Possibilities for Change

How are your LGBTQ+ students doing this week? Crisis prevention hotlines for LGBTQ+ youth have reported a higher-than-normal call volume in the days since the election.  This uptick in calls and messages highlights the ongoing mental health challenges that LGBTQ+ students face — and the need for school professionals to step up with compassionate support and a plan of action. According to the CDC’s latest Youth Risk Behavior Survey: 53% of LGBTQ+ students reported poor mental health most or all of the time, compared to 21% of their heterosexual and cisgender peers 41% seriously considered suicide in the past year, compared to 13% of heterosexual and cisgender students LGBTQ+ students, who make up about a quarter of all high schoolers, are also more likely to have attempted suicide With numbers like these, educators and school health teams are in a position to make a real difference. At Possibilities For Change, we offer age- and risk-targeted screening tools that help professionals identify LGBTQ+ students who may be struggling. ❣️Identify early. Intervene effectively. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of self-harm or suicide, help is available. Call or text 988 to reach the confidential National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

There are a lot of popular behavioral health apps and tools that make it easier for adults to manage health risks. Sunnyside helps with alcohol reduction. MyQuitBuddy helps people quit smoking. Flo provides menstrual cycle and ovulation tracking with prompts related to sexual activity and birth control that support a user’s reproductive health goals. But what about youth? When it comes to challenges like nicotine use and sexual health, youth need evidence-based behavioral support that's designed with them in mind. The Adolescent Counseling Technologies for Nicotine & Tobacco (ACT-NT) and Sexual Health (ACT-SH) are virtual health educator technologies that meet youth where they are. ACT-NT and ACT-SH offer the kind of targeted, youth-centered coaching that guides youth to make healthier choices. It’s easy, it’s quick and it’s effective. Interested in bringing this kind of support to your organization? Take a look at how our Adolescent Counseling Technologies can make a difference.  👇 #YouthHealth #BehavioralHealth #NicotinePrevention #SexualHealth #HealthTech

🔔 ICYMI: Check out our @ the table Summer Series! 🔔 In case you missed it, our @ the table social series offers a FREE 1-pager with question cards designed to spark meaningful conversations between parents, caregivers, and youth at the dinner table. 🍽️ These open-ended question starters cover topics that are important to youth, helping to strengthen communication and build stronger connections at home. 🏡 Don't miss out on this great resource—grab your copy right here and bring powerful conversations to your dinner table! 👉 https://lnkd.in/gawWb2Tw #FamilyConversations #ReducingYouthRisk #Youth #Teens #Tweens #AtTheTable #ParentingTips #YouthCommunication

🏅 Happy National Youth Sports Month! 🏅 This October, we’re celebrating all the fun, excitement, and life lessons that come with youth sports! ⚽🏀🏐 🎾🚲🏈 Whether it’s scoring goals, hitting home runs, or going for a hike with friends, sports teach teamwork, discipline, and resilience—all while keeping youth active and healthy. Physical activity is KEY for wellbeing and helps build strong, healthy habits that last a lifetime. So, let’s take a trip down memory lane... #NationalYouthSportsMonth #YouthSports #StayActive #HealthyLiving

📚 Student Wellbeing: Strategic Planning and Proactive Tools to Combat Bullying and Violence Creating a safe and supportive environment is essential for students to thrive—but it’s not always easy to know where to start. In our latest blog, we explore how schools can meaningfully support student wellbeing by implementing strategic anti-bullying initiatives and using tools like RAAPS and technology like ΛDΛM to identify at-risk students. 🛠️ Here’s what you’ll find: - How strategic wellbeing initiatives are reshaping school culture - Practical anti-bullying strategies that work - The role of screening tools in predicting and preventing school violence With proactive strategies, we can make a difference. Learn how your school can create a safer space for students to learn and grow. 👉 https://lnkd.in/euvA7iBz #K12 #StudentWellbeing #SchoolSafety #BullyingPrevention #EarlyIdentification #SchoolViolence #MentalHealth

🔍 Why Screening Youth for Domestic Violence Risk Factors Matters 🔍 Did you know that youth who live in homes where domestic violence occurs are at higher risk for mental health challenges, substance abuse, and even perpetuating violence in their own relationships? By proactively screening youth for risk factors, we can identify early warning signs, intervene sooner, and support healthier outcomes. Schools, healthcare professionals, and community organizations all play a key role in creating safe spaces for youth to share their experiences. At Possibilities For Change, we offer multiple screening tools that include specific questions asking youth about safety in their home and community, making it easier for trusted adults to provide the right support at the right time. 👉 Learn more about how these tools can help you screen for risk factors and promote safety: https://lnkd.in/gnGr5Ugk #DomesticViolencePrevention #ScreeningTools #PossibilitiesForChange #YouthMentalHealth #YouthSafety 

