen 30 kids that because that will probably generate 5 kids.

We need to follow up with before the buses come.

>> Right.

So you're trying to do that day of you're not waiting?

No, we don't wait.

Yeah.

So Damon 20, I want to bring UN because the one term that doctor barge own just use trauma, informed schools, trauma, informed care.

I want to get the the department's perspective on that.

We know lots of school districts have employed that mental health first aid.

We know the Pulaski County is kind of a standout district.

It's really taken that to heart and done some really interesting work in that space.

Talk to us about trauma, informed care and schools.

>> Yes, first time I'm extremely proud to say that so many of our Kentucky educators have embrace this idea of common form practices.

What this really boils down to is having a relationship with students understanding their lived.

trust in yourself enough to ask pertinent questions about their background.

If you feel, but they may be at risk.

So our schools are doing a phenomenal job at making sure that their educators, all educators, where they're certified are classified bus drivers, teachers, etcetera, our trauma informed and are able to kind of seek out support for students that may be at risk.

>> Right.

And I think it's really important that you mentioned the classified along with the certified staff, that bus drivers and and chefs and cooks are often who kids in her face with first early in the morning and maybe midday and the last part of their day.

So it's important that they're all And then that information and how to really exercise.

Yes, I'm so I worked with the school district in eastern Kentucky.

>> they had over 5 common form practice sessions with every single staff member just last year alone because they saw a spike in trauma.

They saw a spike and mental health concerns and they wanted every single person regardless of their position, right?

We're talking about coaches, a janitorial staff of the story.

All cafeteria workers except all the way up to principals, superintendents, District Central Office staff.

They wanted them all to be Tom and form so they could identify potential warning signs for their student debt.

>> Molly Jones, I want to bring you into the conversation.

Thank you so very much for joining us tonight.

We connected a few years ago when we did our six-part series on youth mental health that you shared the story of your dear son who died by suicide at a young age.

And I know that you've created this foundation to honor his memory, but also to bring awareness about mental health issue.

Said, do you mind sharing with our audience, your experience, your lived experience with this issue.

>> thank you for for having me here.

It's great to be speaking with you again.

so my experience is that in 2016, my son.

Lost his battle with depression and he ended his life in December of that year.

It was a battle, but I KET he had struggled for a year.

Actually.

He had struggled with anxiety and depression for 12 years at least.

He was 23 when he when he passed away.

And so we immediately KET this was so new to our family has almost every family who suffers this tragedy can say.

And it was just horrific.

And we never expected this to happen.

So we just KET that we had to do something.

We had to make a difference for other people.

So we started a foundation and we really want to focus on adolescent mental health, just everything that everybody speaking to here in doing that and then in advocating for that and supporting those efforts.

We also understand that the parents, the adults, the caregivers.

Need to understand what children need and they need to become comfortable with thinking about mental illness and their child or any child.

And even in themselves so a lot of our work is centered around that.

Just trying to.

Remove that curtain that's in front of mental health.

Everything everybody's talking about here today at such fantastic work.

How many people in Kentucky know about this work right?

Not enough.

Not enough.

And everybody should everybody should so.

We we are really working hard to make.

The idea of mental health.

The idea of mental illness, the idea of seeking mental health care just everyday normal.

Personal care ride your childhood care for your child.

>> Right.

Normalizing it, We would say, you know, it just got from the neck up, right, that that should just be a part, as we're concerned with our physical health.

And I do want to ask you Miss Molly about the conversations you have with parents because I think oftentimes adults just don't know what to do or they're afraid to say the wrong thing or they're afraid they may say something.

But could cause a child to do harm to themselves.

I mean, what do you advise parents?

What do you tell them to say or how do you tell them to engage with their child?

I'm just tell but I'm not the expert.

So mostly what I do is I tell them to seek expert opinion on this.

>> But I do.

Counsel them from my personal perspective, my personal experience too, to not be afraid of where your child may want that conversation to go now and not try to limit it.

very open and to know that at any point you can reach out for that expert help?

Yeah.

Very wise.

I want to get your thoughts on that.

