What You Need to Know - Week of February 6th
1. Children's Mental Health
2. Happy Black History Month!
1. Children's Mental Health
Mental health is an extremely important aspect of the developing brain that can alter a child’s potential for growth. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes mental health disorders amongst children as “serious change in the way children typically learn, behave, or handle their emotions.” These changes can cause children to feel distressed and potentially increase problems throughout their day, interfering with school, home, or other activities. The social isolation accompanied by the COVID-19 pandemic has also impacted children's mental health and has led to an increase in acute stress diagnoses and adjustment disorders.
Childhood mental disorders can be treated and managed. If you have concerns about a child, use these resources to help you find a healthcare provider familiar with treatment options:
- Psychologist Locator, a service of the American Psychological Association (APA) Practice Organization.
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist Finder, a research tool by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP).
- Find a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist, a search tool by the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies.
- If you need help finding treatment facilities, visit MentalHealth.gov
For more information about communicating with children and young adults about mental health, check out our article about Youth Mental Health.
2. Happy Black History Month!
Happy National Black History Month! This cultural heritage month started in February 1986 by Black educators and the Black United Students at Kent State University. February was chosen to celebrate Black history and heritage as it is the birth month of two important figures in the history of Black Americans: Abraham Lincoln, who issued the Emancipation Proclamation, and African American abolitionist, author, and orator Frederic Douglass. An important theme in Black history, and the theme of Black History Month in 2023, is Black Resistance. The Association for the Study of African American Life and History states that “ Black people have sought ways to nurture and protect Black lives, and for the autonomy of their physical and intellectual bodies through … voluntary emigration, nonviolence, education, literature, sports, media, and legislation/politics. Black-led institutions and affiliations have lobbied, litigated, legislated, protested, and achieved success.”
We’ve listed some ways to celebrate and remember Black History this month:
- Supporting Black-owned businesses
- There are thousands of Black-owned businesses all throughout Arizona! Check out this website for a directory of Black-owned businesses, including gifts and art, doctors, non-profit organizations, and more!
- Learn about historically important Black figures
- Black Americans have changed the course of history. From scientists, Olympians, lawyers, and more, here are 26 History-Making Black Americans.
- Online panels and discussions
- Check out the official Black History Month website for weekly events throughout February!