Supporting Our Kids

Highlights

• Introduction | Stacey Dove sets the groundwork with an overview of the challenges facing teenagers when it comes to mental health and getting support.
• 02:54 Roundtable introduction | Drs. Potter, Stevens and Benhalim introduce themselves and share their background in adolescent mental health and their perspectives from working with children, teenagers and families.
• 27:39 Treatment and care options | Beginning with a discussion on how to approach children and teenagers who may be reluctant to receive help, the guests talk through different ways to meet them where they are, plus their advice for parents and other caregivers.

Help and Resources

If your child or teen is taking steps to manage stress and anxiety and they don’t seem to be helping, here are some additional resources.

Mental health screening

Free, private and anonymous mental health screening at: http://mhascreening.org/. Based on the results, MHA will provide information and resources to help.

Crisis hotlines and text lines

Crisis counselors are available every day, all day:

Call 1-800-985-5990

Text TalkWithUs to 66746

If in crisis or thinking about suicide, get in touch with someone immediately:

Call 1-800-273-8255 (TALK) 

Text MHA to 741741

Additional Information

• To break the ice on talking about mental health with children and teenagers, get conversation starters at OptumConversation.com.
• Visit optum.com/behavioralhealth to see how Optum is working to support mental health needs.
• U.S. News and World Report: Fixing the mental health crisis: It takes a community

Guests

Dr. Mona Potter

Chief Medical Officer, InStride Health

Assistant professor of psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, part time

Dr. Jonathan Stevens

Medical Director, Outpatient Services and Admissions, The Menninger Clinic

Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine

Dr. Yusra Benhalim

Senior National Medical Director, Optum Behavioral Health

The views, opinions, and content expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or policies of Optum.

Visit optum.com for more information about how Optum is helping to create a healthier world.