Doctor >> So I think, you know, that's very well said.

I think there's nothing that other than the president's be available and not be afraid because kids will sense your discomfort with the subject.

They don't want to make other people uncomfortable at times.

But if the conversation is that your president that you're listening and that you're available and then if you're not that you will get them connected with someone who will listen.

Because one of the things that we've learned recently is the Lieutenant Governor, when around did some action summits with the youth and they surveyed themselves and it was very youth lead.

And they said 57% of them said they experience major depressive symptoms and did not get any help.

And so I think the question earlier about what are we doing enough?

Clearly, these kids are not feeling like they can find services that they that people are willing to help.

And that's why that, but they're ready.

What my experience with young people as they are so ready to talk about this, that we have to get over our hesitancy to talk about this and normalize the fact that when they bring it up, it it means that that they're ready and that they want to talk about it in to help.

>> I think that's an excellent point.

Doctor the the kids, the youngsters are ready, but the adults may not be so high.

How do you get the adults ready?

>> I and I think, you know, as as Molly was sane, the first of all and as doctor Pencil was saying, right?

Don't don't be afraid of saying the wrong thing and don't let your fear KET you from saying something that all right.

So the first thing right, as is >> is to be present, become, you know, be comfortable with letting go of your fear and having that conversation with the kid.

And, you know, as Molly said, you know, to to allow the child to take that conversation where it needs to go.

And I think even backing up from that, I think sometimes kids are afraid to come to us because they see that we're are busy.

We have all this going on and they want to take care of us, too.

And they don't want to interrupt us.

And so I think, you know, as as teachers and parents and professionals and caregivers, you know, as much as we can communicate to our kids, you know, yes, our lives are busier.

Lives are hectic.

And you come first to write, you know, save some things.

If if something is troubling, you please, it's it's where stopping for might doctor barge own.

I'd like to bring you into this part of the conversation about how proactive >> adults can be and having this conversation with children and operating as a place that is not out of fear.

Just to kind of apply some of the points.

Some of the other panelists discussed >> previously, I think the important thing is that we have to dispel the myth that talking to a child about their emotional well-being off that Mike, that having thoughts of suicide, that they will act upon that's that I think in the head.

It actually just the opposite.

It's been my experience when we're able to train adults, we're not trained them to be therapist, but with just training them to recognize a youth, isn't the stress.

And then asking those important questions and having that relationship and asking them if they are suicidal.

What's been my experience when we've done trainings for parents and adult and other caregivers once we train them and recognize and a child in distress and asking the question if that we think they're suicidal.

Are you thinking about, you know, dying by suicide or you think about her niece out for some students?

It's almost a relief that they would never share that with an adult before.

But if you ask me the question and I have a relationship or if you then it's okay for me to say, yes, I am thinking about suicide.

So I think that's important if and the dog doesn't feel comfortable asking that question.

See some, see if you can connect with another dog who also has a relationship with that child and asked the question together and then the child does a firm.

Yes, I am thinking about suicide.

Know what resources are in the community that you can tap into.

The other important point I want to make is and with Doctor but Kentucky Department of Education Department ban on.

They have great resources for suicide prevention programs for the staff and for the students.

It will be great.

That is part of that when they do all that training in September, if they have opportunities for parents and caregivers to receive some training around suicide prevention because then that just creates another positive Dalton.

That child site they can go to if they need help and also gives us another set of eyes for children who might be struggling with not a harmful might have some suicide ideation.

So if you want to go to Mister swinging out, asking about the shore shore, I can I can speak to that.

>> I absolutely agree.

Doctor, Barzee own that are caregivers deserve to know this information have access to the information.

My experience is that when schools are intentional about bringing and parents and caregivers having mental health evenings that only helps the stick and the ties some of these issues and helps repair our parents for these conversations like the other panelists are speaking about, I would also like to lift a social emotional this is something that we can do every single day in every single classroom, regardless of the content to make sure students are connected to one another.

They are connected to their adults as well.

We preach at Kde how important relationships are.

As a matter of fact, one of the things that we continuously say is contacts before content, right?

