At the Partnership for Child Health, we've been supporting children, youth and families for more than a decade with services that provide education, advocacy and support about various mental health-related needs. We also have certified trainers providing specialty training to all people in our community on the topics listed below.
If you are interested in attending any of the trainings or have a group of 5 or more that would like a private training you can schedule the class listed below.
REGISTRATION and QUESTIONS: Jill Hill, Director of Family Engagement - jillh@pchjax.org
*We can create a course to fit your needs
For parents new to the complex world of special education…you need a PEEP.
A Parent Educational Engagement Partner, or PEEP, will support engage and educate parents and their child in the area of exceptional student educational services.
They do this by increasing parental involvement, building their knowledge and confidence and providing overall support with a goal of improving the child’s academic achievement over time.
This service is provided free of charge.
To find out more, view and download our brochure.
A Family Guide to Children’s Mental Health is an educational resource for families and caregivers with children living with mental health signs and symptoms.
View the Guide
CLICK ON THE TAB BELOW FOR AN OVERVIEW OF THE CLASS
- 2 hour self-paced class
- 4 hours of virtual training
- 3 year certification
- Depression and mood disorders
- Anxiety disorders
- Trauma
- Psychosis
- Substance Use disorders
- Assess for risk of suicide or harm
- Listen nonjudgmentally
- Give reassurance and Information
- Encourage appropriate professional help
- Encourage self-help and other support strategies
- Panic attacks
- Suicidal thoughts or behaviors
- Nonsuicidal self-injury
- Acute psychosis (e.g., hallucinations or delusions)
- Overdose or withdrawal from alcohol or drug use
- Reaction to a traumatic event
- Depression and mood disorders
- Anxiety disorders
- Trauma
- Psychosis
- Substance Use disorders
- Assess for risk of suicide or harm
- Listen nonjudgmentally
- Give reassurance and Information
- Encourage appropriate professional help
- Encourage self-help and other support strategies
- Panic attacks
- Suicidal thoughts or behaviors
- Non-suicidal self-injury
- Acute psychosis (e.g., hallucinations or delusions)
- Overdose or withdrawal from alcohol or drug use
- Reaction to a traumatic event
Mental health disorders are a wide variety of conditions that affect mood, thinking and behavior. These include ADD/ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and schizophrenia, among many others. Those diagnosed with a mental health disorder(s) often have an addiction(s). This is known as co-occurring disorders or dual diagnosis, which can be made up of any combination of a mental disorder (anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, etc.) and addiction (drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling, etc.).
Living with two serious mental health conditions can make it very hard to do well in school, stay employed, develop strong relationships, parent effectively or simply maintain a stable life. These stresses can, of course, worsen you or your loved one’s mental illness and addiction.
This complicated connection makes it even more important that you develop a basic understanding of co-occurring disorders, including the causes, telltale symptoms and risk factors that may be involved. Here are some facts you should know about the link between mental health and addiction:
- Mental illness is a serious health problem that can’t be overcome simply through willpower.
- Similarly, mental disorders have nothing to do with a person’s character or intelligence.
In this presentation we will go over the Causes, treatments, signs and Symptoms of Mental Illness, Risk Factors, suicide. On the flip side, there are factors that can lower you or your loved one’s chances of having both a mental illness and addiction; these include developing good self-care, practicing religious beliefs, having healthy relationships with family and friends and being involved in social activities in the community.
Mental health conditions are common among teens and young adults. With 1 in 5 living with a mental health condition, half develop the condition by age 14 and three quarters by age 24. For many adults who have mental disorders, symptoms were present, but often not recognized or addressed, in childhood or as a young adult.
Do you know signs and symptoms of youth mental health? We will go over common mental health disorders in youth such as ADD/ADHD, ODD, OCD, PTSD, Anxiety, Depression and a few others. We will discuss the signs and symptoms of these disorders, and how to help a youth experiencing mental health challenges.
The youth’s mental health condition not only impacts the youth but it impacts the whole family. We will discuss strategies to support the family.
This is a training designed for police officers and first responders based on the CS/CS/HB 39 — Autism Awareness Training for Law Enforcement Officers by Justice Appropriations Subcommittee; Criminal Justice Subcommittee; and Reps. Jenne, Stafford, and others (CS/CS/SB 154 by Appropriations Committee; Criminal Justice Committee; and Senators Thurston and Garcia).
The bill requires the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to establish continued employment training relating to autism spectrum disorder. Instruction must include, but is not limited to:
- instruction on the recognition of the symptoms and characteristics of an individual on the autism disorder spectrum
- appropriate responses to a person exhibiting such symptoms and idiosyncrasies.
