Students of all ages continue to struggle with increased mental health issues since the pandemic upended the world. According to a CDC 2021 survey, 42% of adolescent students felt persistently sad and 22% seriously considered attempting suicide. The U.S. Surgeon General has further emphasized the issue’s urgency with his recent report on the youth loneliness crisis. Our children and teens are crying out for help, and those who work with school-aged youth must stay current with the latest knowledge and skills that will enhance the emotional well-being of our students.

This course is designed to meet those needs and offer participants practical strategies with a mix of lecture, case studies, interactive panels and Q&A. Topics will cover resilience, risk assessment related to suicide and extremism, trauma awareness, social justice and immigrant supports; perfectionism, school avoidance and pediatric emergencies; while attending compassionately to ourselves and our colleagues.

Participants will complete the course with practical and timely clinical information and skills based on emerging research, evidence-based practice and innovative learning strategies. And this year we are excited to now offer two options of format: in person or online livestream.

We welcome all mental health and health clinicians, educators, school administrators, researchers, and others interested in the development and treatment of school-aged children and adolescents.

Who Should Attend

• Primary Care Providers
• Specialty Physicians
• Nurses
• Psychologists
• Counselors
• Social Workers
• Family Therapists

In this interactive workshop with Dr. Claire Bogan and Dr. Nancy Rappaport, emotional regulation skills for teens will be presented. These concrete strategies taught in this webinar will be guided by “DBT Skills Manual for Adolescents*” and are designed to support emotion regulation skill development both in school and at home. Resources to support parents/guardians with home practice will be provided during this session.

Presented with Dr. Sarah Goodrum.

More than ever educators recognize the importance of identifying and supporting students experiencing mental or behavioral health challenges.  Dr. Rappaport and Dr. Goodrum will discuss the ways educators can promote a culture of safety in their schools and classrooms by recognizing the warning signs for mental or behavioral health challenges, conducting threat assessments to evaluate and manage students of concern, and sharing information to support the students’ reintegration and success (or prevent any potential decline).

Child and adolescent psychiatrists are increasingly asked to make judgments about student safety and violence prevention in schools. Participants review the current research on assessing student threats, broaden their knowledge base of the safety/threat assessment process, and learn critical information necessary to complete a threat assessment. Topics covered include school violence perception, performing a safety/threat assessment, and developing programs to support students, families, and educators responding to school safety issues. Case discussions and question and answer periods are integral to understanding the level of risk, practicing case formulation, and planning next steps. Participants receive helpful tools and develop skills to assist them in working with schools to gather information, assess student safety, intervene appropriately, and make follow-up recommendations.

Presented with Dr. Sarah Goodrum, Dr. Farah Williams, Dr. Deborah Weisbrot, Dr. Saneliso Masuku, and Dr. Meredith Gansner.

Nancy Rapport, M.D., will discuss what depression may look like in teens at home and at school, how to proceed when concerned a teen may be suicidal, and how to connect with and support teens with depression during the pandemic and beyond. She will also discuss how building resilience in both ourselves and in teens boosts our, and their, capacity to endure and perhaps even thrive during uncertain and challenging times. Her talk is based on her many years of clinical experience and experience translating psychiatric concepts into easy actionable steps for educators and families.

During the pandemic, adults who work with children and families have risen to the challenge of finding new ways to connect, offering practical strategies for coping and thriving, and providing comfort and consistency – all while trying to care for themselves and their own families. Dr. Rappaport will share practical concepts and tools that participants can use to continue this work: maintaining connections, finding contributory activities, communicating in age-appropriate ways, validating questions and worries, balancing structure and rigidity, and supporting those with a history of trauma and challenging home lives. Her suggestions will be based on her many years of clinical experience and experience translating psychiatric concepts into easy actionable steps for educators and families. She will also discuss how taking care of ourselves and building our own resilience allows us to better continue to support children and families and allows us to boost our, and their, capacity to endure and perhaps even thrive during uncertain and challenging times.

Participants will be able to:

1. Describe strategies for connecting with and supporting students, including those with trauma histories and those who are neurodiverse, during the pandemic
2. List strategies for building long-term resilience
3. Describe techniques for addressing children’s worries and anxieties and communicating in age-appropriate ways

Part of the “Thriving After Cancer: Strategies and State of Mind” new survivor webinar series from the Mass General Cancer Center at Newton Wellesley.

Drawing upon my struggles and experiences battling cancer, I’ll explore how connection, community, and nurturing — myself and others — ultimately helped me tap into a creative healing. I’ll also speak to the ways that these lessons helped me navigate the COVID pandemic, acknowledging how unsettling cancer diagnoses can be while celebrating the strength and resilience of those affected by this disease.

Dr. Nancy Rappaport, Child Psychiatrist, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School

Dr. Rappaport will give two talks for the Lincoln-Sudbury schools – one for parents on 5/26 and one for educators on 6/9.

During the pandemic, parents and adults who work with children and families have risen to the challenge of finding new ways to connect, offering practical strategies for coping and thriving, and providing comfort and consistency – all while trying to care for themselves and others. Dr. Rappaport will share practical concepts and tools that participants can use to continue this work: maintaining connections, finding contributory activities, communicating in age-appropriate ways, validating questions and worries, balancing structure and rigidity, and supporting those with a history of trauma and challenging home lives. Her suggestions will be based on her many years of clinical experience and experience translating psychiatric concepts into easy actionable steps for educators and families. She will also discuss how taking care of ourselves and building our own resilience allows us to better continue to support children and families and allows us to boost our, and their, capacity to endure and perhaps even thrive during uncertain and challenging times.

Participants will be able to:

• Describe strategies for connecting with and supporting children, including those with trauma histories and those who are neurodiverse, during the pandemic
• List strategies for building long-term resilience
• Describe techniques for addressing children’s worries and anxieties and communicating in age-appropriate ways