Psyched About School

In October 2024, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) partnered with Alliance Health and Somethings to expand mental health support for teens in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene.  About Somethings Somethings is a mental health platform that connects teens and young adults with Certified Peer Specialist Mentors and can provide referrals to licensed therapists. Each teen is connected with a mentor who has overcome what they are going through and shares common interests. Mentors provide a relatable, low-pressure way to connect. If you know a teen (age 13 and older) who needs mental health support, visit somethings.com/northcarolina to get connected to support. Services are available via text and video calls after school from 3-11 p.m. and on weekends.   In addition to mental health support for a variety of diagnoses, teens can also get support with future planning, social isolation, academic challenges, relationships, family dynamics, sib...

I think that all of us can agree that 2020 has been a challenging year.  Many things have been difficult and unsettling, from the unrest in our country to the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic. Under normal circumstances, the holiday season can be difficult for those who are grieving the loss of a loved one. The world may tell us that this season is full of joy, but it may not be that way for those that are grieving. The holidays may be a time that we wish that they could be with us. For many of us, the holidays are a time in which we cherish the time to be together, but this year, that may look different for many people. Our friends at Trellis Supportive Care (formerly the Hospice and Palliative Care Center) have compiled a number of helpful resources for families to help to navigate the grieving process, especially during this holiday season. In addition, Trellis has a counseling and education center where trained bereavement counselors provide grief counseling free of charge to ...

The recent deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor have served to further expose the unjust and unfair treatment of people of color in America. The protests are all over television, newspapers, and the internet, reaching cities world-wide. The violence that sometimes accompanies the protests is scary. It has been especially unsettling that many of these deaths have come at the hands of the police, whom we have been taught are here to serve and protect citizens. Conversations with children are essential for all parents to have. Silence will not protect you or them. Not talking about events will only fuel fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. Silence allows children to draw their own, often faulty, conclusions about what is happening and why. It is important to acknowledge the truth of racism and unfairness, as well as to talk about the possibilities of change. Honesty is the key in a conversation with children of any age. A plan of action will reduce some of the fears b...

As you may know, reading is very important for development and learning. Students should read at least 30 minutes a day but with the stay-in home orders, students do not have access to public and school libraries. The Forsyth County Library has created  a way to register for a virtual library card that gives people access to the online database, ebooks, eaudiobooks, and emagazines. Follow this link below to register for a Forsyth County Library Virtual Library Card: Virtual Library Card Please allow 1-2 business days for the Forsyth County Library to process the request. Once your request has been processed, you will be able to access the digital books on a computer, smart phone, or tablet. Show us how you read digitally at #wsfcslearnon and #wspsychs. Happy Reading!

Recently, we have been hearing concerns about whether the suicide rate may increase as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Right now, anxieties are already elevated because of this novel situation.  We all know that - more than ever before - our focus must remain on facts, not fear.  In order to help our readers consider that very complex question, let's start by reviewing facts we know about suicide. In this blog post from 2019 , we talked about the World Health Organization's latest data on suicide, which indicated that between 2010 and 2016, the global suicide rate decreased by 9.8%.  However, the WHO also found that the only region to see an increase was the Americas.  According to the  CDC's surveillance data ,  suicide is currently the 10th leading cause of death in the United States and   suicide rates have shown a steady pattern of increase in the United States: The CDC also provided a list of risk factors or characteristics ass...

Got anxiety? Got stress? At this point, I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say that we do. In these “unprecedented times” it sometimes hard to know how to cope with all of the changes that have happened so quickly, and in knowing how to cope with our new normal. As parents, it is important for us to know how to facilitate good mental health, for ourselves, and also for our children. We are important too, and if we aren’t healthy, how can we care for them? For people who are looking for support, NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness) has developed a resource guide to helps to address many of the questions that people may have as they cope with the current situation. They are also available by phone to address questions that might not be answered by the guide. Topics include how to cope with anxiety, how to cope with feelings of loneliness and isolation while sheltering in place, or quarantined, how to help people with mental illness or even what assistance programs are available for ...

The coronavirus has completely interrupted the normalcy of our lives. While eLearning started last week and occupies a significant amount of time, families still have lots of unstructured time to fill throughout the day. It can be difficult to think of things to do, especially when you can’t even leave your house. We have compiled a list of fun activities that you may not have known about or thought of. Some of these can be done online, but others are interactive and meant for families to do together. Let us know if you think of more! Show us your activities by tweeting to us @schoolpsychws. Use #wspsychs and #wsfcslearnon. We would love to add your ideas to this list! Cultural Enrichment: Google has compiled an extensive list of museums offering online galleries. Examples include the MET, MoMA, and Musee d'Orsay in Paris, just to name a few. You can find this list at Google Arts and Culture Check out Star Trek’s Patrick Stewart reading Shakespeare online each day: Comic...

One of our school psychologists shared this resource and we wanted to pass it along to all of our readers.  This is a challenging time for all of us and we are grateful that our colleagues at the University of North Carolina Child Development Institute Autism Team worked so quickly to develop this packet of resources for those with Autism Spectrum Disorders.  As they note in their introduction: "Individuals with autism may need additional support to process the news and adapt to the many changes. This population may face additional challenges related to comprehension, communication, difficulty understanding abstract language, an insistence on sameness, and a greater likelihood of anxiety and depression—all of which may be exasperated during this stressful period." To help address those needs, the UNC Autism Team provided a toolkit of materials aligned with these 7 support strategies: This fantastic resource from the UNC Autism Team contains social stories and visual...

