Reflections on 10 Years of Children’s Mental Health in Wisconsin
Join us for a panel discussion on children’s mental health data trends and accomplishments as we close out our 10th Anniversary celebration activities.
Wednesday, December 11, 2024, 12-1 pm • Virtual
To register
Feel free to share the event flyer and encourage others to attend.
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OCMH has created a version of its new Early Childhood Feelings Thermometer for parents. “Help for Parents in Calming Big Feelings in Young Children” is a visual aid for parents to use with their pre-school age children to identify ways to calm challenging behaviors by pointing out activities they can do with their child to shift feelings.
The thermometer features five zones. It starts at green – the calm zone – listing feelings and behaviors associated with that zone and goes up to red – the furious zone – with suggestions to help the child in the moment. Studies show that identifying an activity and helping young children be aware of their feelings is an important step.
Very often parents struggle in how to help their children with big feelings at home so put tablets or the TV in front of them to calm them instead of the parent helping them to calm down. OCMH hopes this tool will help parents by offering suggestions of activities that help calm young children and redirect behaviors.
“We know that children are often struggling with their emotions and acting out at home and in child care settings. And we know that with their behaviors children are communicating how they feel,” said OCMH Director Linda Hall. “Our hope is that parents, as well as all caregivers, and children begin the simple act of identifying their emotions and make it a habit. As we head into the holiday season, with the extra stressors many feel, it is even more important to have easy-to-use tools to help keep big feelings in check.”
See additional tools:
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OCMH has a video training series titled “Exploring Race and Culture from a Trauma-Informed Lens” available on its website. The four-part video series digs into the following topics, each in a separate 30-minute video:
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Segment 1: White Privilege
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Part 1 – Exploring Racism and Whiteness/Embracing Truth. Video explores the topic of white privilege – exploring oppression, dehumanization, and deconstructing whiteness.
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Part 2 – Growing into Authentic Allyship and Racial Justice. Video explores what authentic allyship looks like.
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Segment 2: Implicit Bias. Video examines what implicit bias is, how we are biased, and what we can do about our bias.
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Segment 3: Working with People with Different Racial and Cultural Backgrounds. Video looks at how we can check our personal beliefs at the door, build back trust when a client relationship has been challenged, and how to avoid perpetuating trauma with a client.
Each video features a panel of experts and includes discussion questions in an accompanying toolkit, all ideal for staff training. With over 5,200 views, the videos are a valued and free training resource. Access the training here.
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Youth crisis touches many families in Wisconsin. OCMH looked at the youth crisis system in Wisconsin at its November 1st Collective Impact Council, breaking it down as follows:
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The crisis system – Wisconsin Department of Health Services Youth Crisis Coordinator Beth Rudy explained best practices for youth crisis and the current landscape in Wisconsin:
- Someone to contact – 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
- Someone to respond – mobile crisis team services
- A safe place to get help – youth crisis stabilization facilities, in-home stabilization
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Lived Experience – two parents shared their experience with a child in crisis.
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Counties doing innovative work in youth crisis – two counties shared what they are doing in their crisis programs
- Sheboygan County – Jackie Moglowsky, Manager, Behavioral Health spoke about their Children’s Assessment Team (CAT) which is a crisis program designed to be short term, provide assessments and referrals into community services, and work with the entire family.
- Jefferson County – Kim Propp, Crisis Services Manager and APS Supervisor explained how preventative services and resources that are the least restrictive for youth are foundational to their program.
Watch a recording of the meeting presenters here.
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Showcasing Solutions Highlights Youth Crisis Innovations
See specifics on Sheboygan and Jefferson counties innovative work in youth crisis in our new Showcasing Solutions.
In Showcasing Solutions, OCMH shares inspirational stories of great things going on in children’s mental health in Wisconsin. See all our Showcasing Solutions.
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Data Snapshot of Wisconsin Youth
Youth depression, young adult mental illness, teen suicide, and self-harm data along with the number of youth served by crisis systems paint a picture of Wisconsin youth. See the infographic OCMH Senior Research Analyst Amy Marsman prepared and shared at the Collective Impact Council meeting.
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Partners Share their Thoughts on OCMH
As part of our 10th Anniversary celebration activities we have featured quotes from OCMH partners throughout the year where they share their comments about OCMH’s work in improving children’s mental health. In our most recent partner quotes we hear from Charlene Mouillie, Executive Director – United Way Wisconsin, Abbi Hicks, Prior OCMH Lived Experience Partner, and Ricky Ferrari Traner, Prevention and Early Intervention Section Manager – Wisconsin Department of Children and Families. They share their thoughts on OCMH leading change by bringing people together and advancing trauma-informed care. See their partner quotes here.
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It is powerful when youth share their personal coping strategies for mental health challenges. When we asked youth what was something they do to feel better when they feel anxious, depressed, or alone, some said:
- “I surround myself with people I feel safe with.”
- “Go outside, get fresh air.”
- “Bundle up in fluffy blankets.”
- “Exercise, walk.”
See these and more ways youth cope here.