The contents important to standards are important.

But you have to have a relationship with your students and order for them told first, want to learn the content and feel like they are co-owners of the classroom.

Well, we go ahead.

Doctor Brent said the other, I think resources, family resource use services centers.

Our schools across Kentucky known as for skis.

>> And they're very able and have the time to just to reach out to families, to make connections in the communities to host events.

And I know mental health and behavioral health is a very important aspect of our skis as well.

>> We know that there's a mandate for suicide prevention awareness, information to be distributed by schools in September.

Is that enough?

Is it standardized are all districts doing at the same?

What can you tell us about that?

Mr. Swinney.

So first off, I have to lift up school counselors in Kentucky who are doing a tremendous job at ensuring that our students have the access that me that they need to behavioral health support >> and mental health support as I also want to lift up the fact that so many of our school counselors and other school-based mental health professionals are leading the charge on suicide prevention.

To answer your question specifically as a one time shot by September 15th enough?

I don't think it I think that that should be a continuous conversation.

And we've got people throughout the state, whether Kentucky board of Education members, other other either legislators that have also advocated for more opportunities to to suicide Again, this only helps normalize the conversation about mental health.

And it is, as you've seen tonight in her tonight that it is extremely needed.

>> All right.

Well, we heard from one student.

Her name is Alexandra Perry.

She's a senior and she's in northern Kentucky area and she is a member of the Commission or Student Advisory Council.

They do lots of things.

But one of the things they do address mental health and trying to normalize mental health conversations and she talks to us about how real and and avoidable the struggle is.

Here's what she shared with us.

>> Alexandra Kerry, thank you so much for taking a few minutes to speak with us today.

Appreciate it.

The problem so tell me about your work with the Commissioner Student Advisory Council.

What does that involve?

>> Yes, so it basically includes a whole lot of us students from all over.

And Kentucky is advising the commissioner on various occurrences and the problems that affect students to the state and sure, I know that can vary.

I'm sure that's a pretty significant list of things.

But for the purposes of our discussion >> talking about youth mental health.

Can you describe some of the challenges that your peers are facing now when it comes to mental health and what are the needs that they have when it comes to making sure they have good mental wellness.

>> Yeah, a lot the problems that a lot of the piers, a lot of my peers has faced go down to you stemming from COVID and just kind of being away from school during that time losing motivation, heading into anxiety and depression.

Just a lot of that.

And in terms of needs to listen to increasing support.

>> It goes down to support from teachers and staff and from everybody being able to express their mental health without fearing that it's a Redstone to talk about in school because a lot of the times this difficult to talk about mental health and school because it was that or >> brought a.

And it's such a sensitive topic, but being able to make it a forefront of school.

Introducing us to advise definitely out for.

>> Yeah.

Alexandra, want to put a pen right there when you talked about that word stigma and I'm curious if that has dissipated we know that the conversation has come a long way when it comes to mental health.

Do you think there is more embrace of open discussion about it and helping just meet kids where they are when it comes to wherever they are and their mental their social emotional wellness.

>> I think there's we've advanced it's become more of the topic in school.

>> Even this council that I'm on allowing us to talk about mental health of students.

It's a great example of how we're moving forward.

>> But I do understand that there are some strain since school is being able to talk about it.

But we definitely gone a long way, especially John past 2 years.

It's been amazing mind.

So let's talk about some of the things you mentioned.

Anxiety, depression.

Are there other >> things that kids are grappling with, that you can help adults understand.

>> Based on our research, it was mainly going down to anxiety and depression.

But there's other things that you don't often think of such as eating disorders often stems from mental health related aspects as Is.

>> Just general isolation, especially from COVID just being away from your peers.

Feeling different.

I bean.

Let's take the strain from the school.

But in those outings that in depression and just another.

Aspects students face, right?

I mean, that would be normal without COVID write that.

>> Growing up is hard to do.

Right.

And so many things that you face.

I am curious about the impact of social media.

Does that help elevate the conversation about mental health and a good way or a social media often used as a tool for bad when it comes to this.

>> I say to make sure those because a lot of the times I'm going to have does arrive arise from social media over there.