- Completion of the training may count toward the 40 hours of required instruction for continued employment or appointment as a law enforcement officer.
We will go over the signs and symptoms, how to communicate with a person living with ASD, What helps a person with ASD. We will go through real life scenarios, and discuss what happened and what could have been done to help. You will receives strategies on how to approach someone living with ASD, and how to keep the situation calm.
Challenging behavior are behaviors which, by definition, challenges parents, families, caregivers and teachers. It also challenges the youth/student in terms of their ability to interact successfully with others in their world. Example behaviors could includes: kicks, hits, bites, scratches, self-injures, head bangs, rocks continuously, yells and shouts inappropriately, Sensory issues, takes their clothing off at unsuitable times, abuses others verbally or physically, induces self-vomiting, urinates or defecates inappropriately (and on purpose), performs other behaviors which are disruptive, inappropriate or hard to manage in a classroom or community setting.
It is important to set boundaries and expectations and to follow through on managing challenging behavior in children with Mental health Disorders. Example; Autism Spectrum Disorder behaviors challenge us to find appropriate, safe and respectful solutions that will ultimately help children with autism to function effectively in the community. For some students, their behavior is their way of coping or communicating with the world. Before you attempt to remove a behavior, ask yourself what will be the replacement behavior?
As a parent or teacher, you need to build skills to help with managing Mental health behavior problems which are challenging and difficult. You may feel you are battling alone when you have a child with challenging behavior, but there are many sources of information to help. Things to try are: reading case notes from therapist and previous teacher, If need request an evaluation for an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), psychologist reports; consulting with other families; go to a support group meeting, reading professional books, visiting websites or association sites specific to the condition or disability of the student, collecting baseline information about the behavior before attempting an intervention strategy.
Learn strategies to keep the child safe. Safety should be a top priority for you when it comes to dealing with Mental health behavior problems. You can maintain safety by: Developing and following a home safety plan, asking for help and support early, learning the warning signs that may show a child is about to engage in a dangerous challenging behavior, learning the triggers in the environment which may spark a behavior in a student (a loud noise, a flash from a camera, a train whistle, a person dressed up in a costume), having a ‘safe exit’ strategy worked out, having a safe area that can help defuse a situation before a child becomes too distressed or engages in challenging behavior.
We will go over the behaviors, discuss solutions and how to find support.
People-first language (PFL), also called person-first language (PFL), is a type of linguistic prescription which puts a person before a diagnosis, describing what a person "has" rather than asserting what a person "is." It is intended to avoid marginalization or dehumanization (either consciously or subconsciously) when discussing people with a chronic illness or disability. It can be seen as a type of disability etiquette, but person-first language can also be more generally applied to any group that would otherwise be defined or mentally categorized by a condition or trait (for example, race, age, or appearance).
Person-first language avoids using labels or adjectives to define someone, utilizing terms such as "a person living with diabetes" or "a person living with alcoholism," instead of "a diabetic" or "an alcoholic." The intention is that a person is seen foremost as a person and only secondly as a person with some trait. Advocates of person-first language point to the failure to mentally separate the person from the trait as reinforcing a sense that both the trait and the person are inherently bad or inferior, leading to discrimination whilst also implicitly reinforcing a sense of permanency even regarding issues that are likely to be temporary. For example, a person with a substance use disorder has a fair chance of achieving long-term remission—many years in which they are healthy and productive—but calling them a "substance abuser" reinforces an unspoken sense that they are inherently and permanently tainted, and casts doubt on maintenance of remission. We will discuss how and why to use first person language.
When your child is diagnosed no one gives you a manual on how to help your child. Many families are lost once they receive a diagnosis. Parents and Caregivers have many questions; we help to answer some of the most difficult questions. What di I do? where do I get help? Can I have school support? What are the Community resources? How do I effectively advocate for the child? How do I plan for the future?
It is a time when it can be overwhelming to parents and caregivers. This presentation will go over resources available to families, How the family can support the youth. When your child is diagnosed, it not only impacts the youth but the whole family. What are the families emotions, how do they process the information. Everyone needs self-care.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is a four-part piece of American legislation that ensures students with a disability (including behaviors and mental health) are provided with Free Appropriate Public Education that is tailored to their individual needs. IDEA was previously known as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act from 1975 to 1990. In 1990, the United States Congress reauthorized EHA and changed the title to IDEA. Overall, the goal of IDEA is to provide children with disabilities/mental health issues the same opportunity for education as those students who do not have a disability.
