Resources in partnership with On Our Sleeves: The Movement for Children’s Mental Health

Talking with your child about mental health is important. The best way you can get support is to be proactive. Stay connected with people the people in your child’s life that have experience with addressing mental health concerns -- pediatrician, teacher, school counselor, religious or spiritual leader. They can be your first line of support if mental health concerns come up and can help you detect concerning changes in your child's behavior.

If you have a concern about your child’s mental health, reach out to your child’s doctor first and they will make a referral to a mental health professional. If your child does not have a primary care doctor but is in need of mental health support, the websites listed below will help you find mental health resources in your area.

• On Our Sleeves®: https://www.onoursleeves.org/mental-health-resources/national-state-resources
• Mental Health America: https://www.mhanational.org/
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-treatment

If at any point during your conversations your child shares that they have suicidal thoughts or intentions, your only priority is to keep them safe. Work with your child to come up with a plan to help keep them safe. Going to your local emergency room, or mental health crisis center may be the best place for them if they are feeling suicidal. Hospital and mental health centers have trained professionals that can help you and your child stay safe. They will work with you to identify the next steps in getting your child the support they need.

• 211: Call 211 to ask if there is a mobile mental health crisis unit available in your area. Trained mental health professionals will come to where you are to provide a crisis assessment and next step recommendations. If a mobile unit is not available, they will direct you to the nearest emergency room.

If your child is not in immediate danger of suicide but may benefit from speaking to a trained crisis professional, consider using one of the suicide prevention hotlines below.

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:
  • 1-800-273-8255 (English)
  • 1-888-628-9454 (Spanish)
  • 1-800-799-4889 (Deaf or Hard of Hearing)
  • https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
  • National hotline to provide confidential support to those in crisis and their loved ones
• Trevor Project:
  • 1-866-488-7386
  • https://www.thetrevorproject.org/
  • National hotline, and website chat features dedicated to providing crisis support to LGTBQ youth