You know, the positive know there are many things you can do with social media, Tilly, improve your mental health, I guess, to stay connected with friends and to stay up to date.

So it's very in between.

But there are many negative effects to it.

And it does affect many students.

However, there's so many positive things that can come from it that if we continue to improve them, will of the gate, the possibility of the negative >> So let's talk about some solutions, right?

Because that's part of what your advisory council does.

>> Is help present recommendations for policymakers to consider.

Talk to us about some of the things that you have done and things that you like to see move forward in the coming few months.

>> So our main thing for our council was that we created these round tables that occurred throughout Kentucky.

These round tables occurred in different regions and invited students to come and speak about their mental health with with that here in order to document and research like common problem.

So that come in, Kern says and patterns as well as their recommendations to talking about mental health in school.

So those round tables that we did, they were definitely one of the main our pride and joy that we had done for improving mental health.

But we also with that data from the round tables, we form different recommendations.

>> So these recommendations are what we spent a lot of time researching on and so struck Monday.

Shuns include providing student mental health days, enlist the mental health check INS for students to say how they're feeling.

And for the day and for the week with their teachers as well as a more professional development in regards of how mental health is talked about in school.

And those are definitely there's only some of the recommendations that we've created.

And there are many more to go.

But it does it's those recommendations are what we are talking about to the legislators in every month.

>> Thank you so much for sharing some time with us.

>> Thank you.

>> So Damian, so many I want to go right to you to talk about mental health days.

We know that there was a law that was passed that would make that optional to bid for an excused absence.

So talk about that.

And then when you hear young people like Alexandra really articulate their activism and what they want policy makers to being a part of the Commissioners, Student Advisory Council.

I know that has to the a beaming moment for you.

Oh, my gosh, I'm a certain time >> we're so proud of our We're so proud of everything that they've everything that they've set their minds to the priorities that they And Kentucky on behalf of their peers is just incredible.

So big shout out to you and big shout out here.

Our advisory council members now with the mental health days.

I think it's exceptional.

What we have happening here in Kentucky, the fact that our policymakers were able to acknowledge the impact of mental health on our students.

M acknowledged those concerns and then put something in the policy that would help students and families navigate those concerns by allowing students to have doesn't talk days as is awesome, right?

So treating it just like you would a medical >> I do want to go back to you Miss Molly and talk to you about a couple of things.

QPR and I think this is something that the PETA Foundation you have embrace when it comes to engaging in conversations that are uncomfortable but necessary question persuade and refer.

Can you talk to us more about that technique and approach?

>> It's it's a lifesaving technique.

The best way to think about it is it's the CPR for a mental health crisis.

So if someone's having a cardiac crisis, you want to know CPR.

If somebody is having a an emotional crisis, you want to know QPR, you will save a life.

So it's QPR.

You question them to determine.

What they're thinking, what and how they're feeling.

You persuade them to to seek help.

And then you worry for them to somebody for help.

But it's excellent training.

We embrace it because it solves that problem that so many people feel that they suffer from when they say I didn't know what to say.

I was afraid I was going to say the wrong thing.

Knowing QPR sops that 100% solution to that.

It's it is easy training to get.

We're not the only ones that embrace it.

You know, many agencies I know throughout Louisville in Kentucky, do I was I'm also a licensed attorney.

And I was so proud to see that the Kentucky Bar Association, a QPR training qualify as continuing legal education.

And I think every profession should do that.

And it's I can't speak more for >> we >> Created what we call pop-up QPR.

So that.

Group almost like your book club, maybe could say, hey, we should have QPR training in a very comfortable environment.

Somebody is home around people that they're comfortable with just to make it an everyday It will save lives.

I can't stress that enough.

That will save lives and it increases the understanding about mental illness and mental health in it.

It makes it less scary right?

>> And I do want to ask you something that Doctor Barr, John mentioned earlier about how bin and Doctor Briggs as well being very direct.

You know, asking are you thinking of killing yourself?

Are you thinking attempting so sides have to not, you know, maybe not be so concerned about the words but be direct to the point.

