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ACMH

Phone: 517 372-4016

Parent Line: (888) ACMH-KID (226-4543)

ACMH hopes you and your family stay safe, well and supported during this time of crisis…

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The Association for Children’s Mental Health exists to provide help and hope to families by empowering them with the information, resources and support they need especially during times of crisis and the coronavirus has certainly reached the crisis level.  As a statewide family organization we know that supporting our kids and family’s mental health needs can be challenging even in the best of times and access to quality information is essential! Since we do not have physical or mental health professionals on staff  to answer many of the questions that are coming our way, we have gathered the a list of links and information that have been shared by trusted resources and community partners and have shared them below. We hope you find information that is helpful as you work to keep yourself & your family safe and supported!

* New items will be added to this page daily so be sure to check back for new ideas, resources and supports!

* NEW – Recently Added Resources *

Michigan Alliance for Families COVID 19 Webpage for Families whose children receive special education services and programs.

Michigan Alliance for Families Virtual Chats  for Parents- Sharing-our-Strengths-and-Struggles-May-2020

Michigan’s COVID-19 Hotline Now Offers Free, Confidential Emotional Support Counseling
Confidential emotional support counseling is now available 24/7 at no cost to Michiganders who call the state’s COVID-19 hotline. Callers to the COVID-19 hotline will hear a recording that begins by saying to press “8” if they would like to speak with a Michigan Stay Well counselor. The counselors, though not licensed professionals, have received specialized training from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s (SAMHSA).  MI Stay Well counselors are available any time, day or night, by dialing the COVID-19 hotline at 888-535-6136 and pressing 8 when prompted. To access a variety of emotional support resources in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, visit Michigan.gov/StayWell.

Covid 19 Mental Health Resources for Parents and Caregivers During Covid-19

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

Coronavirus Anxiety: Coping with Stress, Fear, and Worry from HelpGuide

Dealing with Uncertainty During the Coronavirus Pandemic from HelpGuide

Your Feelings About Coronavirus Are Valid from Mental Health America

Other Michigan Department of Health and Human Services MDHHS Resources

MDHHS Communicating With Children During the Covid-19 Outbreak:  Talking With Kids About COVID

MDHHS  Family Wellness Guide To see more resources from MDHHS click here.

Stay Home, Stay MIndful’ website A website offering free meditation and mindfulness content for Michiganders launched by Governor Whitmer in partnership with Headspace . The website will offer free mental health resources during COVID-19 pandemic including evidence-based guided meditations, along with at-home workouts that guide people through mindful exercises, sleep and kids content to help address rising stress and anxiety. Available at www.headspace.com/MI an internet connection is the only thing that is needed to access these tools from home.

SURVEYS: Parents/Youth/Young Adults – The following community partners want to hear from you:

  • Parent Views on Distance Learning Survey
    The Education Trust-Midwest is surveying Michigan parents to better understand what is working, what is not working, and what parents and students need when it comes to distance and online learning. The information shared by parents will help inform Michigan educators and policymakers, and is critical to understanding how school closures are impacting student learning at home. Survey link:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YDQJ32J
  • FosterClub https://www.fosterclub.com/  is surveying young adults, age 18-24 who have experienced the foster care system.  We know COVID-19 continues to impact young people across the country – and we want to know how young people in and from foster care are doing now. For this survey, we’re looking to hear from young people ages 18 through 24.The first 400 young people who complete a survey and can be confirmed as falling in the requirements will be sent a $25 gift card. We promise to keep personal information confidential.  Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8XJ765Q

Understood.org just shared some great new resources for families:

Guidance from MDDHS regarding the provision of Public Mental Health services during Governor’s “Stay Home Stay Safe” order:

For more information about the Governor’s “Stay Home Stay Safe” order click here

Michigan Alliance for Families shared a new video about how school closure effects special education, as well as, how parents can help their children. Check it out today at https://youtu.be/VILf-cmZvYg.

MI Department of Education -Office of Special Education  GuidanceIDEA-MARSE_Covid-19  Informational document designed to assist districts in meeting the IDEA Part B and MARSE requirements in support of Governor Whitmer’s Executive Orders.

New FREE Resources Available for Michigan Families

  • Cable: AT&T, Comcast and Charter Spectrum have announced changes for the general public. Comcast and Charter Spectrum are offering free internet for 60 days for qualifying families. Lastly, some wireless providers have removed their data limits during this time (AT&T). Please check with your wireless provider to see if they are removing their data limits.
  • Eviction: Executive Order 2020-19 (a) allows tenants and mobile home owners to remain in their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic even if they are unable to stay current on their rent, and (b) relieves courts from certain statutory restrictions to enable them to stay eviction-related proceedings until after the COVID-19 emergency has passed. For more information, visit here.
  • Parenting: Looking for parenting support? Join MSU Extension’s Guiding Principles for Highly Successful Parenting Webinar series! This FREE online series for parents of toddlers to teens will help you develop family routines, build emotional control in your child, be a calm, assertive parent, develop consistent rules and relationships and develop empathy as a parent.  Click here for more information:Parenting Support.
  • Parenting: Need some inspiration during this difficult time? Love and Logic is offering their Parenting Online class for free during the month of April. Click here and use coupon code WEB10.
  • Unemployment Benefits: Click here to apply for unemployment benefits.

