June 9, 2025 Child Mind Institute Provides Resources on Black Families and Youth Mental Health The Child Mind Institute recently released resources centered around mental health issues relating to Black families and youth as part of May’s Mental Health Awareness Month. Barriers to Treatment Many parents face challenges in finding the right therapist for their child, the Child Mind Institute wrote, and this can be particularly difficult for Black parents. A history of misdiagnosis and mistreatment of Black patients in the mental health care system as well as a shortage of Black mental health professionals have all contributed to these challenges. Therefore, the Child Mind Institute wrote, it can be difficult for Black parents to find a provider with whom they can entrust their child’s well-being. The institute’s recent study on the topic explored the views and experiences of Black families and young adults seeking mental health care and identified key barriers to care. Resources The institute’s resources include discussions on the importance of cultural competence in therapy for Black children – such as roadblocks that Black parents face when trying to find the right therapist – and why young Black men are less likely to seek professional care than their female counterparts. The resources include clinical experts, educators, and church leaders talking about ways to support and encourage Black adolescent boys to seek treatment when they need it. Another resource covers how study participants felt that mental health professionals were too quick to prescribe medication and includes clinicians weighing in on how to talk to parents who might be skeptical about medication. The Child Mind Institute’s resources include: Black Parents and the Importance of Cultural Competence in Therapy Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Black Adolescent Boys Why Are Black Parents Concerned About Medication Treatment? Misdiagnosis of Mood Disorders in Black Teenagers Why Do Black Children with Autism Get Diagnosed Late? Getting Family Members on Board with Treatment How to Find a Telehealth Provider for Your Child
June 3, 2025 Kidsburgh Provides Advice on How to Talk to Children About Big Emotions Children often have big emotions or feelings and the challenge can sometimes be getting them to say how they’re feeling. As part of Mental Health Awareness Month, Kidsburgh has provided advice on how to talk about big emotions – whether it’s fear, embarrassment, frustration, or others – with children. Learn More For many toddlers, who are still trying to figure out how to form sentences, expressing emotions or even just tiredness can be difficult, Kidsburgh writes. The article notes that while it may be tempting to react with discipline or distractions when children act out, the root cause could be something else – such as emotional illiteracy. Kidsburgh notes that crayons, clay, music, puppets, or other forms of expression might ultimately help parents to build emotional vocabulary, rather than responding to outbursts with punishment or attempting to distract children from their source of bother. In the article, Dr Aileen Oandasan, an Allegheny Health Network psychiatrist, said that most children begin to learn simple emotion words around age two and this typically grows from ages three to 5. During this span of time, such basic emotions as happy, sad, or mad are “developmentally normal.” However, Oandasan says, emotional vocabulary depends on a variety of factors, including: A child’s temperament and development factors Parental factors, such as social or environmental conditions Reinforcement of emotional vocabulary by teachers and caregivers Oandasan goes on to say that art is an important tool for helping children to develop an emotional vocabulary. Suggested projects include feelings collages, creative art projects (painting, sculpting, or drawing), and play acting through the use of puppets or dolls that involve scenarios featuring emotionally provocative situations. To learn more, read Kidsburgh’s article, “How Do You Feel Today? Advice on Talking Big Emotions with Little Kids.”
May 26, 2025 Child Mind Institute Lists Best Books on Mental Health for Children As part of national Mental Health Awareness Month, the Child Mind Institute has released a list of the best books of 2024 for children that tackle topics relating to mental health. Learn More Clinicians at the Child Mind Institute reviewed more than 60 titles while compiling the list and eventually narrowed it down to 20 books. The books on the list involved storylines or themes that helped children to understand and handle mental health challenges. The list breaks down the books by topics: anxiety, mindfulness, feelings, sadness and depression, OCD, ADHD, autism, eating disorders, and parental addiction. The lists included Anxiety The Worry Monster (Dr. Catherine Cook-Cottone) What to Do When You Worry Too Much (Dawn Huebner, PhD) Invisible Isabel (Sally J. Pla) Unstuck (Barbara Dee) Mindfulness A Tiny Difference (June Tate) Today (Gabi Snyder) Feelings Bea’s Bad Day (Tom Percival) The Hare-Shaped Hole (John Dougherty) My Thoughts Have Wings (Maggie Smith) Cranky (Phuc Tran) A Terrible Place for a Nest (Sara Levine) Sadness and Depression The Cat Who Couldn’t Be Bothered (Jack Kurland) Gray (Laura Dockrill) A Voice in the Storm (Karl James Mountford) OCD The Very Best Me (Marin Canaday) Puzzled (Pan Cooke) ADHD That Always Happens Sometimes (Kiley Frank) Autism Henry and the Something New (Jenn Bailey) Eating Disorders Louder Than Hunger (John Schu) Parental Addiction Breaking Into Sunlight (John Cochran) For the entire list and the descriptions of the books, visit the Child Mind Institute’s website.