Would you think that that's the right way to handle it?

When you say question, that's absolutely yes.

That is absolutely what the question is.

Yes.

>> Absolutely.

Be direct right?

And so this move begins.

Go ahead.

I'm sorry.

I was just going to say I've been in situations where I know having QPR saved a lie.

I was just going to ask you know, just a real lived experience you know, the tragic death of your son.

But using QPR, as you just said, his save someone's life.

>> And how long did that exchange?

Last wasn't a long conversation or were you able just to get right to it or did you feel like you needed to maybe be somewhat timid and getting to that conversation or did you just go where it needed to go?

Because you KET that the called for it.

Yeah, I just win.

>> Where I needed to it.

If you understand if you have the QPR training, I mean, you know, when you you need to just go for it and you're comfortable doing it.

Yeah, no, it it was a.

A fairly long encounter.

I can't remember exactly.

but that was OK, I I would give injure the encounter.

All day all night.

Whatever it it's it's it's really good training to have.

And one thing about the conversation.

That proves to us that we need to KET trying to open up understanding about how to seek mental health care and how to understand mental illness.

Is it a lot of people come to me and sometimes they'll just call us on the phone >> they know I'm with the P foundation.

somewhere.

I have a tent and they'll come in.

They'll talk to me because they it's hard for us to have somebody to talk to about.

Mental health, mental illness or some if you're suffering.

We can't go to a co-worker or and sometimes people don't feel like they can go to a family member.

>> We always refer out and then follow up.

If they if they allow us to follow up with them, we follow up just to make sure that the referral out to a specialist was was helpful, but it proves to me if they'll come to me and they don't know me.

But they know I'm just with the P foundation.

It proves to me that.

That they're still too much of a stigma and their people are afraid to just speak openly about it.

I'm more than happy to talk to anybody about it anytime of the day or night.

Right now.

I don't want to try to shut that down, but it it just shows that the need is there and I'm glad I can help.

Yes, doctor been.

So it just made me think about how we need to extend this ability to ask and check in to younger children.

>> Because we know the one thing we did see an increase in is the 6th grade 6th graders that are experiencing distress and 6th graders that are contemplating harming themselves.

Unfortunately, we did lose 7 children between the ages of 10 14, 2 suicide.

And so as we talk about this, we need to recognize that we need to extend it down to to younger ages and then the availability of 9, 8, 8.

I and then 9, 8, 8, is a tool now available.

>> It has been previously available as the suicide prevention hotline.

But now it's going to be broadened its going to be available to families.

It's going to be available if you have a concern and want to ask a question about it.

And so we we need to recognize that that can be a resource for and there are text options or are you thought are more familiar and more comfortable, maybe reaching out and using a social media to reach out.

And so it's one of the highlight those points.

>> Yeah, doctor Barr's own to pick up on that.

You know, 9, 8, 8, you can text it.

You can call it and would likely say we have to meet kids where they are and often the caregivers of those kids and simplifying that number.

Of course, the the old number, the longer number still stands.

But having that short number to resign, 9, 8, 8, that can really save a life.

Just like up our dogs.

>> I think that's a great point.

That you have to meet the child where they are and so many of them the way they communicate without this is texting right.

And so with the 9, 8 number, you can actually call that the number or you can actually tax and you'll get a license commission.

2 out to respond to that person, whether it's over the phone or texting.

So using technology that kids and brace themselves as the best way to reach out to those young people.

I think that's a really good thing.

This is also for the audience.

Members may not know this, but September is suicide prevention month.

So all the things you're talking about tonight, Congo's right in mind and recognizing the impact of suicide has on that.

The child, the young person took the live but also on the family and the community.

So anytime we can put in supports and services and then also think in terms of using proactive strategies right?

Not only talk about mental illness but mental health wellness night and that talks about re regulate their emotions and their behavior.

That's the way to go.

And just one of the point I want to make with Miss Perry, their student.

We have thousands of those students across the state, right?

And then doing some great things.

I think what she when I was listening to the piece was so enlightening to me and made my heart swell.

