Just talk about it.
That was an overarching theme among speakers who participated in LINK nky’s third community conversation event Thursday night, which focused on mental health resources. Topics and questions ranged from how to be a better listener and a safe space for your child to how social media is impacting youths’ mental health.
The conversation follows LINK’s recent print super issue, which explored solutions to Northern Kentucky’s mental health challenges.
The featured speakers included Youth Ambassador for HEY! Millie Mcglone, St. Elizabeth Physicians social worker and therapist Brittanie Apke, Chief Programming Officer for CHNK Behavioral Health, Crystal Leugers and Ross Meyer, the vice president of strategy for Interact for Health.
Former WCPO Anchor and Reporter Evan Millward served as moderator.
Apke is a licensed clinical social worker who has been in the field for 15 years. During the conversation, she shared that mental health challenges are the leading cause of disabilities and poor life outcomes in young people. Apke said up to one in five children aged 3 to 17 in the U.S. have a mental, emotional, developmental, or behavioral disorder. Further, between 2007 and 2018, suicide rates among youth aged 10 to 24 in the US increased by 57%.
Apke emphasized the importance of parents talking to their children.
“Really listen and be open-minded and not judgmental, and don’t take things personally,” she said. “If your child is struggling, it is not always about you as a parent.”
McGlone, a student at Newport Central Catholic, acted as a voice for the youth on the panel. McGlone acknowledged that there is still stigma surrounding mental health among young people, though not as much as it was in the past, or for her parent’s generation. Still, she encouraged people to be honest with how they feel.
“For any of the kids out there in the audience or any of the youth that are struggling with this, just do it,” McGlone said. “Just talk about it. Just be in that conversation. It feels so much more free to be honest, from my own experience.”
McGlone said it is important to many kids to have a safe and trusted adult with whom they can go and share information and know it won’t be used against them in any way.
Meyer said the acronym just “ASK,” which stands for acknowledge, support, keep in touch, in regard to emotional support, should be as widely known as “stop, drop, and roll.”
“If every one of us knew that [just ASK] as much as we know, stop, drop, and roll it’s the first step, right?” Meyer said. “All of us need to be supported. Walk alongside anybody, whether it’s our kids or our friends or colleagues.”
Apke said it is important to ask a child if they are suicidal, harming themselves and suggested doing a body check. She said this allows the conversation to start.
“Research suggests that talking about suicide actually may reduce rather than increase suicidal thoughts,” she said. “A lot of people think that if I mention it, it kind of gives them ideas. We’re not planting seeds here; the seeds are already out there. You’re not planting a seed by asking, you’re bringing it up to them, where now, they can say yes or talk about it.”
One topic frequently brought up during the panel’s discussion was the role social media and screentime play in affecting kids’ mental health.
“The world is built into algorithms that are meant to keep you addicted and feeding you negative information time and time again is just unfettered access to that,” Meyer said. “No question that it’s going to have a negative impact.”
Apke said it is important to set a foundation in the beginning for kids so that by the time they are teenagers, they will already have boundaries instilled in them regarding social media.
From a teen’s perspective, McGlone said that social media can be damaging in many different ways for kids and said limiting social media use is beneficial for mental health.
“There are communities on social media that are romanticizing mental health issues,” she said.
Leugers, a licensed clinical social worker, said while it’s important to monitor your child’s phone activity, the cadence is dictated by what you find.
“If you find something concerning, you can look a little further and look a little more frequently, but if you’re not seeing anything concerning, yeah, you’re still monitoring that, but the frequency needs to decrease,” Leugers said.
To watch the entire community conversation, click here.
For more information and resources on mental health check out the links below:
CHNK Behavioral Health
What they do: A trauma-informed healthcare organization focused on creating holistic partnerships for health and wellness that are inclusive, innovative, and inspiring.
Website: chnk.org
United Way 211
What they do: Whatever your concern is, call 211 to speak to someone who will listen, engage, ask questions, assess your needs and connect you to community resources within their large database of local providers.
Website: uwgc.org/find-help/united-way-211/
Helpful Empowered Youth (HEY!)
What they do: A diverse coalition of community groups, healthcare providers, educators, policymakers, families, and most importantly, young people themselves, working collaboratively to create a community that supports the well-being of all youth from ages 0-24 in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, especially those facing the greatest barriers and disparities.
Website: hopefulempoweredyouth.org/
Brighton Center
What they do: Create opportunities for people and families to reach self-sufficiency through family support services, education, employment and leadership.
Website: brightoncenter.org
St. Elizabeth Behavioral Health
What they do: St. Elizabeth’s staff partners with you, your family, and other members of your healthcare team to address your unique needs related to mental health. You will act with your healthcare team to identify central issues and develop a wellness plan that is unique to your needs.
Website: stelizabethphysicians.com/our-services/behavioral-health/department-of-behavioral-health/
Ion Center
What they do: The Ion Center offers free, confidential support and services to victim-survivors who have experienced power-based personal violence such as sexual violence, intimate partner violence, child abuse, and/or stalking.
Website: ioncenter.org/
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
What they do: Inside the Cincinnati children’s hospital, a team of psychiatrists, advanced practice registered nurses and therapists focus on helping families manage mental health conditions. By finding more balance, children and teens can live life as fully as possible.
Website: cincinnatichildrens.org/service/p/psychiatry
NorthKey
What they do: NorthKey seeks to provide the right service, at the right time and in the right place. Our mission statement is “transforming lives and communities through excellence in mental health, substance use, and intellectual and developmental disability services.”
Website: northkey.org/
Click on the links below to learn about some of the solutions the Northern Kentucky community is trying to help support kids in our region.
- Read about services that work to overcome cost barriers to NKY mental care.
- Read about youth mental health services.
- Read about the personal support key to moms and babies.
- Read about veteran mental health services.
- Read about how Northern Kentucky is supporting seniors’ well-being.
- Read about police social work expanding in Northern Kentucky.