This is a basic training to learn what is needed to qualify for a IEP, the evaluation process, determine eligibility, How to determine goals on an IEP.
- Writing IEP goals correctly is vital to a special education student's success because, unlike in general or regular education, students in special education are legally entitled to an education plan specifically tailored to their cognitive and physical ability and needs. The IEP goals lay out the roadmap for providing such an education.
- Present Level of Performance: the IEP team needs to know the present levels at which the student is functioning. For example, you wouldn't expect a student to learn algebra by the next IEP if she is currently struggling to add two-digit numbers. It's important that the current levels of performance accurately and honestly reflect the student's abilities and deficiencies.
- Academic skills: This lists the student's ability in math, reading, and writing, and spells out deficiencies in these areas compared to grade-level peers. Communication development: This describes the level of communication at which the student is functioning as well as any deficits compared to same-age peers. If the student has speech deficits or is using vocabulary and sentence structure that are below grade-level peers, that would be noted here.
- Emotional/social skills: This describes the student's social and emotional abilities, such as getting along with others, initiating and taking part in conversations with friends and classmates, and responding appropriately to and responding appropriately to stress. An issue in this area could interfere with a student's ability to learn and interact with teachers and peers.
- Monitor Progress: Once the IEP team has agreed on a set of goals for the year, it's important to monitor the student's progress toward meeting those goals. The process for monitoring the student's progress is often included in the IEP goals themselves
Which one is the best education plane for your child? Educational support for students are available to help the student.
Legal Rights Under 504 Plans
504 plans are covered by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Under this civil rights law, students have the right to a free appropriate public education (FAPE).
The whole point of 504 plans:
- To give students access to the same education their peers are getting. (FAPE is also guaranteed under the special education law IDEA.)
- Parents and caregivers have fewer rights and safeguards in the 504 process than in the IEP process, however. For instance, schools don’t need to invite them to participate in the creation of the plan or to attend 504 meetings (although most schools do).
- But families have the right to be notified when their child is evaluated or identified with a disability.
- They also have the right to see all of their child’s records. And if they have a dispute about the 504 process, they have the right to complain.
- You may not have as many protections in the 504 process. But you can still play an important role by staying involved and making sure your child is able to get the same education as kids without disabilities.
- A 504 plan is a blueprint for how the school will provide supports and remove barriers for a student with a disability.
- Its purpose is to give equal access to the general education curriculum.
- It is for supports or services at school. Depending on challenges, the student may be able to get that help through a 504 plan.
- 504 plans aren’t the same as IEPs. They’re each covered by different laws and work in different ways. But the end goal is the same: to help students be successful in school.
- 504 plans are formal plans that schools develop to give kids with disabilities the supports they need. These plans prevent discrimination and protect the rights of kids with disabilities in school. They’re covered under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
- 504 plans aren’t part of special education. So, unlike IEPs, they typically don’t provide individualized instruction. But a central purpose of 504 plans is to give kids with disabilities access to the same education their classmates are getting.
- One way 504 plans do that is through accommodations, like extended time on tests or the ability to leave the classroom for short breaks. Some students may also get related services through a 504 plan, like speech-language therapy or study skills classes.
- Schools typically create written 504 plans. But they’re not required to. The only things schools have to put in writing are their policies on 504 plans.
The process for getting a 504 plan is different, and simpler, than the process for getting an IEP. But it varies from school district to school district.
- Kids don’t need to get a full evaluation to get a 504 plan, although many do. In fact, schools often suggest a 504 plan if a child doesn’t qualify for special education (ESE, IEP) but needs support.
- With 504 plans, schools look at information about a student from a few different sources. One source might be a medical diagnosis. Schools might also look at the student’s grades, test scores, and teacher recommendations.
- Families or schools can request a 504 plan through the school district’s 504 coordinator, who may also be the IEP coordinator. (Ask the principal if you’re unsure who to contact.) The request must be made in writing. Sign schools forms. The school will then hold a meeting to decide if the child qualifies and what supports are appropriate.
- The nation’s special education law, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), sets high standards for achievement and guides how special help and services are made available in schools to address students individual needs through an Individualized Education Plan (IEP).
These students must meet criteria qualification for Special Education Services. Individualized Education Plan IDEA Part B: What is the criteria qualification for Special Education Services.
To be eligible for IDEA…
- A child must meet the criteria of one or more disability categories
- Must also need specially designed instruction and related services. Specially Designed Instruction refers to the teaching strategies and methods used by teachers to instruct students with learning disabilities and other types of learning disorders.
