Working on a DEI, TIC, or SEL youth initiative? It’s time for a MITEY change in professional development! Motivational Interviewing or “MI” (a combination of communication strategies designed to support self-directed positive behavior change) has been studied extensively and proven to be one of the most effective techniques for...
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We’ve all seen the stats. And they are increasingly alarming. According to a recent JAMA study: major depressive disorder in teens has nearly doubled in the past decade. A situation made so much worse by the pandemic, that the surgeon general just issued a rare public advisory on the...
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Equipping parents for real talks with their tweens & teens October is Let’s Talk Month, encompassing national and statewide initiatives supporting partnerships between families and organizations that serve them to foster open and honest parent-teen conversations. Research shows that parents—the biggest influencers on teen’s decisions—are not talking often or...
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Across the nation students are back-to-school… in person, virtually and every combination in between! Now that we’ve survived the busy, chaotic first few weeks of “The Return” – what’s next? Now is the time to ensure that each valuable interaction you have helps to: Identify youth that are struggling...
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Sure, technology is smart – but can it also be emotionally intelligent? Why are youth willing to share everything on Instagram and SnapChat, or even post videos and Tik-Toks that might be as personal as sexual activity, yet they won’t give truthful answers to doctors, nurses, and educators when...
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Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a well-established communication and coaching method for effectively engaging adults and youth in risk reduction and behavior change discussions. Many times young adults are overlooked in MI discussions, yet MI strategies are a perfect fit for the unique needs of college students. College students are...
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As vaccination rates increase so do the interactions between teens…along with an increase in sexual health risks! We know it’s never easy to engage teens in conversations about sex. And that might be one of the reasons sexual health screening and counseling isn’t provided to 1/3 of youth seeking...
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2021 has public health in the spotlight more than ever. With this year’s National Public Health Week theme of “Advancing Racial Equity,” we wanted to discuss the profound effects discrimination can have on youth. One in five youth will have a serious mental health disorder at some point in...
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One year ago, COVID-19 shut down most of the world and brought public health to center stage. And even now as we start to glimpse the light at the end of the tunnel, we’re only now beginning to see the full physical, mental, and social effects of the pandemic. ...
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Valentine’s Day may have come and gone, but teens’ love of vaping is still going strong. According to the 2020 National Youth Tobacco Survey, 38.9% of current high school e-cigarette users use e-cigarettes on 20 days or more per month, up from 34.2% in 2019. While the dangers of...
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