April 7, 2020
Dear Friends,
How are you? Have you settled in to this new normal? Are you struggling with not seeing friends and family? Are you struggling because you’ve spent too much time with family? Are you frustrated because you need eggs or toilet paper? As I shared last week, the range of complicated emotions is normal. You are not alone.
In addition to the complicated emotions we as adults are feeling, our youth and young adults are also struggling with this new and uncertain reality that has upended their lives. Last year at our Circle of Support Luncheon, I shared six ways we can create an environment where mental wellness is valued, discussed, and embodied. I am sharing them again, as these steps may be useful to all of us right now, as we manage emotions and implications around COVID-19, and going forward.
Normalize talking about difficult emotions and feelings, such as stress, grief, or loss, with children but also with other adults.
Consider reducing or eliminating screen time at night to improve the quality and length of sleep. This is shown to be beneficial at all ages.
Dedicate a meal—in person or online—where everyone is encouraged to share something about their day where the sharing of emotional experiences is learned and valued.
Talk about mental health and how it affects your family with community leaders and elected officials.
End the stigma by being forthcoming about your own struggles and success with your own mental health – you can be an example of resilience for your children and peers.
Reach out for help. Through telehealth, healthcare providers have made it easier than ever to have a conversation about your mental health. I have also included many resources at the bottom of this email that may be helpful.
In addition to the steps outlined above, I invite you all to join our complimentary virtual event on Friday, April 24, 2020, at noon with nationally-recognized child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr. Jess Shatkin. Dr. Shatkin is the author of Born to Be Wild: Why Teens Take Risks, and How We Can Help Keep Them Safe and he will speak to us from his office in New York.
Dr. Shatkin will share advice for families, teachers, and the community about what a pandemic and isolation may mean developmentally and psychologically for children and adolescents, what to look for as worrisome symptoms, and how to foster resilience and mental health during this time. Dr. Shatikin will then focus his remarks on adolescent mental health and evidence-based strategies for helping our youth both now and beyond our current crisis. Dr. Shatkin will also have time to answer your questions.
This virtual event is an adaptation of our annual Circle of Support Luncheon that has a long history of bringing together people with a shared commitment to the health and well-being of our community, raising essential funds for our programs, and aiming to reduce stigma around behavioral health topics through education and conversation. The silver lining in changing this event from an in-person luncheon to a virtual conversation is that all can join!
Our virtual event will be available on YouTube at noon on Friday, April 24, 2020. Please register for the event here and invite your friends! A link to join will be sent on Wednesday, April 22.
Please take good care of yourselves and your families during this unsettling time. Thank you for your ongoing support of Caminar and our divisions. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything. We can be reached at 1-650-372-4080 or info@caminar.org.
Be well,
Mark Cloutier, MPP, MPH
Chief Executive Officer