Concerned about your children being safe online? The MI Child Protection Registry is a free do-not-contact service for Michigan families. Visit  www.ProtectMIChild.com to learn more.

Resources for Teens and Young Adults and Those Supporting Them

The National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health just added 2 great new resource pages:

General Health Information, Updates and Tips for Keeping You and Your Family Safe:

Tips For Social Distancing, Quarantine, And Isolation During An Infectious Disease Outbreak  SAMHSA

State of Michigan Updates and Information

MDHHS Covid-19 Hotline: 1-888-535-6136

Tips for Managing Anxiety and Stress Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Resources for Michigan Families

Bridge Magazine – Michigan Coronavirus help: Families can get food, cash, internet during crisis.

MI Statewide Tips for Support Student Wellness from TRAILS includes tips for supporting student wellness during COVID-19 and tips for what you might tell your child about Coronavirus and why schools are closed.

Tips and Strategies for Talking To Your Kids About the Coronavirus:

How to Explain Coronavirus to a Child with Anxiety ADHD Parenting ADDitude Magazine

Tips for Talking to Kids About the Coronavirus  Child Mind Institute

Supporting Our Kids During the Covid-19 Crisis Child Mind Institute

Talking With Children About the Coronavirus   The Fred Rogers Center

How to Talk About Coronavirus With Kids Understood.org

Coronavirus Latest Updates and Resources from Understood.org

What to Say to Help Kids Feel Calm When the World Feels Fragile  from Karen Young at Hey Sigmund

Just for Kids, A Comic Exploring the new Coronavirus from National Public Radio

Answering Your Child’s Questions During the Coronavirus from ZERO TO THREE

Multilingual Coloring Book for Explaining Coronavirus from Mindheart Available in multiple languages

The Coronavirus and Mental Health Resources

Crisis Text Line Coronavirus Information

Mental Health Considerations During the Covid-19 Outbreak World Health Organization

Coronavirus Anxiety: 10 Expert Coping Strategies ADDitude Magazine

How to Care for Yourself While Practicing Physical Distancing National Council for Behavioral Health MHFA

Care for Your Coronavirus Anxiety – from Shine

Coronavirus Anxiety: Coping with Stress, Fear, and Worry from HelpGuide

Dealing with Uncertainty During the Coronavirus Pandemic HelpGuide

Mental Health Crisis Resources 

SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline: 24/7, 365-day-a-year crisis counseling and support for people experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters including the Coronavirus. Call 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 to connect with a trained crisis counselor.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 24/7, 365-day-a-year hotline for people experiencing suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Call 1-800-273-8255 or click here to chat.

Crisis Text Line for Free, Confidential Support 24/7 : TEXT “START” TO 741741.

For more crisis resources for youth and families click here.

Self Care 

The Youth Mental Health Project is launching Virtual Meetings of the YMHP Parent Support Network for Parents anywhere in the country. Meetings are FREE, confidential, and open to all parents or adult caregivers who are faced with the unique challenges of parenting young people who are struggling with their mental or emotional health. The Parent Support Network™ is a parent-driven program to provide parents who are concerned about their children’s, teen’s, or young adult’s mental health with a dependable and caring network, valuable peer support, and access to peer recommended resources. Parent support meetings are run by volunteer, trained Facilitators who are parents with lived experience raising a child who has struggled with his or her mental health. If you are interested in attending email virtualpsn@ymhproject.org to receive announcements about meetings. Feel free to forward and share! Upcoming dates below. RSVP required.

Meditations and Calming Exercises Free From Calm.com

Tips for Surviving ‘Home-based Life’ 

Resources from ADHD Parenting  from  ADDitude Magazine:

Resources from Understood.org

Many online educational resources are currently available Free for a month for families due to the Coronavirus including:

Concerned about your children being safe while online? Michigan families, especially minors, are becoming inundated with advertisements. Thankfully, the Michigan Secretary of State’s office offers a free program to stop adult advertisements from reaching your email address and cell number via text. The Michigan Child Protection Registry is a free do-not-contact service for Michigan’s families.  To sign up only takes seconds. Just go to www.ProtectMIChild.com and keep your family safe.

CSTS Helping Homebound Children during COVID-19 Outbreak

 

Be sure to also check out the National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health’s Pinterest Page for great ideas on a variety of topics including:

New resources will be added daily so be sure to check back frequently if you do not find what you need or feel free to email us at thenrizi@acmh-mi.org.

Stay well and stay safe! The ACMH Family

 

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