We’re excited to announce that we have two new exceptional products in the ETR Store!     Check out Cracking the Code: Master the Art of Teen Speak Online Course and Motivational Interviewing Training for Empowering Youth (MITEY).    ➡ The Teen Speak Online Course helps strengthen parent-teen connection to ease the effects of teen risks and harmful childhood experiences. In just five minutes a day, any parent can utilize online micro-learning to understand and embrace their teens while re-enforcing positive behavior outcomes.    ➡ MITEY is an online self-guided, skills-building series of modules on youth development and risk. This standardization of youth risk reduction and coaching allows support staff to feel equipped and confident guiding youth and motivating them towards change.     These offerings are invaluable resources to bridge the communication gap between adults and youth!      Check them out here: https://lnkd.in/gYSR45y3     #YouthHealth #TeenHealth #ProfessionalDevelopment #PublicHealth #RiskReducation #YouthCoaching #Communication  

📖Have you read The Anxious Generation yet? @Jonathan Haidt and team share the research and tell the story behind the rise of Gen Z anxiety and other mental health challenges. He calls the broad shift from the play-based childhood to our current phone-based childhood as the “Great Rewiring of Childhood.” Constant connectivity – in particular smart phone use and social media access for children and tweens – has not been good for youth mental health. At Possibilities for Change, we’re committed to identifying and reducing youth risk, including the harms associated with excessive screen time. Our risk-screening tools help youth-serving professionals identify youth who may be struggling with mental illness or cyberbullying in silence, and utilize evidence-based interventions. If you are a parent or a professional, it’s not too late to steer your youth towards moderate tech use. From modeling healthy connectivity yourself to establishing agreed-upon boundaries (like no phones during mealtime or overnight in the bedrooms, for example), you can help set limits and promote mindfulness. Support offline engagement and encourage youth to get outside, read a book, bake something fun, meet up with a friend – anything. As a family, you can continue to educate yourselves about the impact of excessive social media and smartphone use. But, the real answer to our epidemic of youth mental illness isn’t in one family’s new rules or rhythms around smartphones or screen time, though. It’s a collective action problem that requires a collective response. Check out the book if you haven’t already. It’s eye-opening and inspiring for those of us dedicated to youth wellness, now and in the future. #MentalHealth #GenZ #TechBalance #CollectiveAction #PossibilitiesForChange #ReduceRisk

🚨 Upcoming Webinar Alert! 🚨 Join us on October 2nd at 2pm ET  for our fall webinar: Calm in the Storm: Addressing Youth Anxiety 🌟 This learning session is designed for professionals who work with youth, from ages 8 to young adulthood, and are looking to better understand, identify, and manage anxiety. We'll cover these 3 essential topics: 🔹 Recognizing the signs and symptoms of youth anxiety   🔹 Practical tools to support mental and physical wellbeing, including a brand new ANXIETY TOOLKIT (parent checklist, strategic plan for home, questions to ask, and more!) 🔹 The importance of early screening for effective intervention  If you want to enhance your skills and provide meaningful support to the youth you work with, this is a must-attend event! 👇 Register today. Link in first comment #YouthAnxiety #MentalHealthMatters #Webinar #ProfessionalDevelopment #EarlyIntervention #Wellbeing #AnxietySupport

D - That’s the grade the U.S. earned on the most recent Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth, an assessment that measures the levels of physical activity and sedentary behaviors in American youth along with health outcomes related to physical activity. In the 2022 report, only 21% of U.S. youth ages 6 to 17 met the guideline of 60 minutes of physical activity every day. That’s barely 1 in 5 kids. Yet, research and lived experience tells us over and over: Physical activity not only promotes physical health in the short- and long-term, reducing the risk of obesity and related diseases, it also significantly improves emotional wellness. Active youth are more likely to experience lower levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. Regular exercise also boosts cognitive function, leading to better academic performance and concentration, and instills life skills like teamwork, discipline, and leadership. ⏩⏩We’ve got to get moving!⏩⏩ In the spirit of moving our bodies, let’s take a moment to celebrate the Olympics! We’re watching as much as we possibly can (Personal fav: gymnastics). What about you?