Specially designed instruction means adapting, as appropriate to the needs of an eligible child under this part, the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction to address the unique needs of the child that result from the child’s disability; and to ensure access of the child to the general curriculum, so that the child can meet the educational standards within the jurisdiction of the public agency that apply to all children.
[§300.39(b)(3)]
Thus, as part of designing the instruction to fit the needs of a specific child, adaptations may be made in the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction.
Disabilities Education Act ("IDEA") 1997 as,- The related services according to IDEA, "transportation and such developmental, corrective, and other supportive services as are required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education..."[section 300.24(a)] ... Related services also help children reach their IEP goals and objectives.
- The related services include: audiology, counseling services, early identification, family training-counseling and home visits, health services, medical services, nursing services, nutrition services, occupational therapy, orientation and mobility services, parent counseling and training, physical therapy, psychological services, recreation and therapeutic recreation, rehabilitative counseling services, school health services, service coordination services, social work services in schools, speech pathology and speechlanguage pathology, transportation and related costs, and assistive technology and services.
- Related services were mandated in the IDEA 1997, and more than 6.1 million children with disabilities received related services in 1998-1999 (Nichcy).
Principles Included in IDEA: Appropriate Evaluation, Parent & student participation, Least Restrictive Environment, Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE), Procedural Safeguards, Individualized Education Program/Plan (IEP), Appropriate Evaluation
Identifying Children for Evaluation
Before a child’s eligibility under IDEA can be determined, a full and individual evaluation of the child must be conducted. There are two ways a child may be identified to receive an evaluation under IDEA:
- Parents may request that their child be evaluated. Parents are often the first to notice that their child’s learning, behavior or development may be a cause for concern. If they’re worried about their child’s progress in school and think he or she might need extra help from special education services they may call, email, or write to their child’s teacher, the school’s principal, or the Director of Special Education in the school district. If the school agrees that an evaluation is needed, it must evaluate the child at no cost to parents.
This training will enable the attendees to recognition and be aware of mental health or disability challenging behaviors. Verbal De-Escalation is a targeted intervention for use with youth who are at risk for challenging/aggressive behaviors. It involves using calm language, along with other communication techniques, to diffuse, re-direct, or de-escalate a conflict situation.
Communication is the Key to Crisis De-Escalation. We will go over Stages of Behavior Escalation, De-escalation Techniques, Scenarios, and Principles of Verbal De-escalation.
The training include early identification, behavior assessment, understanding underlying messages, and using effective responses, Be Nonjudgmental, Undivided Attention, Focus on Feelings, Allow Silence, Clarify Messages, Develop a Plan, Use a Team Approach, and the Use Positive Self-Talk.
With the techniques and we discuss parent, caregivers, teacher and others will be able to help verbally de-escalate a aggressive situation with a youth.
HELP! When I was raising my 25 year old son (that lives with Autism Spectrum Disorder), sometimes I just screamed help because I was at my wits end. I did not know how to manage his behaviors. All of us that raise youth with a mental health disorder or disability want the same things for our children; to be happy healthy and a member of our community.
Through my journey of helping my son, I research, studied, went to conferences and trainings on anything that would help my son. Then I realized I needed to change my approach.
We will discuss various mental health diagnosis, the behavior challenges and some tip to various behaviors reducing techniques using verbally de-escalation. We will take a look at our children and ourselves. We have to take care of us, the parents or caregivers, to be able to help our amazing kids.
We will go through real life scenarios and discuss options to verbally de-escalate the behaviors.
The QPR mission is to reduce suicidal behaviors and save lives by providing innovative, practical and proven suicide prevention training. The signs of crisis are all around us. We believe that quality education empowers all people, regardless of their background, to make a positive difference in the life of someone they know. Question. Persuade. Refer.
Three steps anyone can learn to help prevent suicide.
Self-care means taking care of yourself so that you can be healthy, you can be well, you can do your job, you can help and care for others, and you can do all the things you need to and want to accomplish in a day.
According to Google Trends, the number of searches for “self-care” has more than doubled since 2015. “We have an epidemic of anxiety and depression,” she says. “Everybody feels it.”
Self-care is part of the answer to how we can all better cope with daily stressors, It can be work stress. It’s the stress of trying to keep up with the pace of daily life, which technology has hastened more than ever (just think how many emails come flooding into your inbox each day). People are feeling lonelier and less able to unwind and slowdown, which makes them feel more anxious and overwhelmed by even the simplest tasks.
At Everyday Health, self-care is taking steps to tend to your physical and emotional health needs to the best of your ability. What are the effects to the body due to stress? How can you de-stress?