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Peer-to-Peer Mental Health Support Grant Legislation. On September 19, 2024, Reps. Don Beyer (D-VA) and John Curtis (R-UT) introduced the Peer-to-Peer Mental Health Support Act to facilitate student-led mental health efforts through a grant program. The Senate companion legislation, led by Senators John Hickenlooper (D-CO) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), passed out of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee as part of the reauthorization of the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act.
The Peer-to-Peer Mental Health Support Act would allow peer-to-peer mental health programs to be eligible for federal funding under Project AWARE to help school districts facilitate these programs in middle and high schools. Grants would be issued of up to $250,000 for up to 5 years.
As Caren Howard, Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy at Mental Health America, said, “This bill will incentivize schools to offer youth peer support training amidst growing anxiety, depression and suicidality in children and adolescents as part of an overall continuum of services.”
Investment to Integrate Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Treatment into Primary Care. On September 19, the Biden-Harris Administration announced a $240 million investment to integrate mental health and substance use disorder treatment into primary care. This historic investment in funding will launch and expand behavioral health care services in 400 Community Health Centers that provide primary care to more than 10 million patients. The Administration also called on Congress to make behavioral health a required service in all community health centers.
EPA Final Rule on Lead Dust. On October 24 during National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized stronger requirements for identifying and cleaning up lead paint dust in pre-1978 homes and childcare facilities. The final rule reduces the level of lead in dust that EPA considers hazardous to any reportable level measured by an EPA-recognized laboratory. The rule also lowers the amount of lead that can remain in dust on floors, window sills and window troughs after a lead paint abatement occurs to the lowest levels that can be reliably and quickly measured in laboratories. The new levels reflect standards implemented by New York City in 2021. More.
Legislative Study Committee on Emergency Detention and Civil Commitment of Minors. This Study Committee is directed to study the appropriateness of current emergency detention and civil commitment laws as applied to minors and to recommend legislation that creates child-appropriate emergency detention and civil commitment procedures and maximizes civil commitment placement options for minors in Wisconsin. Over the course of three meetings, the Study Committee has heard multiple presentations focused on the insufficiency and complexities of addressing the acute mental health needs of children. Limited resources, bed availability, workforce shortages, and reimbursement rates were among the issues raised. Presenters proposed numerous recommendations to address these issues, including:
- Fund family supportive services including family respite, crisis triage centers and stabilization homes and more upstream services like early childhood mental health programs, behavioral therapies and early communication skill programs like sign language
- Establish and sustainably fund youth psychiatric residential treatment facilities (PRTF), which are secure facilities that provide clinical treatment for children with acute/chronic mental health conditions
- Increase school mental health funding and school-based clinician capacity
- Increase support for the residential care centers so they can provide 1:1 and 2:1 staffing needed to accept youth with complex needs
- Allow video recording in treatment facilities to protect both patient and staff
- Authorize Emergency Detention Initiators, specially trained and certified clinicians, to take children into custody in psychiatric emergencies in addition to law enforcement
- Allow non-law enforcement transport unless immanent risk to safety
- Standardize Medical Clearance procedures
- Provide workforce development funding to support “grow your own” training, residency, and fellowship programs for mental health professions
- Develop a training tool for law enforcement and county corporation counsels on Chapter 51 to reduce variation across counties
- Increase age of refusal for mental health or substance use care
- Establish a bi-partisan, interbranch, cross-systems, “improving youth outcomes” taskforce focused on developing, enacting, and implementing a statewide plan to improve public safety and youth outcomes.
The Study Committee will meet again November 21 to consider bill drafts. For more on the Committee and presentations made to it, click here.
November is Native American Heritage Month
November provides an opportunity to honor the contributions, achievements, sacrifices, and cultural and historical legacy of the original inhabitants of our country. See Gov. Evers’ proclamation for Native American Heritage Month. Learn more:
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Social Connections Awareness Week
The Wisconsin Coalition of Social Connection reminds everyone that November 10-16 is Social Connection Awareness Week. Visit their website for information and ideas in addressing social isolation and loneliness.
DHS Connect with Me Cards Available
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has developed Connect with Me Cards – a tool to start conversations between adults and youth. The cards can be used by adult to youth, youth to adult, or youth to youth. They include a variety of questions covering many topics such as relationships, mental health, growing up, building connections, and more. The cards were created for youth around middle school age and older but can be simplified for younger ages. Great times to use these cards include car rides, at restaurants, in waiting rooms, or any other place where adults and youth might have the opportunity for conversations. See the cards here. Order the cards here.
The cards were based on a Missouri Department of Health project. See a one-minute video they created explaining their cards here.
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Supporting Young Minds Resource
Mental Health America’s 2024 Supporting Young Minds guide provide tools for youth to help them feel empowered to address their mental health and support each other. The guide also offer tools for adults to support young people. The guide is available in Spanish as well as English. Access the guide here.
Supporting Peer Support in the Workplace
In “Listening to the Peer Support Workforce – Top Ten Priorities: An Action Agenda” authors offer a working agenda uniting peer workforce advocates and practitioners, service providers, and administrators. See their top 10 priorities.
Youth Crisis Stabilization Facility Grant Opportunity
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services Division of Care and Treatment Services is seeking applicants for the development and operation of youth crisis stabilization facilities. Learn more. Applications are due November 18, 2024.
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