Back to School - Mental Health Guide

In session for close to a month, back to school simply isn’t how most parents remember it. While we’ve mastered school supplies, uniforms and carpool confusion, it’s important to tune in to our children’s mental health, too. Why? Whether it’s public or private school, our children are faced with stressors most of us didn’t encounter. Not always obvious or something our kids are comfortable sharing with parents, our friends at AltaPointe tell us what today’s kids face at school, symptoms they may be struggling emotionally and how parents can care for themselves when difficulty strikes.

By Hayley Hill 

Countless factors impact our youth’s mental health ranging from exposure to gun violence to the oh-so controversial social media. In 2020, the leading cause of death among children aged 1 to 18 was by a firearm. Exposure to so many traumatic events can take a heavy toll on a child's mental health, whether they encounter it personally, see it on the news or hear about through friends. AltaPointe Health clinicians say it is imperative that parents and children have an open line of communication, not only to keep kids out of trouble, but to also build a healthy home life.

AltaPointe understands the struggle our teenage girls are having when it comes to social media. The best thing parents can do is to monitor and supervise their children. Parents should be on the lookout for signs including disruptive sleeping patterns, gaining or losing weight or dropping grades. These are all obvious signs that something is going on.

If you’re not familiar, AltaPointe Health is an extensive healthcare system that provides primary and behavioral healthcare for more than 1 million services to 45,000 patients across Alabama. They provide a full continuum of care devoted to children including, outpatient, residential services, hospital services, and school-based therapy. With countless services available, their Baldwin County Community Alliance (BCCA) team was proud to of their recent partnership with the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office during their School Resource Officer (SRO) Training. The BCCA provided DetectaChem kits for all the Baldwin County SROs, offered training and resources, and a presentation on the effects of THC and CBD on the developing brain by Dr. Christina Talerico. The officers were able to ask questions and gain helpful knowledge to share with parents when a student’s e-cigarette tests positive for THC or CBD. Knowing help can be hard to find and an overwhelming process for parents, we’ve provided a guide of what’s available to this community. And, remember, help is Just a phone call away.