Mental Health & Well-being

Links to resources for supporting your child’s wellbeing during COVID-19. Click the green link to access the resource.

Alabama Department of Mental Health – The Alabama Department of Mental Health has a list of numbers to call to seek help during an after-hours mental health crisis, organized by county.

NAMI Alabama – The purpose of NAMI Alabama is to provide support, education, and advocacy for persons with mental illnesses, their families, and others whose lives are affected by mental health disorders.

Alabama Suicide Prevention and Resources Coalition – ASPARC  has a dedicated team of professional counselors and specialists ready to discuss basic suicide prevention strategies and techniques. Its list of resources includes help for parents who may need to remove dangerous items from the home. It aims to provide an up-to-date list of state-wide professionals, counselors, churches and other advocates working to stop suicide.

Suicide Prevention Hotline – Anyone in crisis can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or text 741741 from anywhere in the country to talk with a trained crisis counselor.

NASP COVID-19: Resource Center – Information, guidelines, and resources to help support the learning and well-being of students

What to Say to Kids When the News Is Scary – Strategies for parents offered by experts on how to help kids and adolescents navigate frightening or anxiety-inducing news

Managing Emotions in Times of Uncertainty and Stress – This free course developed by the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence will provide participants with the knowledge, skills, and strategies to understand and manage their emotions during times of uncertainty and stress.
When Bad Things Are Happening – When news breaks of disaster or violence, your children may want to discuss a crisis as it unfolds. This article provides strategies for engaging in this discussion.

Building Positive Conditions for Learning at Home – American Institutes for Research provide strategies and resources for families and caregivers, including how to create a supportive, safe environment for learning

Counseling Parent Resources – Helping children and families cope during the pandemic

CASEL – Comprehensive collection of high-quality social and emotional learning (SEL) tools and resources to inform parents

Society of Pediatric Psychology Resources for COVID-19 – Crowdsourced, curated collection of coping resources from SPP members

Supporting Families during COVID-19 – Curated articles and activities as well as a downloadable parent’s guide from the Child Mind Institute

NFFCMH COVID-19 Resources for Parents, Families, and Youth – Collection of resources includes videos, toolkits, and activities to use at home to support parents and caregivers and their children during the pandemic

COVID-19 Parenting Tips and Resources – How to talk about the pandemic with children along with curated resources from Families First

COVID-19 Tips for Families – Curated resources from Zero to Three including age-appropriate responses to common questions, a guide to self-care, and activities for young children experiencing social distancing

NCPMI – Teaching Social Emotional Skills – Activities, tools, and materials to help children promote self-regulation and/or problem solving