An infant reaches out to a mother. The mother’s phone notification “bings” and “buzzes.” Eye-contact shifts from the infant to the phone. This is a typical event in a world where technology constantly demands attention. But Colorado childhood development advocates ask parents and caregivers to consider how regularly they allow notifications to interrupt moments to connect with your children.
That’s one of the messages of the Youth Resilience mental wellness campaign, launched in May to recognize National Mental Health Awareness Month. Rocky Mountain PBS (RMPBS) collaborated with statewide community partners including the Tennyson Center for Children, North Range Behavioral Health, The Kempe Center, Jefferson Center for Mental Health and Mesa County Valley School District 51. The project is made possible by generous support from Chevron Colorado and the Western Colorado Community Foundation.
Across Colorado, schoolteachers and mental health practitioners are emphasizing an increased need to address children’s mental health. Local organizations, such as Children’s Hospital, recently described mental health issues as being in a “state of emergency” for Colorado’s children. These observations are verified in a special 2018 report from the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, titled Community Conversations to Inform Youth Suicide Prevention. Of the key findings, the document recommended leveraging public awareness campaigns to destigmatize getting help for mental health needs.
RMPBS responded by engaging parents, schools, and mental health organizations to learn more about how public media can deepen the impact of statewide outreach, expand access to parent and caregiver resources and positively affect the lives of children.
Input from childhood development leaders across Colorado led to creating the Youth Resilience campaign, a community-based resource toolkit for partner organizations and schools to share with parents and caregivers.
“Mental health is essential for overall wellness, and Chevron invests in community programs that provide resources and expertise to help individuals and families seeking help,” said Trudi Boyd, Chevron Colorado Corporate Affairs Manager. “This partnership with RMPBS provides an avenue to raise awareness and reach families across the state with crucial resources.”
So, what is resilience?
Resilience is the ability to bounce back after experiencing something tough. Resilience is a key part of mental health.
“Parents and caregivers are the most important people to pass along tools and tips that help kids become more resilient,” says Elizabeth Clark, a licensed professional counselor in Grand Junction, who works with Mesa County Valley School District 51. “We want to create more access to these resources and skills, so parents and caregivers have what they need to support the youngest of Coloradans.”
To ensure the resources and tools are relevant and useful, RMPBS engaged in a multi-week series of ideation sessions with youth mental health specialists at organizations across Colorado, including:
- The Kempe Center
- Mesa County Valley School District 51
- North Range Behavioral Health
- Tennyson Center for Children
- Jefferson Center for Mental Health
RMPBS applied the findings from these ideation sessions to inform the messaging of the Youth Resilience series. Technology came up as a prominent factor contributing to dysregulation in both children and adults. Another top issue included long-term impacts of trauma and trauma response among youth, even before they reach age five. The group emphasized the importance of establishing common language, normalizing open communication about feelings, and creating more space for meaningful connections with children.
“We have heard over and over again how kids in Colorado are struggling and showing up to school – even as young as preschool – completely dysregulated with mental health challenges. The community-led conversations focused on what public media can do to support youth mental health,” said Alex Forsett, Western Colorado Regional Director for RMPBS. “Thanks to funding from Chevron Colorado, RMPBS truly centered mental health experts and schoolteachers to inform our service and the messaging of the videos.”
The PSA series will broadcast on RMPBS and RMPBS KIDS, starting May 22, 2023. Partner organizations, schools and mental health clinics will also share the Youth Resilience toolkit with communities across Colorado to amplify the collective impact of this essential mental health messaging campaign.
Parents and caregivers can visit the Youth Resilience webpage to watch videos, read articles, and connect with resources at www.rmpbs.org/resilience.
Share the videos and resources with your community! Health clinics, schools, and organizations can click the button below to download the Youth Resilience social media toolkit.