Was that they're using their voice and we're empowering young people to take care of themselves and take care of others.

And so given them voice and impoundment is really bearing the best way to go.

Because not only does it help them at that point in their life, but going into adulthood, they may be at a church activity.

You know, 20 years later and they recognize somebody who's in distress and they've learn those to make that connection with that person and then say, hey, listen, I know some resources in the community that can help you at this point and then linking them to the resources.

And that goes right in line with Mitt.

What Miss Jones says about QPR that training does provide that recognizing some buying distressed, persuade them.

And then referring to some person in the community who can provide services for them.

Ryan Doctor Briggs.

The follow-up care is always important ride.

You've made that initial contact and you've made that initial referral.

But then checking in with them to make sure that they're following through.

>> On talking to a provider who can really help them.

>> Yeah, we want we want to make sure that they're, you know, once we identify, you know, as a who needs to connect to resources, we want to make sure that that connection has been made and not only that right, if it has been made that it that it's a good You know.

So, you know, one of the things we tell kids therapist when they see us is is, you know, therapy is relationship.

And you know, what we care about most is that you get the help you need if we're not clicking, we don't.

We're not offended by that, right?

That light.

We will find you somebody else you can do.

You can click with because this is a relationship, right?

That's meant to support you.

>> If you will talk about the therapy options that are available when a child is going through a mental distress or the missile crisis.

>> Yeah, for children and adolescents.

You know what we tweet typically go to is cognitive behavioral therapy.

So that falls on the idea that, you know, we can't really decide to feel better, but we can change the way we think which could change how we feel more.

We can change what we do, which could change how we feel.

And so we teach kids strategies, you know, both, you know, action strategies to help them feel better.

And then we teach them how to kind of I think through some of the negative thoughts that they're having.

And, you know, another common tool we use with kids dialectical behavioral therapy.

So we use this with kids.

You may be more more prone to self-harm or may have more significant mood swings.

We teach them skills to regulate their emotions.

We teach them skills how to manage a crisis.

So let's say they are in a mental health crisis, right?

We teach them how to cope with that crisis.

And then we also teach them how to communicate effectively with people in their support network so that they can get support in real time.

>> That self-regulation, we hear that term a lot.

And if you could kind of get you've already kind of defined it for us.

But give us a little bit more context to that.

>> Yeah, so you it and it's a challenge for adolescents and they are uniquely challenges in this.

You know, because what's going on in their development?

Is there a motion processing system is is maturing and firing on.

And, you know, they're the the system that helps them manage and regulate that emotions is lagging a little bit behind in development.

So adolescence really do feel emotions, more more intensely, sometimes more quickly, which is why I think now is Doctor Sweeney mentioned it's so important to have social emotional instruction in schools.

Just that baseline right to teach kids.

You know, if you're feeling unregulated, connect to your sensory environment, right?

That's one thing.

You know, we teach them right?

What can you see?

What can you touch?

What can you feel right?

Bring yourself back down to Earth around yourself to help get through that moment.

Are their digital platforms, apps that are out there that kids can use to connect to right in the moment since they are especially the newer generation.

They're digital natives.

So is there a way that that's been incorporated in those platforms?

>> Yeah, there are plenty wonderful apps out there and that the kids I see are usually the ones who give me the recommendations that I recommend out because I know if they're telling me about something, right, it's going to be used.

My longstanding favorite is mind shift for anxiety and that's cognitive behavioral therapy and it's designed for teens.

I've had some kids get into one recently called a Finch and it's basically a little Tama gotti of self care and you get it points for doing different self-care activities to get so many points to a little baby Berg rose and then you get to like buy outfits with their points and status or fed.

And, you know, my kids have had fun with that one.

But just, you know, you can always pull out your phone in class.

So one thing I recommend is that they have like a pencil pouch with like peppermint Senate, a fidget.

They like maybe a picture that gives them a happy motion that smells good to them, right?

So again, they can since it was in their bag, right?

And grab those sensory resources not to help them cope in that moment.

>> Is there ever too young of an age to talk about mental health and mental wellness?

>> No, no, no, no, absolutely not.

