Valley Children's Healthcare’s Post

In observance of today’s World Suicide Prevention Day, Children’s Hospital Association (CHA), Cardinal Health, and Zero Suicide Institute (ZSI) celebrate early success of the Preventing Youth Suicide Collaborative, a collaborative funded by the Cardinal Health Foundation, led by CHA, and informed by ZSI’s prevention expertise. CHA’s President and CEO, Matthew Cook, said, "The work of the Preventing Youth Suicide Collaborative is setting a new standard in pediatric health care by ensuring that children who experience mental health challenges are identified early and receive the care they need. This is critical work, but our children need more. We urge Congress to prioritize the mental health of our nation’s youth by passing two bipartisan pieces of legislature: The EARLY Minds Act (H.R.7808), which would give states greater flexibility to make resources available for prevention and early intervention initiatives, and the Helping Kids Cope Act (H.R.2412), which would help bolster the pediatric mental health workforce and improve the availability of a full continuum of mental health care for kids.” To learn more about this collaboration and its impact at Phoenix Children's, Valley Children's Healthcare, and Cohen Children's Medical Center: https://lnkd.in/eVCxqbDk

I was honoured today to present the keynote address for the AHPRA (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency) Symposium, in which I reflected on the way in which the Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government's Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings created a trauma-informed organisational approach. For me, this has always been about the primacy of children’s safety and rights, and being victim/survivor-centred.   A trauma-informed organisation, service, or system: ▪ Realises the widespread impacts of trauma ▪ Recognises the signs and symptoms of trauma ▪ Integrates trauma knowledge into policies, procedures, and practices ▪ Avoids re-traumatisation   Key messages in my presentation were that: 1. A trauma-informed approach to child abuse and neglect needs to incorporate an understanding of trauma and the prevalence and impacts of abuse and neglect and tactics of perpetrators 2. In order for an organisation to move from trauma-aware to trauma-informed, it must demonstrate how it integrates trauma knowledge into its policies, procedures, and practices 3. There is no one way of doing this; it must be adapted to the functions and context of each individual organisation, system or service 4. A trauma-informed organisation will operate from a set of principles that create a culture of trust and safety that puts vulnerable people, particularly children, first.   AHPRA members bear great responsibility for ensuring that some of our most vulnerable people are heard and supported when providing witness statements. I greatly appreciated the opportunity to be a part of AHPRA's discussions about trauma-informed processes and what opportunities can be found to improve and refine existing systems.   It is my hope that by sharing these experiences across disciplines and organisations, we can continue to grow the knowledge base of trauma-informed care - making these very difficult experiences for victim-survivors that bit more compassionate, supportive, and bearable.

Talking about suicide can be challenging, but it is a critical step in preventing it. By fostering open dialogue and providing reliable information, we can help dismantle the barriers that prevent people from seeking help. Join me, Laura Erickson-Schroth, Jocelyn Meza and José Caballero tomorrow, September 16th 2p-3p ET as we discuss key topics related to suicide prevention for youth and young adults. Register today and submit questions here: https://bit.ly/4fV0YZM

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the last decade, nearly all indicators of poor mental health—ranging from anxiety to suicidal thoughts—have worsened for high school students. These numbers represent real children in desperate need of access to community mental health services, yet too often, they don't receive the help they need. Across the U.S., systemic barriers force parents to navigate dysfunctional, complex systems while children wait for urgent care. We've seen it in our cases: too many children stuck in emergency rooms, facing months-long delays, or placed in institutions far from home, where their conditions worsen. This stark reality underscores the deepening mental health crisis and the urgency for collective action. While small improvements show that awareness and access make a difference, it’s clear that much more must be done—not just to improve access, but to fight the stigma that keeps children from seeking help. We must continue to fight for mental health care that reaches every child—before a crisis unfolds.

With Mental Health America, we're humbled to announce the launch of the new Equity Impact Zone (EIZ) grant program designed to address mental health equity gaps within local New Jersey communities. Understanding that factors such as housing, income, food security, safety, and freedom from discrimination are known to be key social drivers of mental health inequity, the mission of the EIZ program is to empower community-based organizations to implement resources tailored to the unique needs of their members. Recipients of the inaugural grants are Young Audiences (YA) New Jersey & Eastern Pennsylvania in Burlington County, and the Mental Health Association of New Jersey (MHANJ) in Trenton. At Otsuka, we hold a deep respect for the value of every mind. We will not rest until mental illnesses and brain diseases are recognized as chronic diseases that warrant early, equitable, and accessible intervention for patients and caregivers everywhere. Read more about the recipients: https://lnkd.in/ebM4E2C4

