How To Design A Positive Mental Health Program For Kids & Families
Investing strategically in preventative material is a critical aspect of any mental and emotional health outreach program.
In our 20+ years of experience we’ve found preventative content, especially for younger kids, is often overlooked. In this post we explore how to recognize the resource gaps, and how to get started with a scalable community outreach program.
Investing in kids and families is more important than ever now, and habits are formed when kids are young. Fostering open and honest communication when it comes to their emotional and mental health from the get-go is something that will benefit them in the long run, and you can never begin too early! Prevention is better than cure when it comes to health, and an outreach program is the perfect way to help families start to communicate better when it comes to difficult conversations.
Making the realization.
Have you recently acknowledged that you need to do more for the parents, kids, and extended family members who use your services? Well congrats, that’s the first step! ADHD, behavior problems, anxiety, and depression are the most commonly diagnosed mental disorders in children, and a family outreach program can make a huge difference to their lives.
Key Take-Aways:
9.4% of children aged 2-17 years (approximately 6.1 million) have received an ADHD diagnosis.
7.4% of children aged 3-17 years (approximately 4.5 million) have a diagnosed behavior problem.
7.1% of children aged 3-17 years (approximately 4.4 million) have diagnosed anxiety.
3.2% of children aged 3-17 years (approximately 1.9 million) have diagnosed depression.
Source: The CDC’s U.S. Data and Statistics on Children's Mental Health
Establishing the why.
Figuring out the “why” when it comes to needing a family outreach program will be different for every organization, but it all comes down to the same problem – there are not enough preventative mental health resources out there for kids and their families, specifically for kids under the age of 12. A lot of problems can be solved through a prevention rather than cure type of approach, but there are still things that stop parents and caregivers from having these conversations early on with kids.
They don’t know when or how to start these conversations.
They don’t want to scare kids.
When they think of mental health, the first thing that comes to mind is illness as opposed to wellness.
Generational attitudes and stigmas towards open discussion of mental health.
There are also plenty of challenges that families face when they try to seek out resources to teach kids about mental health and wellness. Yes, there are a lot of solutions these days, but we should always strive to be better and to represent all types of families.
How to build an outreach program that encourages families to talk about mental health
The parent must be the primary change agent. It is best to provide parents with the tools to start conversations about mental health using prompts from everyday life.
Provide guides for parents on approaching conversations about mental health and wellness the right way – through open and honest communication in an age-appropriate manner.
When building your content plan, give kids a chance to ask adults questions if there’s something they don’t understand about what they’re learning.
Tailor your content to age. A three-year-old child has a different understanding than a nine-year-old child in terms of their cognitive level and emotional intelligence – understanding your audience is a vital step.
Look for opportunities in health and wellness instead of illness. In our experience, our clients achieved most success when targeting prevention before cure.
Use technology in a positive way – screen time is at an all-time high for kids, and utilizing it to help kids learn through play will aid in improving multitasking, problem solving and decision making.
Have a plan. With more families going digital, make sure your content has changed with the times. What is your plan to scale up your outreach? Where is your audience, and what is your content up-cycle plan? Do you connect via digital or print touch points? Or both?
The solution is never one-size-fits-all:
Our work with Canada’s First Nations and Inuit Health Branch presented a unique opportunity to create child wellness content teaching healthy lifestyle habits through the lens of Indigenous traditions.
The program was built in collaboration with Indigenous leadership and community insight, and a content plan delivered through youth ambassadors within the community. Kids were provided with age-appropriate content to take home and encouraged to learn through play together with their family.
Community insight and collaboration is essential to creating an impactful outreach program.
Thought starters for your own outreach program
Help kids to build strong and caring relationships.
Kids work together with parents and other family members on our content. Spending time playing mental health themed activities and solving problems helps to strengthen the bond between family members. Having a family member that kids know they can rely on and speak to about mental health concerns plays a huge role in developing their resilience and lets them know they have a trusted adult they can go to when they need help.
Help kids build up their self-esteem and confidence.
When kids solve problems and complete activities, parents are able to recognize their achievements and give them the praise they deserve. This helps boost kids’ confidence and makes them feel good about themselves. When they get answers to the questions they have, it helps them be more accepting and builds emotional intelligence too.
Give parents a one-on-one opportunity to listen to how their child is feeling.
When parents and kids work together on activities, it encourages kids to talk about how they’re feeling, and provides parents the opportunity to tell them it’s okay to feel so-called “negative” emotions like stress, sadness, anger, or fear. A strong outreach program encourages kids to ask questions and voice their concerns with honest and open communication.
Create a safe space for kids to talk.
Providing kids with the opportunity to talk to a parent or caregiver about how they’re feeling gives parents and caregivers a weekly check-in at the same time and place to continue having important conversations around mental health with their kids. If there are family members who struggle with mental illness, it gives kids the opportunity to talk through their feelings about this too.
About Kidzsmart Communications
We believe your content should be more than just another coloring book. Kidzsmart is a creative agency that is is your spokesperson to modern families, and we’re dedicated to contributing to the greater wellbeing of kids.
For over 20 years we’ve worked with the government, healthcare, and educations sectors as well as global brands in the restaurant and hospitality, tourism, and professional sports industries. Our team has the expertise to expand your family outreach, and we have the tools to do it right. Top of feed means top of mind, and we’re dedicated to creating greater family content that makes a meaningful impact on the lives of kids and families!
