How to help teens dealing with mental health concerns

How to help teens dealing with mental health concerns

METEOROLOGIST SARA FLYNN. >> APPROXIMATELY 40% OF TEENS EXPERIENCE PERSISTENT FEELINGS OF SADNESS OR HOPELESSNESS THAT’S ACCORDING TO THE CDC. BUT THERE ARE SO MANY RESOURCES GROUPS AVAILABLE TO HELP YOUR TEEN WITH THEIR MENTAL HEALTH. WITH US. TODAY IS AMY BRACE ACCESS SERVICES MANAGER AT THE TOUR OF L IN MOBILE CRISIS RESPONSE MANAGER WITH NETWORK. ONE 80. THANK YOU LADIES FOR BEING HERE WITH US. SO THIS IS FIRST TALK ABOUT YOUR ROLES AT NETWORK, ONE, 80 AND HOW YOU WORK WITH YOUNG PEOPLE. SURE. YEAH. >> SO I HELP WITH THE FRONT DOOR, WHICH IS THE ACCESS WHERE EVERYBODY COMES RIGHT INTO 80. AND I ALSO CRISIS STABILIZATION PROGRAM, WHICH IS A PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES INTENSIVE THERAPY FOR YOUTH FOR ABOUT 30 DAYS NOW. SO THE FIRST PERSON THEY RIGHT TO THE DOOR. BUT YOU AND I’M CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM MANAGER. SO MY TEAM GOES OUT TO ANY SELF IDENTIFY PRICES. >> AND THEY HELP DE-ESCALATE PROVIDE THAT CRISIS INTERVENTION FOR WHO CALLS. >> SOME SIGNS INDICATING THAT A YOUNG PERSON MIGHT NEED HELP. STILL SOME SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS THAT A YOUNG PERSON MIGHT NEED SOME HELP US AND SOCIAL AND. >> SOME SOCIAL WITHDRAWAL CHANGING THEIR PARENTS OR HYGIENE SADNESS THAT LAST MORE THAN 2 WEEKS. CHANGE IN EATING HABITS. SELF-HARMING SO CUTTING OR SCRATCHING OR BERNIE. OKAY. >> LET’S TALK ABOUT SOME NUMBERS. HOW MANY TEENS REACH OUT FOR HELP AT NETWORK. ONE 80 ROUGHLY HELPING. YEAH. SO IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE ABOUT 4,000 YOUTH THAT WE PROVIDE A SUPPORT TO AND 2024. SO WOW. OKAY. SO EACH ONE OF YOU COULD POSSIBLY SHARE A STORY ON HOW NETWORK ONE 80 HAS HELPED THE TEEN RIGHT. HOW IT MADE DIFFERENCE IN THEIR LIFE. >> PRICES. WE WILL SEE INCREASING CALLS COMING IN SCHOOL STARTS BACK FROM THE TEENS. THEIR SCHOOL OFFICIALS. SO WE’VE HAD PLENTY OF THEM HAVE ONE TIME WHERE OUR TEAM HAS GONE OUT TO A SCHOOL AND THE TEENS SHARE THAT THEY’RE JUST HAVING SOME SELF-HARMING ISSUES IN THE HEAD ENSURE THAT THEIR PARENTS SO THE TEEN. MY TEAM WENT OUT AND THEY ACTUALLY WORK WITH THE TEAM TO TALK ABOUT WHY THEY’RE SELF HARMING AND HELPED ADVOCATE FOR THAT TEAM TO DISCLOSE THAT TO THEIR PARENTS. WE WANT TO ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ARE THE PARENTS TO COME AND BE INVOLVED WITH THAT BECAUSE IT’S A LOT FOR A TEAM HANDLE. >> WE TALKED TO A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE SERVICES NETWORK. ONE 80 OFFERS. NETWORK, WHEN AD IS KENT COUNTY COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH AND WE PROVIDE SERVICES TO ADULTS AND YOUTH. AND WE FOCUS PRIMARILY ON MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AS WELL AS SUBSTANCE USE AND INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND THAT WORK WHEN AD ALSO CONTRACTS IS ABOUT A 150 COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT ALSO PROVIDE AN ARRAY OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. OKAY. >> AS YOU KNOW, SCHOOLS ABOUT TO START ANY ADVICE FOR TEENS AND PARENTS AS THEY HEAD BACK. YEAH. SO I THINK THAT. GOING INTO SCHOOL CAN BE PRETTY ANXIETY PROVOKING FOR KIDS. AND I THINK THERE’S A LOT OF ANXIETY ABOUT GRADES AND FITTING IN AND. >> AS WELL AS OTHER ISSUES THAT THEY MAY BE DEALING WAS. BUT WE REALLY LIKE TO FOCUS ON. I’M SAYING THAT IF THERE IS A CRISIS THAT THAT’S REALLY SELF IDENTIFIED. SO GOING IN TO THE SCHOOL YEAR. IF A YOUTH IS HAVING A CRISIS. ANYTHING THEY MIGHT SAY WHETHER SAYING, YOU KNOW, I’M THINKING ABOUT SELF-HARM AND THINKING ABOUT HURTING MY SOLVED TO REALLY TAKE THAT SERIOUS AND HAVE THAT BE SELF IDENTIFIED THAT THEY FEEL LIKE A CRISIS THAT COULD REALLY TO TAKE THAT SERIOUSLY. SO LIKE YOU KNOW, I COULDN’T I COULDN’T IDENTIFY PRICES FOR YOU AND YOU WANT TO IDENTIFIED ONE FOR ME. SO IT’S REALLY SELF IDENTIFIED. WE MIGHT HAVE SOME IDEAS ABOUT WHAT MIGHT CREATE SOME CRISIS. BUT REALLY TOO LEAVE IT UP TO THAT INDIVIDUAL.

About 40% of teens feel persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, according to the CDC. But there are many resource groups available to help teens with their mental health. (Aug. 11, 2025)