I had the pleasure to moderate a panel with experts from right here in Fort Worth and the surrounding Tarrant County area. The topic at hand was children’s mental health. The entire discussion can be viewed in the video below.
Without a doubt children’s mental health is an of-the-moment issue. Pediatric mental health support services were already stretched, but the effects of the pandemic have increased the need tremendously. This is true in my own household — something I am living firsthand.
The panel discussion tackles various topics:
- How can parents promote and support their kids’ mental health.
- How do you know when it is time to find support services.
- How can a parent overcome the logistical and financial hurdles.
- What local resources are available.
The Panelists
The panel featured one moderator and four guests:
- Adrianne Gilbreath, MA :: Gilbreath has been in education for 15 years. She began her career as an English teacher and then transitioned to her current role as a school counselor in 2012.
- Brian J. Dixon, MD :: Dixon is a board certified child and adolescent psychiatrist and owner of Mindful, a therapy based psychiatric practice in Fort Worth, Texas. His specialties include anxiety, ADHD, ODD, autism, PTSD, and reactive attachment disorder.
- Emily Youree :: As CEO and owner of Fort Worth Moms, Youree dedicates her days to building a platform that encourages and supports parents in North Texas. She is also the mother of two girls, one of which lives with generalized anxiety disorder, ADHD, and adjustment disorder.
- Kara Holmes, MA, LPC associate :: Holmes is the counseling supervisor for the Real Help for Real Life program at ACH Child and Family Services.
- Meredith Lavallais, MD :: Lavallais is a board certified child and adolescent psychiatrist. She is currently working as an outpatient provider at Cook Children’s Medical Center. Her special interests include evolutionary psychiatry and the treatment of detained youth.
Resources & Support
As promised in the video, we’ve included a listing of local resources and support for kiddos and parents struggling to navigate mental health challenges.
- ACH Child and Family Services
- Child Mind Institute
- Cook Children’s Medical Center
- Denton County Friends of the Family
- My Health My Resources Tarrant County (MHMR)
- Recovery Resource Council
- Texas Christian University Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development
- The WARM Place | Grief Support Center for Children
- University of North Texas Center for Play Therapy
Fort Worth Moms has published several articles on this topic:
- “2021 Guide to Family Fun for Kiddos with Differences & Disabilities”
- “Addressing Childhood Anxiety”
- “Eight Tried-and-True Tips to Parent a Child with Anxiety”
- “How My Tweens Anxiety Triggered My Own”
- “Loving and Understanding Children with ADHD: Busting the Myths”
- “Mothering Mental Illness”
- “One Mom’s Journey to Non-Medicating Her ADHD Daughter”
- “The Hidden War :: Facing School with Pediatric OCD”
- “The Number One Way to Make Anxiety Worse in Kids and Adults”
- “The One Key Concept to Know About Healthy Attachment”
- “The Real Signs of Pediatric OCD”
- “What It’s Like to Parent a Child with ADHD :: Momfessions Podcast”
Fort Worth Moms also hosts a private Facebook group to support moms who parent kids with differences and disabilities.