Meg Wiechnik and I are presenting at the next conference. those who planned on attending.. hope to see you there🙏 MA Department of Public Health 23rd Annual Massachusetts Suicide Prevention Conference “Connecting the Dots: Prevention, through Understanding the Self as a Whole” When we get to know a person’s story deeply, chronic suicidality has complex roots, often in experiences of generational trauma and systemic oppression. Barriers to accessing care and the trial and error of treatment can quickly discourage an already depleted person. Uninformed care and misdiagnosis can obscure causes of chronic suicidality, leading to further isolation from hope, healing, and our true selves. How do we get to know our own selves, let alone the people we support through their darkest times, as friends, parents, clinicians, and community members? How do we light the dark for someone we walk with so everyone can see more clearly and take conscious steps together? Heidi Lee and Meg Wiechnik have lived experience of caring for highly vulnerable people in our work, receiving care from our mental health system, and learning to live in dialogue with our own suicidal thoughts. Our journey together, in work and friendship, demonstrates how honoring our stories and grounding them in the reality of our greater world context — is a powerful life giving salve. We will share the tools, frameworks, resources, and communities that have helped us make sense of our pain and find new wells of strength to keep going.

With Mental Health America, we are humbled to announce the launch of the new Equity Impact Zone (EIZ) grant program designed to address mental health equity gaps within local New Jersey communities.    Understanding that factors such as housing, income, food security, safety, and freedom from discrimination are known to be key social drivers of mental health inequity, the mission of the EIZ program is to empower community-based organizations to implement resources tailored to the unique needs of their members. Recipients of the inaugural grants are Young Audiences (YA) New Jersey & Eastern Pennsylvania in Burlington County, and the Mental Health Association of New Jersey (MHANJ) in Trenton.      At Otsuka, we hold a deep respect for the value of every mind. We will not rest until mental illnesses and brain diseases are recognized as chronic diseases that warrant early, equitable, and accessible intervention for patients and caregivers everywhere.  Read more about the recipients: https://bit.ly/486ojUM

With Mental Health America, we're humbled to announce the launch of the new Equity Impact Zone (EIZ) grant program designed to address mental health equity gaps within local New Jersey communities. Understanding that factors such as housing, income, food security, safety, and freedom from discrimination are known to be key social drivers of mental health inequity, the mission of the EIZ program is to empower community-based organizations to implement resources tailored to the unique needs of their members. Recipients of the inaugural grants are Young Audiences (YA) New Jersey & Eastern Pennsylvania in Burlington County, and the Mental Health Association of New Jersey (MHANJ) in Trenton. At Otsuka, we hold a deep respect for the value of every mind. We will not rest until mental illnesses and brain diseases are recognized as chronic diseases that warrant early, equitable, and accessible intervention for patients and caregivers everywhere. Read more about the recipients: https://lnkd.in/eUZSqJer

The Columbia Suicide Severity Risk Scale (C-SSRS) is an easy-to-use tool that helps identify people at risk for suicide, potentially saving lives. Each year, over 700,000 suicides occur worldwide, making effective prevention vital. The C-SSRS consists of simple questions that anyone—from teachers to healthcare providers—can ask to assess someone's risk of suicide. Developed by researchers from Columbia University and other institutions, this scale has been successfully used in various settings, including schools and military environments, leading to a decline in suicide rates. By incorporating the C-SSRS into regular health checks, we can better identify those in need of help and improve overall suicide prevention efforts in our communities. Learn more, https://ow.ly/MLKr50TnP1p.

When a loved one dies by suicide, our world is forever changed. Please join us for a free online conversation with Dr. Christine Yu Moutier about grief when someone dies by suicide, or share this with someone you know who needs support. Dr. Christine Yu Moutier is the Chief Medical Officer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention; with grief expert David Kessler, Dr. Moutier will share tips for navigating the heartbreak around grief when someone dies by suicide. Join us on World Suicide Prevention Day to talk about: - The Unique Grief When Someone Dies by Suicide... - How do we emerge after the devastation and heartbreak of this loss? - Understanding the complexities when a loved one dies by suicide. - What is the difference between prevention and postvention? - What does healing look like? - Dealing with the relentless what-ifs and if-only's. Dr. Christine Yu Moutier and David Kessler Tuesday, September 10 11 am PT/ 2 pm ET Register here for free: https://lnkd.in/gEuhbhBz #NationalSuicideAwarenessDay #FirstResponders #MentalHealth #Legacyplacesociety #Families