I have a I have an 8 year-old and we've been I mean it in our house.

We've been talking about it since I think probably, you know, we could talk, right?

You know, and I think, yeah, we you know, Matt, learning how to be well is is part of developing right as as a whole human it's, you know, especially in schools.

It's not just about reading and writing and arithmetic, right?

We want to teach our kids how to be leaders who want to teach your kids how to think.

And we also want to teach our kids how to be well and take care of themselves.

Tonight.

>> That person I want to ask you gender identity and all of the different identities, whether that's race, gender, gender, identity, socioeconomic status, all of these things come play into how we perceive the world.

We think we're being perceived by the world.

And when you're young it, it's really impactful.

So talk about the work the Kde is doing to address that.

Yes, yes.

Thank you for bringing that >> What our job as educators is to support all students regardless of their background, regardless of their gender identity, sexual orientation, etcetera.

And so we've gotten out of B T Q A A PLUS, a tool kit that we provided for our teachers.

We've also got a that we're so proud of called considerations for using student preferred name Sen.

I was just tonight district today and a school at this unbelievable middle school.

And this question came up.

You know, we've got we've got many of our students who want to be refer to as this name and want us to use this pronoun and how can we be sure that we're navigating this correctly and what we always start with this first first thing first is you support that student.

You support that student and you honor their wishes for for that back that connect about gender and preferred name a preferred pronouns.

Well, so I'm really excited about that.

I think you bring up such a good point about race pace, stress and which is also extremely important.

I don't think we talk about it enough.

I don't think that we acknowledge things that happened in the community and our and our state and our country enough.

What we constantly hear from our commissioners to advisory council is that they will go a whole day after an event has happened after a really tragic event that at the top of many people's minds, including students and our educators.

But they call whole day of school without anybody acknowledging that event when that anybody allowing them time to process that event.

So we talk about with our educators and we talked about today at middle school was creating psychologically safe spaces where kids can process these events were not asking any educator too, make these conversations political.

We're not asking any educator too, even say kind of where they might where they feel are, how they feel about, you know, right and wrong and that they don't even have to weigh in.

But what is important and what we know as important as creating these spaces where kids feel safe enough to process these emotions.

Of course, we would suggest that norms are set so that nobody can be hurtful to anybody else.

But when we create these opportunities.

Kids learn kids.

If you all seen and heard and values they also feel like you're you're not you're not shy away from truly hard conversations.

We used to call these conversations, courageous right now.

We call necessary.

And I think there's an important distinction there.

I don't thank our educators need to have like a moment of bravery to talk about something that must be talked about that at the top of the minds of our students many of the issues you just brought up.

Are these things these these topics that must be they're necessary to talk about and discuss.

>> Doctor Burns unit, I'd love to hear your commentary on this because it has Jefferson County, one of the most diverse districts in in the state.

And I'm curious about addressing I love how doctor Sweeney framed in terms of, you know, these are I'm not just fleeting, momentary kind of things that there needs to be some intentionality in conversations.

You know, there the social justice movement there in Louisville, right?

Started there because of an incident.

And so schools addressing that because that does have some long-term ramifications if left on addressed.

I think Doctor Sweeney, he gave some great examples of dealing with the racial trauma peas.

>> And having to recognize because the worst thing we can do is say there is an event that school and that community.

And as doctor Sweeney says they go the whole day without addressing that at school.

And so actually sending a message to those students that this significant event happened in their community.

But we're not going to recognize we're not going to address that.

So that sends a negative message to the students are.

We can't talk about it.

Well, there's no safe space to process all feelings about that.

So I think with DOT to Sweeney's doing the example he gave it that middle school is a perfect example of the things we should be doing and because it impacts students and we can't be afraid.

Not to ask questions.

Just like when Miss Jones was talking about QPR and are you thinking about suicide?

Please up.

We need to have those conversations with young people that developmentally appropriate.

But we need to let them know we are that and they do have questions about racial trauma that that we there's a safe space for them to have that conversation with an adult to lead.

Then and moving forward with that trauma and how it's impacting them.

