As school begins again for many students, families are beginning new routines and trying to cope with the changed schedules.
Kimberly Hill-Crowell, licensed social worker and chief clinical officer at Grand Mental Health Tulsa, joined LeAnne Taylor on News On 6 Thursday morning to discuss how to get kids off to a good start in school.
LeAnne: Tell us a little about the work of the clinic. It started in January, right? And it’s been pretty busy?
Crowell: Oh, yes, absolutely. So we’re actually open. We have an addiction treatment center, but we’ve been serving mostly adults. Earlier this year we started serving children, so we’ve been very busy. We have services for Tulsa Public Schools. We’ll be serving Broken Arrow schools this fall, so we’re really excited. It’s very busy.
LeAnne: Tell us about some of the challenges. What problems do young people face today?
Crowell: Absolutely. I think we’re just seeing a rise in mental health issues across the board. You know, with the pandemic, it’s not like they haven’t always been there, because they certainly have been, but I think we’ve definitely seen a rise in cases across the country. More isolation, depression, anxiety, and we’ve seen that in our children as well.
LeAnne: Nowadays, with social media, there are many more opportunities for interactions between children that are not always good, such as bullying and the like. How much harder is it to help our young students today than perhaps in previous years?
Crowell: I think because of social media and because sometimes we as parents can hide it more easily from our children, it’s harder to spot. So we as parents need to keep an eye on these things and talk more openly about it. Sometimes it can be scary and I think it’s harder to spot. So we need to talk more openly about it.
LeAnne: Let’s talk a little about some signs of bullying that parents, grandparents or caregivers can recognize, because there are so many. We are all raising children together, and what are some of the signs that parents should look out for?
Crowell: So there are multiple signs. There are behavioral signs. So pay attention to if your child is acting in any way different. So if they’re normally outgoing and they start to shut themselves off, if they’re normally quiet but they start doing things that are out of the ordinary, if they’re manic and overly hyperactive. That’s something different and unusual. If there are physical changes, if their social media presence changes, if they’re not interacting with their friends like they normally do. So, like I said, it’s important to keep an eye on social media if their grades change. You know, if they’re a straight-A student, they start getting zeros, right? That’s something you definitely want to pay attention to as well.
LeAnne: Part of the challenge is that young people are still learning who they are. But you see, it’s a fine line for parents and grandparents.
Crowell: Absolutely, and I think that’s why it’s so important to have these conversations. I think people have been afraid to talk about mental health for a long time. The more often you have these conversations, the easier it is for your kids to come to you and talk to you about it when they’re having these issues.
LeAnne: Well, that leads us right to the question of what parents and grandparents can do. So what is the role of these caregivers? What should they be? How should they interact?
Crowell: Absolutely. The more frequently you have those conversations, the easier it is for your child to come to you. If you don’t have those conversations, they’re afraid to have them with you. So try to have them in a calm situation. You know, I find that scary. If you know a child is being bullied, they’re worried. They’re afraid to speak up, and if you’re having those conversations about mental health on a regular basis, it’s commonplace in your home, right? And then it’s easier to broach the subject when something like that happens. So don’t surprise them with it. I think teens hate that. They hate when parents burden them with things, especially difficult conversations, don’t you? So if you can have a casual conversation in the car on a regular basis, it’s like a check-in.
LeAnne: Yes, right. That’s not unusual. OK, so listen, communicate and document any kind of bullying. What would that mean?
Crowell: Absolutely. If your child is being bullied, you should document it. You should write down when it happens, how often it happens, and you should bring it to the school’s attention as soon as possible so they know what’s going on and can get involved.
LeAnne: And often that’s part of the ingredient. You need to get in touch with the school, the teacher, the guidance counselor at the school so it’s not just a surprise. Who do I need to contact? How do I reach out to people?
Crowell: Right. Absolutely, you don’t want your student to feel alone. You don’t want your child to feel alone. There are other ways to help, and you as a parent don’t have to do this alone. You know the saying: it takes a village. It really is. It takes our community to help our children.
LeAnne: What should someone do if they need help?
Crowell: You can call 988, that’s a hotline you can use. Grand also has a crisis hotline, 1-800-722-3611. There’s a website grandmh.com where you can make a referral. Schools, the school counselor. If you go to your school counselor, they also have access to referrals to mental health clinics.
Grand Mental Health is also hosting a job fair on Friday at 6111 Skelly Drive from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
