Dr. Rappaport will present “Case: School Avoidance” as part of the two-day conference:

As we enter the third year of the pandemic, the impact on our students is increasingly clear but so too are new solutions and approaches. Mental health needs have skyrocketed among youth, and many schools struggle with burned out teachers and administrators, challenging parents and a lack of mental health providers in schools and their communities. We are eager to come together again in person to share successes and challenges on our collective journey through constant uncertainty.

This course will equip participants with up-to-date knowledge and skills to enhance the emotional well-being of children and adolescents at school, as well as the well-being of larger systems and communities. Topics will cover pandemic effects on learning, navigating LGBTQ+ issues, autism & social communication, polyvagal theory, school avoidance, perfectionism and the impacts of prejudice and other traumas. We are excited to also offer an open ‘Doc Roundtable’ to address questions and concerns related to the latest medications, and a powerful lived experience panel on gun violence and youth activism. Participants will leave with practical and timely clinical information and skills based on emerging research, evidence-based practice and innovative learning strategies.

Mental health and health clinicians, educators, school administrators, researchers and others interested in the development and treatment of school-aged children and adolescents will gain updated knowledge and skills via a mix of didactic lectures, case studies, panel discussions and Q&A.

Nancy Rappaport, M.D., will discuss how depression presents in children and teens at home and at school, how to proceed when concerned a student may be suicidal, and how to support youth with depression. This workshop will include an interactive discussion of clinical cases to illustrate key points.

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

During the pandemic, adults who work with children and families have risen to the challenge of finding new ways to connect, cope, and provide comfort and consistency – all while trying to care for themselves and their own families. Dr. Rappaport will discuss how we can nurture resilience in ourselves and in the children in our lives, boosting our, and their, capacity to endure and perhaps even thrive in uncertain and challenging situations. Based on her many years of clinical experience, she will share practical ways to build resilience: maintaining connections, building a meaningful narrative, finding contributory activities, communicating in age-appropriate ways, validating questions and worries, balancing structure and rigidity, and supporting others, particularly those with a history of trauma.

The events of the past year have had varying effects on the physical, emotional, social, and mental health of all family members and those who interact with them. Too many families are feeling the strain of toxic stress which has compounded their daily struggles.

This program is designed to inform the community-at-large, especially parents, families, caregivers and teachers, about the impact the pandemic has had on all of us.

On April 7th our expert panelists will discuss the ongoing disruptions, stressors, and anxieties that kids, parents, and teachers are experiencing during this pandemic. Each speaker will offer answers to pressing questions, suggest tools and techniques to mitigate dysfunction and teach positive responses to stress in the home and academic settings.

Panelists include: Dr. Nancy Rappaport, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Harvard Medical School, speaking on toxic stress; District Attorney Marian Ryan, Middlesex County, reporting on the effects of the pandemic from her justice enforcement perspective and providing support resources; Tammy Bernardi, Prevention Training Specialist at the Children’s Trust, Boston, focusing on child sexual abuse prevention; Koa Goode, LSW Supervisor with Greater Lawrence Community Action Council, addressing effective tools for parenting during stressful times; and Fiona Jensen, Executive Director of Calmer Choice, providing easy meditation tools to promote well-being.

Presented by:
Olivia Moorehead-Slaughter, PhD
Nancy Rappaport, MD
Martha Vibbert, PhD

An interactive panel drawing on the backgrounds and expertise of a clinical psychologist, a pediatric psychologist, and a child psychiatrist, bringing their extensive experience to address the hardships children face while also accentuating practical steps towards building strong partnerships with parents, addressing power differentials, promoting equity, and cultivating empathy.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the complex multifactorial stressors confronting children
2. Identify ways to build strength and capacity in systems of care, in order to foster resilience and address power differentials.
3. Discuss how to increase empathy in parents, children, and providers.

Registration now open!

Given the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic, schools are forced to adapt the ways in which they meet the educational needs as well as to support the emotional wellbeing of students. The course is designed to provide the learner with the evolving understanding of how to recognize the gaps in learning and design appropriate educational interventions. The emphasis is on practical and timely clinical information and skills based on research, including evidence-based practices, and innovative learning strategies. We will use live streaming, electronic Q & A, and other remote learning technologies.