Supporting Individuals with Autism through Uncertain TimesPDF document

7 Ways to Support Kids and Teens Through The Corona Pandemic: available in both English & Spanish

Parent Teen Connect 

An online experience parents & teens can share. Videos, resources, and useful advice to help teens and the adults in their lives address hot-button topics (independence, screen time, communication etc…).available in both English and Spanish

Child Mind Institute 

Daily tips for managing wellness, self-care, supporting and talking to kids and teens, understanding disruptive behavior etc…

Parenting Support and Skill Building from the CDC uses short videos. 

PBS.org has a number of great resources for parents and for children. Here are two examples; a guide for speaking to young children about COVID-19 and tips for responding to irrational behavior:

How to Talk to Your Kids About Coronavirus

Responding to Irrational Behavior

Pediatricians on Balancing Screen Time, Sleep, and Family During Coronavirus  

Don’t worry too much about screen time, pediatricians say, but make sure it’s not interfering with sleep and relationships.  

Talking to Children About COVID-19 (Coronavirus): A Parent Resource

National Association of School Psychologists

The publication, Talking to Children About COVID-19 (Coronavirus): A Parent Resource, from the National Association of School Psychologists, offers suggestions for remaining calm and assuring, making yourself available to young people, keeping explanations age appropriate, avoiding excessive blaming, monitoring television and social media exposure, maintaining a normal routine to the extent possible, being honest and accurate, knowing the symptoms of COVID-19, reviewing and modeling basic hygiene and healthy lifestyle practices for protection, and discussing new rules or practices for school.

CDC: Talking with Children About Coronavirus

Child Mind Institute: Talking to Kids About the Coronavirus

How to Talk with Your Child About Social and Emotional Issues

When kids have trouble with social-emotional skills, it may be uncomfortable to talk about the challenges they face. But it’s important to talk openly and show them there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.

Caring for Kids

Mental health affects the way people think, feel and act. Taking care of our mental health is just as important as having a healthy body. As a parent, you play an important role in your child’s mental health.

How to support children with worries 

Pointers for helping children escape the cycle of anxiety.

Addressing Grief

The National Association of School Psychologists also offers brief facts and tips for addressing grief for young people.

Developing Your Self-Care Plan

To develop your self-care plan, you will identify what you value and need as part of your day-to-day life (maintenance self-care) and the strategies you can employ when or if you face a crisis along the way (emergency self-care)

Parent tips for dealing with crisis situations

NYS School Social Workers Association 

Little Flower Yoga

LFY works to support all children and teens in the development of strong inner resources. Their goal is to help kids, and the adults who care for them, thrive in the world regardless of circumstances, and navigate the many challenges they face with a sense of personal power and self-awareness.  

10 Tips for Sheltering in Place Without Losing Your Mind

NYT Bestselling author Julie Lythcott-Haimes (How to Raise An Adult) put together a webinar called “10 Tips for Parents on Sheltering in Place Without Losing Your Mind,” with special guest NYT bestselling author Debbie Reber (Differently Wired). 

Feeling Stressed About Coronavirus (COVID-19)? Managing Anxiety in an Anxiety-Provoking SituationPDF document

New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH)

The outbreak of COVID-19 around the world has led to the spread of fear and panic for individuals and communities. In addition to following physical precautions guidelines, individuals should be taking care of their psychological well-being.

This guide includes tips for the following populations:

• For Everyone

• For Individuals Receiving Mental Health Services

• For Parents, Including Parents of Children w/ Pre-Existing Anxiety Disorders

• For Caregivers of Older Adults

• For Mental Health Providers

The guide is also available in the following languages.

• BengaliPDF document

• Chinese PDF document(Simplified)

• Haitian-CreolePDF document

• KoreanPDF document

• RussianPDF document

• SpanishPDF document

Care for Caregivers: Tips for Families and Educators 

The National Association of School Psychologists also offers guidance for caregivers, called Care for Caregivers: Tips for Families and Educators. Parents, teachers, and other caregivers play a critical role in helping children cope with crises, often ignoring their own needs in the process. However, caregivers must take good care of themselves, so they are able to take good care of the children in their charge.

Coronavirus School Response Resources

The New York State School Social Workers’ Association offers a compilation of Coronavirus School Response Resources specific to school social workers, resources specific to New York, resources for children and parents, articles and websites.

DCMH will partner with different organizations and private clinicians to provide the following supports:

• DCMH Information, Support and Referral line at (914) 995-1900 8 a.m. to 8 p.m./Text #914-461-7281.

• Behavioral Health Crisis Prevention and Response Team (Available for psychiatric emergencies). 

• On-going educational and supportive services on such topics as coping, addressing anxiety, parenting through this difficult time, and mindfulness exercises through various telecommunication. 

• Psychological response to targeted groups as needed. 

• Peer-to-Peer Support through DCMH provider network. 

• Access to counseling and other supportive services through provider network and pro bono clinicians. 

• Services and supports to targeted populations such as parents, teens, seniors, health care workers, first responders, LBGTQ communities and those with pre-existing mental health or substance use conditions. 

Helping Children After Tragic Events: Stop Watching, Start Talking

New York State Department of Health

Watching and listening to very bad news reports can upset children.  Parents, caregivers, teachers, and healthcare providers can do alot to help children feel safer and less stressed.Turning off theTV and other screens isa good start. News coverage of tragic events is not healthy for kids. 

How to Turn Your Home Into a School Without Losing Your Sanity

Parent/Caregiver Guide to Helping Families Cope With the CoronavirusDisease 2019 (COVID-19)PDF document

At this time, information about COVID-19 is rapidly evolving as new details are confirmed and new questions emerge. In the event of an outbreak in your community, as a parent/caregiver, your first concern is about how to protect and take care of your children and family. Knowing important information about the outbreak and learning how to be prepared can reduce your stress and help calm likely anxieties. This guide will help you think about how an infectious disease outbreak might affect your family—both physically and emotionally—and what you can do to help your family cope.

