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Youth depression & mental health: how can schools make a meaningful difference?

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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We need to talk…with parents!

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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They’re back!

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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Digital Empathy – increasing the “EQ” of your tech talk.

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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Mastering Motivational Interviewing for College Students

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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The birds & the bees are back – take “the talk” to the next level

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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#NPHW: How Screening for SDOH Can Help Advance Racial Equity

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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Risk Screening: Beyond the Pandemic

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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#LoveYourLungs: Helping Teens Quit Nicotine with Virtual Health Coaching

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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Empowering Youth with MITEY Change

Falling asleep on hour long webinars? Video calls becoming a routine exercise in multitasking? Take a quick break with us instead! Just in time for the New Year, we’re excited to offer new 20-minute Brief Opportunity Of Supportive Training (BOOST) speed sessions designed to give you a quick knowledge BOOST, without...

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