April 28, 2025 Resources for May Observances Various organizations, states, and nations recognize a number of observances each month. Resources help parents, caregivers, and child care professionals acknowledge and navigate them. Here is a list of resources for May observances: Month Observances MAY IS NATIONAL FOSTER CARE MONTH Foster and Adoptive Families, Trying Together National Foster Care Month, Child Welfare Information Gateway What to Know About Becoming a Foster Parent in PA, Pennsylvania Statewide Adoption & Permanency Network (SWAN) Top Ten Tips for New Foster Families, Fostering Families Today Ways to Help Foster Children, Adopt US Kids National Foster Care Month, Office of Children & Families in the Courts 5 Things Foster Youth Want All Teachers to Know, We Are Teachers MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH Developmentally Appropriate Parenting Series: Childhood Mental Health, Trying Together Where to Find Mental Health Services for Children and Adolescents in Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh: Youth and Family Research Program May is Mental Health Awareness Month, American Hospital Association Preventing Parent Burnout: Meeting the Emotional Challenges of Caring for Children with Mental Health Issues, The Child Mind Institute Parenting with a Mental Health Condition, Mental Health America 77 Children’s Books About Mental Health, The Child Mind Institute MAY IS ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER MONTH Asian American Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Talking to Kids About Asian American Identity & Racism, Immigrant History Initiative AAPI Books for Kids of All Ages, Chicago Parent 100 Brilliant Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPI) Children’s Books, Imagination Soup Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, History.com MAY IS JEWISH AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH Jewish American Heritage Month, JAHM Jewish American Heritage Month Starts May 1, Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History Jewish American Heritage Month, Britannica Kids Weeks of Recognition MAY 5 – 11 IS CHILDREN’S BOOK WEEK Children’s Book Week Poster and Activity Pages, Every Child a Reader Creative Ways to Celebrate Children’s Book Week, BookTrust 125 Kids Books We Love, New York Public Library MAY 5 – 9 IS NATIONAL TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK This Teacher Appreciation Week Turn Appreciation Into Action, Nea.org 50 Ways to Celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, Waterford Why Teacher Self-Care Matters and How to Practice Self-Care in Your School, Waterford 10 Ways to Celebrate Teachers, National PTA Days of Recognition MAY 8 IS NATIONAL CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS DAY Family-Based Mental Health Services, Community Care Behavioral Health (UPMC) Data and Statistics on Children’s Mental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Children and Mental Health: Is This Just a Stage?, National Institute of Mental Health Teacher’s Guide to Anxiety, The Child Mind Institute MAY 9 IS NATIONAL CHILD CARE PROVIDER APPRECIATION DAY Self-Care Tips for Family Services Professionals and Home Visitors, Head Start ECLKC (Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center) Remember to Take Care of Yourself: Six Ideas for Family Child Care Providers, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Social Media Toolkit, National Association for Family Child Care 75 Staff Appreciation Ideas, Brightwheel Take Action to Fix Child Care and Keep Classrooms Open, Trying Together MAY 11 IS MOTHER’S DAY Celebrate Mother’s Day in Pittsburgh, Visit Pittsburgh 10 Mother’s Day Craft Ideas for Kids, Artful Parent 33 Mother’s Day Preschool Activities: DIY Gift Ideas, Games, and More, Teaching Expertise Developmentally Appropriate Parenting Series: Caring for the Caregiver, Trying Together Find Local Child Care, ELRC Region 5 Mom’s Mental Health Matters, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Working Together to Reduce Black Maternal Mortality, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Maternal Mental Health Hotline: 1-833-943-5746 (1-833-9-HELP4MOMS) MAY 28 IS WORLD HUNGER DAY World Hunger Day 2025, WorldHungerDay.org Hunger & Poverty in America, Food Research and Action Center Child Hunger Keeps Kids from Reaching Their Full Potential, Feeding America Food Resources for Pennsylvanians, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Find Food Guide, Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank Help Stock the Shelves with Twice the Food, Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank
May 16, 2024 Speaking Up: Helping Children with Tourette’s Self Advocate The Child Mind Institute will host a free webinar on May 23 that focuses on how children struggling with mental health challenges and Tourette’s can self advocate. Learn More It is estimated that .06% of children struggle with Tourette’s – and 83% of them live with at least one mental health disorder. As part of Mental Health Awareness Month, the Child Mind Institute is hosting a roundtable with the Tourette Association of America and Fort Health that includes experts and teenagers who are living with Tourette’s. Topics that will be discussed include: The importance of self advocacy for children who struggle with mental health challenges or Tourette’s Strategies to help children advocate for themselves Ways parents and schools can support self advocacy Insights from teens thriving with Tourette’s or other challenges More Details The webinar will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 23. Registration is now open.
