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Supporting Family Mental Health

Through Prevention and Treatment

Jessica Liria
Director of Community Wellness & Impact to recognize changes, ask for help and support
one another when a child’s needs become more
family’s mental health is shaped by significant.
more than how each person feels Even in families with strong relationships
A individually. When one family and healthy coping skills, children and teens
member is struggling, it can affect the entire strengthen their relationships at home, school can experience psychiatric symptoms that
household, making healthy communication, and in the community. significantly affect school, relationships,
supportive relationships and the ability to Parents and caregivers play an essential self-care or daily functioning. At that point,
work toward challenges together especially role in helping children develop confidence, family wellness may mean recognizing that
important. resilience and emotional well-being. more support is needed. Seeking professional
Healthy families are not free from Yet parenting can bring new questions treatment is not a failure of prevention or
challenges. They develop tools that help them and challenges at every stage of a child’s parenting. It is another way families can
navigate difficult periods together. Open development. The Empowering Families respond to their child’s needs.
communication allows family members programs provide practical, strengths-based Support can look different from one child
to express concerns before they escalate. guidance for families from infancy through or family to another, depending on individual
Consistent routines can provide children and adolescence. needs. DLC’s continuum of care for children
teens with a sense of stability, while clear Sprouting Strong supports parents and and teens includes outpatient counseling,
expectations and healthy boundaries help caregivers of young children by promoting family and group therapy, psychiatric services,
reduce conflict. It is also important for parents healthy early childhood development and community-based care and 24-hour inpatient
and caregivers to care for their own well-being, strengthening protective factors that contribute crisis stabilization.
as their responses to stress can influence the to lifelong well-being. Active Parenting Now, Some teens may need more structure than
emotional climate at home. for parents of children ages 5 to 12, focuses traditional outpatient treatment provides
Supporting family wellness begins with on positive communication, responsibility and without requiring hospitalization. For
building these skills early and continuing to emotional well-being. Parents learn non- those families, DLC’s medically supervised
strengthen them as children grow and family punitive discipline strategies, ways to redirect Adolescent Day Program serves teens ages
needs change. It also means recognizing when misbehavior without power struggles and tools 13 to 17 whose psychiatric symptoms are
everyday challenges have become something to support self-esteem, school success and disrupting daily life.
more. Persistent changes in mood, behavior, healthy family relationships. A multidisciplinary team that includes
school performance, relationships or daily As children enter adolescence, family a pediatric psychiatrist, licensed clinicians
functioning can indicate that a child or teen dynamics often change. Active Parenting and a nurse helps teens develop safe coping
may benefit from professional care. At David of Teens helps caregivers navigate the strategies through daily therapy and wellness
Lawrence Centers for Behavioral Health, our developmental and emotional changes of groups, individual therapy and family
goal is to help children and families develop teen years, with strategies for maintaining support. Treatment focuses on self-esteem,
the support, skills and stability they need to communication, managing conflict, communication and emotional regulation,
thrive at every stage of their life. encouraging responsibility and approaching healthy coping skills, reducing self-harm
That work can begin well before the point difficult conversations in ways that support behaviors and making choices that support
of crisis. Through the DLC Wellness Institute, safer, more confident decision-making. long-term wellness.
youth, families and community organizations Parents, caregivers and any other adults Care doesn’t stop with the teen. Families
can access prevention, education and wellness with an active role in the lives of youth are included in the treatment process so
programs at no cost, thanks to the generous can further increase their knowledge and caregivers can better understand their teen’s
support from the state and local community. understanding through the Empowering needs and reinforce their healthy skills at
Children need different kinds of support Communities initiatives. Programs such home. The goal is to improve a teen’s ability to
as they grow. The three Empowering Youth as Youth Mental Health First Aid and function at home, at school and in relationships
programs – Seeds of Kindness, Rooted to Compassion in Action equip participants with while reducing the need for hospitalization.
Rise and Beyond the Branches are delivered practical tools to identify signs of mental health Mental health needs can look different for
through schools, afterschool programs and challenges, engage in supportive conversations every child and every family. What matters is
other community partners, meeting youth at and connect youth to appropriate resources responding with compassion, paying attention
different stages of development. Elementary before concerns escalate into a crisis. when challenges begin to interfere with daily
school-age children build positive social These educational opportunities remind life and recognizing that support is available at
skills, middle school-age youth learn healthy families that prevention is not about having every stage, from prevention and education to
decision-making, and teenagers develop every answer. It is about building trusted treatment.
tools to prepare them for college and greater relationships, creating space for honest To learn more about the DLC Wellness Institute,
independence. In each case, the focus is not conversations and knowing where to turn the Adolescent Day Program or other services for
simply on helping a young person manage when additional support is needed. Those children and teens, visit DLCenters.org or call
challenges, but on building skills that can foundations can also make it easier for families 239-455-8500.

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