>> Can you talk to us a little bit doctor by Joan about the intersection of adverse childhood experiences Aces and mental health.

>> And actually aces adverse childhood experiences that primarily deal like with abuse, physical, sexual emotional abuse, neglect.

But then family dynamics, incarcerated parents, substance abuse issues.

But then there is says events now also commend events, community violence can impact young people.

All right.

The lack of secure home home ownership or the lack of food security, those the kinds of things that we need to be dressing.

And there's some new literature out by the Centers for Disease Control called Positive childhood experiences right?

So making sure that every young person in our community has an adult right getting started early with young people putting in those social emotional learning programs even in head start or child care centers even before they hit can gone.

It's an important piece supporting families having a mentoring program dealing with violence in the communities.

So focusing on the proactive a pro childhood experiences can mitigate some of those adverse childhood experience because those aces impacting not only when they're growing up but well into adulthood.

And so if we're able to mitigate says events, but by providing those supports and creating those positive childhood experiences.

They're going to have better outcomes, both educationally, the more likely to graduate high school.

They got better, a relationship outcomes and financial outcomes.

So addressing a says and trying to enhance positron to experiences as a community.

Just don't rely on school staff to do it.

But after school providers off faith, community, social services, everybody needs to be at the table and work collaboratively to address aces in the community because Aces and packaged 24 7, 3, 65.

So we all have to be at the table to support kids and families.

>> And I know that you share with us before they can.

Also shorten one's The compilation or the of says can certainly do physical harm down the road.

Doctor Brown's all, I want to give you some time to maybe give us some takeaways real quickly and we'll go around the table is as much as we can.

>> Well, I mean, I just want to add people often ask me what can I do?

And I think that last comment about what you can do is you can be that person that values that use and it doesn't have to be hours a day.

I think it could be the bus driver.

It could be the the pastor.

It could be a coach.

And those are the positive factors that can help our use overcome some of those risks because we really haven't talked about sort of secondary prevention.

And that's the Dana find.

The kids who are at increased risk of self-harm, increased risk of suicide.

And that's kids who experience violence who've experienced last.

We know that our use.

I mentioned one in 7 kids seriously.

Consider suicide one in 3 of that group has reports that they considered suicide actively.

And so identifying those youth recognizing and prioritizing them as populations at risk and providing increased outreach to those populations.

And the list goes on kids with that are getting enough.

Sleep are at high risk.

A kit kids that are victims of bullying.

That's a very significant risk factor.

Both in person in school bowling but cyber bullying and so parents need to be very interested and involved in what their kids are viewing.

I think our youth mentioned the positive aspects.

But we as caregivers need to be to take some responsibility as to what they are participating in social media.

And so what I think we're talking mostly about today is moving mental health into the mainstream of health care because I trained as a pediatrician and child psychiatrist and those were 2 disparate fields for a long time.

And I've spent my career trying to figure out how to integrate those 2 subspecialties and I'm very courage now that we are recognizing the value and importance of behavioral health and we're not going to get to overall health in our society without behavioral health.

And so I sort of say taking its rightful place, as you alluded to in terms a checkup involves just our physical health, as well as our mental and behavioral health.

And then not stigmatizing those who seek it in and one of our challenges and one of things were working out is increase access to quality, affordable and and and culturally competent, behavioral health services.

And we've got a long way to go.

We need to increase workforce.

Our universities need to increase training.

But some of the advantages of COVID our telehealth.

I think we to that today.

That's really been a boon for access and search for certain folks still have gaps.

We have folks who don't have reliable Internet so that can represent a new challenge that we have to address.

But we'll have to leave it there.

Those are some good takeaways for us to take away tonight.

And we hope that you have learned a lot about this very important topic and hang in there because there's more information coming.

>> From PBS in just a few minutes.

I'm Renee Shaw.

Take good care.

All season.

♪ ♪ ♪ >> And Miss Molly, thank you.

You all really just help make and Miss.

Molly, thank you.

You all really just help make and Miss.

Molly, thank you.

You all really just help make and Miss.

Molly, thank you.

You all really just help make and miss Molly.