April 30, 2024 Resources for May Observances Various organizations, states, and nations recognize a number of observances each month. Resources help parents, caregivers, and child care professionals acknowledge and navigate them. Here is a list of resources for May observances: Month-Observances May is National Foster Care Month Foster and Adoptive Families, Trying Together What to Know About Becoming a Foster Parent in PA, Pennsylvania Statewide Adoption & Permanency Network (SWAN) Top Ten Tips for New Foster Families, Fostering Families Today Parenting Resources for Foster Parents, Child Welfare Information Gateway Ways to Help Foster Children, Adopt US Kids National Foster Care Month 2024, Children’s Bureau 5 Things Foster Youth Want All Teachers to Know, We Are Teachers May is Mental Health Awareness Month Developmentally Appropriate Parenting Series: Childhood Mental Health, Trying Together Where to Find Mental Health Services for Children and Adolescents in Pittsburgh, The University of Pittsburgh: Youth and Family Research Program Mental Health Awareness Month, Community Care Behavioral Health (UPMC) Preventing Parent Burnout: Meeting the Emotional Challenges of Caring for Children with Mental Health Issues, The Child Mind Institute Parenting with a Mental Health Condition, Mental Health America 77 Children’s Books About Mental Health, The Child Mind Institute May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Month Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month – Kids Club, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh DEI Resources: Supporting AAPI Communities, National Head Start Association Talking to Kids About Asian American Identity & Racism, Immigrant History Initiative AAPI Books for Kids of All Ages, Chicago Parent 100 Brilliant Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPI) Children’s Books, Imagination Soup 10 Ways to Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month with Kids & Teenagers, Boys & Girls Club of America May is Jewish American Heritage Month Jewish American Heritage Month Starts May 1, Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History Jewish American Heritage Month, Britannica Kids Weeks of Recognition May 1 – 7 is Children’s Book Week Children’s Book Week Poster and Activity Pages, Every Child a Reader Creative Ways to Celebrate Children’s Book Week, BookTrust 125 Kids Books We Love, New York Public Library May 8 -12 is National Teacher Appreciation Week 10 Ways to Celebrate Teachers, National PTA 50 Ways to Celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, Waterford Teacher Appreciation Week 2024, Scholastic How Can Parents Best Support Teachers? We Asked, Education Week Why Teacher Self-Care Matters and How to Practice Self-Care in Your School, Waterford Days of Recognition May 7 is National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day Family-Based Mental Health Services, Community Care Behavioral Health (UPMC) Data and Statistics on Children’s Mental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Children and Mental Health: Is This Just a Stage?, National Institute of Mental Health Teacher’s Guide to Anxiety, The Child Mind Institute May 12 is National Child Care Provider Appreciation Day Self-Care Tips for Family Services Professionals and Home Visitors, Head Start ECLKC (Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center) Remember to Take Care of Yourself: Six Ideas for Family Child Care Providers, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) 75 Staff Appreciation Ideas, Brightwheel Take Action to Fix Child Care and Keep Classrooms Open, Trying Together May 14 is Mother’s Day Celebrate Mother’s Day in Pittsburgh, Visit Pittsburgh 10 Mother’s Day Craft Ideas for Kids, Artful Parent 33 Mother’s Day Preschool Activities: DIY Gift Ideas, Games, and More, Teaching Expertise Developmentally Appropriate Parenting Series: Caring for the Caregiver, Trying Together Find Local Child Care, ELRC Region 5 Mom’s Mental Health Matters, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development National Maternal Mental Health Hotline: 1-833-943-5746 (1-833-9-HELP4MOMS) Working Together to Reduce Black Maternal Mortality, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) May 28 is World Hunger Day Hunger & Poverty in America, Food Research and Action Center Child Hunger Keeps Kids from Reaching Their Full Potential, Feeding America Food Resources for Pennsylvanians, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Food Resources in Pittsburgh, City of Pittsburgh Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank Walk-In Food Distribution at the Hub, Trying Together
May 11, 2022 Mental Health Awareness Month May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Mental health is the overall wellness of how people think, regulate feelings, and behave. Mental health is important at every stage of life, including childhood. Mental health disorders in children are generally defined as delays or disruptions in developing age-appropriate thinking, behaviors, social skills or regulation of emotions. These disorders can cause distress to children and disrupt their ability to function well at home, in school, or in other social situations. Childhood Mental Health DAP Series As part of the 12-part Developmentally Appropriate Parenting Series, Trying Together highlights several resources to support parents and caregivers who are caring for young children with mental health disorders. Topics include common childhood mental health disorders, children’s books about mental health, the impact of parental mental health on children, and more. Hope Day Block Party Staunton Farm Foundation is hosting a Hope Day Block Party on Saturday, May 21 at The Kingsley Association in East Liberty. The block party will have live performances, education about mental health, free food, and an art exhibit coming from Maine focusing on youth voice. Learn more. Mental Health in Afterschool The National Afterschool Association curated 15 resources to support mental health in all aspects of social and emotional learning in out-of-school-time programs. Mental Health Month Toolkit The theme of Mental Health America’s 2022 Mental Health Month Toolkit is “Back to Basics.” After the last two years of living with the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are realizing that stress, isolation, and uncertainty have taken a toll on their well-being. The toolkit provides information about mental health and what people can do if their mental health is a cause for concern. Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) Consultation Program Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) Consultation is a free resource that supports children’s social- emotional development from birth through age five within early learning programs participating in Keystone STARS. Mental health consultants work with parents and early care and education caregivers to facilitate healthy growth and development for infants and young children. IECMH consultation provides support for parents and childcare professionals who work with children experiencing persistent or puzzling challenges. Learn more.