Parenting Through the Storm: One Breath at a Time

Free weekly live streamed parenting groups, led by WJCS professionals in partnership with the Westchester County Department of Community Mental Health, will be offered each Wednesday, starting April 1st, at 11 a.m. to explore various topics and challenges relating to how to cope with the “here and now.”  Subjects discussed will include: how to manage stress, build structure, communicate better, and have fun while being and, in many cases, working at home with our children.

Resilience in Children: Strategies to Strengthen Your Kids

Help your child build resilience in the face of obstacles

Responding to Children’s Emotional Needs During Times of Crisis

Important tips for parents and other caregivers.

Talking with Children:Tips for Caregivers, Parents, and Teachers During Infectious Disease Outbreaks

The fact sheet Talking with Children: Tips for Caregivers, Parents, and Teachers During Infectious Disease Outbreaks from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services-Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration provides parents, caregivers, and teachers with strategies for helping children manage their stress during an infectious disease outbreak. It describes potential reactions among youth and the support adults can provide to help them.

Big Life Growth Mindset Journal 

At Big Life Journal, we create engaging resources that help kids develop a growth and resilient mindset so they can face life’s challenges with confidence.

For children who need/benefit from visual schedules 

These free printable visual schedules for home and daily routines might help make things easier.

GoZen 

GoZen! creates online social and emotional learning programs loved by kids ages 5-15, parents, professionals, and schools. Our mission is to reach 1 million kids with skills to transform stress, anxiety, worry, anger, perfectionism, negativity, and social worry into POWER in the year 2020!

Resilience Activities & Worksheets

This link includes 27 different activities related to building resilience for children and adults. It focuses on activities to help individuals bounce back from struggles and setbacks.

What to Do When Mistakes Make You Quake: A Kid’s Guide to Accepting Imperfection (What-to-Do Guides for Kids) 

This book guides children and their parents through the emotions underlying a fear of making mistakes using strategies and techniques based on cognitive behavioral principles. This interactive self-help book is the complete resource for educating, motivating, and empowering children to cope with mistakes. Ages 6 – 12

What to Do When You Grumble Too Much (What-to-Do Guides for Kids) 

This book guides children and their parents through the cognitive-behavioral techniques used to treat negative thinking. Lively metaphors and illustrations help kids see life’s hurdles in a new way, while drawing and writing activities help them master skills to get over those hurdles. And step-by-step instructions point the way toward becoming happier, more positive kids. This interactive self-help book is the complete resource for educating, motivating, and empowering children to work toward change. Ages 6 – 12

What to Do When Your Temper Flares: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Problems with Anger (What-to-Do Guides for Kids).

This workbook guides children and their parents through the cognitive-behavioral techniques used to treat problems with anger. Engaging examples, lively illustrations, and step-by-step instructions teach children a set of “anger dousing” methods aimed at cooling angry thoughts and controlling angry actions, resulting in calmer, more effective kids. This interactive self-help book is the complete resource for educating, motivating, and empowering children to work toward change. Ages 6 – 12

What to do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Anxiety (What to Do Guides for Kids.)

This book guides children and parents through the cognitive-behavioral techniques most often used in the treatment of anxiety. Lively metaphors and humorous illustrations make the concepts and strategies easy to understand, while clear how-to steps and prompts to draw and write help children to master new skills related to reducing anxiety. This interactive self-help book is the complete resource for educating, motivating, and empowering kids to overcoming their overgrown worries. Ages 6 – 12.

Crisis Prevention Response Team

Serving Westchester County

Call (914) 925-5959 – 24/7 Telephone Coverage

Mobile Response Now Monday – Saturday

Walk-in evaluations available 24/7 at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Harrison.

*Services available in Spanish

What is the Crisis Prevention and Response Team (CPRT)?

The CPRT is an interdisciplinary mobile team of mental health professionals (social workers, a child and family specialist and a psychiatrist). The Team responds to people in the community, usually visiting them at home, although they can be seen elsewhere as well. The team also has offices at Saint Joseph’s Medical Center in Yonkers and at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Harrison. 

Crisis Text Line

Text HOME to 741741 from anywhere in the United States, anytime, about any type of crisis. A live, trained Crisis Counselor receives the text and responds, all from our secure online platform. The volunteer Crisis Counselor will help you move from a hot moment to a cool moment.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

1-800-273-TALK (8255) 

If you or someone you know is suicidal or in emotional distress, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Trained crisis workers are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Your confidential and toll free call goes to the nearest crisis center in the Lifeline national network. These centers provide crisis counseling and mental health referrals.

New York State Office of Mental Health Crisis Counselors

Call 1-844-863-9314 or text GOT5 to 741741.  

Are you struggling in the midst of COVID-19? Crisis counselors are still just a phone call away. 

SAMHSA’s National Helpline 

1-800-662-HELP (4357)/ 1-800-487-4889 (TDD) 

Free and confidential information in English and Spanish for individuals and family members facing substance abuse and mental health issues. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Utilize the Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator

• Please check with your insurance company for coverage on “tele-therapy” for private therapists in the community.

• If you are in need of immediate assistance, please dial 911.

• Dial 211 for information and linkage to supports

• DCMH Information, Support & Referral Line

  • 8am-8pm 914-995-1900 text# 914-461-7281

• Contact your local library regarding virtual programs and resources

• Visit FeedingWestchester.org for information and resources to address food insecurity 

• NYS Dept of Health COVID-19 Hotline

  • Information: 888-364-3065

  • People under quarantine/known exposure to a positive case: 866-588-0195