Have you heard of vaping? It is very popular among young people and teenagers. When you vape, you are smoking an “e-cigarette” or some other device. It produces a “vapor” that you inhale and exhale. Many young people like to vape because they think it is healthier and cheaper than smoking a regular cigarette. In addition, the vapes come in different flavors, many of which are marketed toward young people (e.g., bubble gum flavor). The vaping devices look similar to flash drives, making them easy to hide from parents. During the past few weeks, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has warned against the use of vapes and e-cigarettes because they may be linked to lung and respiratory illnesses. Some people are being hospitalized after vaping. Due to the rise of sickness after the use of vaping products, the FDA and CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) are investigating illnesses linked to vaping. For more information, please see the link below: https://www.fda.gov/news-e...

We received the following information from our friend Katie Cyre, MS, MT-BC, who is the Clinical Support Services Manager and Music Therapist at the Hospice & Palliative CareCenter in Winston-Salem.  This year's theme is "Jungle Journey 2018."  They always do a fantastic job with supporting grieving students and families, so we wanted to pass this information along to our readers: Camp Carousel is a bereavement retreat for children and teens (rising 1st graders—rising 12th graders), as well as adults, who are grieving the death of a loved one.  Camp Carousel will take place Monday, July 16 - Friday, July 20, 2018 in Winston-Salem Camp Carousel offers grief support groups, art and music therapy, writing, animal-assisted therapy, and a variety of fun and creative activities designed to help those who are grieving death-related losses.  There is no charge for Camp Carousel, though pre-registration is required.  You may also direct inquiries to Camp...

On the last early release day, the Psychological Services Department had the opportunity to visit the Hospice & Palliative CareCenter in Forsyth County.  We learned about opportunities for students and families in our area who may need additional support during difficult times.  Katie Cyre, MS, MT-BC, Complementary Therapies Program Manager & Music Therapist facilitated this visit for us and was kind enough to write the following guest blog for us: If you and your family have experienced the death of a loved one, you know how important it is to have ongoing support. The losses of those closest to us impact us in profound ways, both individually and within our family systems. We know, too, that losses are revisited as children move through new developmental stages, and even into adulthood as life’s big events unfold. The original loss is re-worked over many years through the new lens of experience and the changes that growing-up brings about. It is important tha...

The month of April is World Autism Month! The Autism Speaks "Light It Up Blue" campaign was initiated in  2010 to commemorate the UN-Sanctioned World Autism  Awareness Day on April 2nd. What started as a day for famous  landmarks to light up blue for autism has evolved into an annual  blue movement that continues throughout the entire month of April  around the world. You can see some of the fantastic participants on Twitter using the hashtag #LightItUpBlue.   Kazakhstan went blue for Autism... and so did Italy.... and Washington, D.C.! Our friend Selene Johnson, the Executive Director at ABC of NC recently shared information about Autism Awareness Month in this video clip from  WXII .  We recently blogged about our visit to ABC of NC, where we learned a lot about this fantastic resource - and you can, too!  Just click here:  ABC of NC. To learn more about Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and how you can be...

Before winter break, our staff had the opportunity to visit ABC of NC.  If you don't have a child on the autism spectrum, you may not have heard of this amazing program.  According to their website, they are a not-for-profit center that provides a variety of services to people with autism spectrum disorder. They are committed to delivering high-quality, evidence-based services including diagnosis, therapy, and education.  They strive to help individuals with autism spectrum disorder reach their full potential. During our visit, we certainly observed how dedicated their staff members are to supporting the children and families they serve. As part of their clinical services, ABC of NC offers diagnosis/assessment, psychotherapy, and Applied Behavior Analysis.  ABC of NC is also a licensed non-public school that provides educational programs for preschool through high school.  They also have a variety of supplemental services. One example is their Buddy Club, a lo...

There are many models that discuss the impact of students daily routines on their path to success. Since most students spend the majority of their day within the school setting, the CDC coordinated a school health approach that combines the fields of health, public health, education and school health to improving learning and health in our nations school. There has always been a link to health and learning ability. To find out more information on this initiative check out the links below! Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child WSCC fact sheet

Camp Carousel has now posted their 2016 summer dates: Camp Carousel will be held from Monday July 18 through July 22. Most of us have heard of Camp Carousel and refer our students and their families there when they have lost a loved one, or are grieving the death of a loved one. If you have not heard of it Camp Carousel it is offered through the Hospice and Palliative Care Center in Winston Salem. It is an annual week long retreat for children (6 and up), teens and adults. The camp utilizes a multitude of therapies to assist those in coping with the loss of a loved one. We are fortunate to have such a great resource locally. Several aspects of HPCC’s Camp Carousel—in addition to its longevity—make it unique:  Camp Carousel is open to children (rising first graders through rising high school seniors), teens, and adults who are mourning the death of a loved one. Camp Carousel is offered throughout the course of an entire week, giving participants the opportunity to “practice”...

http://hospicecarecenter.org/events/camp-carousel-2015 I'm re-posting this blog I wrote last year about Camp Carousel.  This year's camp will be held July 27, 2015 through July 31, 2015.  As you will read in my post, it is a special camp for children dealing with grief and loss.   by Angela Smith, School Psychologist This is the time of year parents start thinking about summer camps.  As the mother of two active children, I like to plan our summer activities well in advance of the summer months.  In April of 2010, I was doing just that when my father passed away after a valiant six-year battle with cancer.  Although I had tried to prepare myself and my family for his passing, the reality is that you can never truly be ready for that time.  I immediately knew I would be adding Camp Carousel to the list of camps they would be attending that summer.  As a school psychologist with the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools for the pas...

Help the Children's Museum of Winston-Salem celebrate 10 wonderful years of serving the children in our community! Read more about their fun birthday party on Novemeber 20 here: http://childrensmuseumofws.org