WORLD WIDE SOCIAL MEDIA NEWS STORIES EFFECTIVE CHILDREN !!

SOUTH KOREA WRESTLES WITH INABILITY TO UNPLUG

GAMES AT AN SPORTS CAFE IN SOUL. CONCERN OVER VIDEO GAMES' EFFECTS HAVE LED SOUTH KOREA TO CONSIDER "GAMING DISORDER" AS A DISEASE.

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OC Breaks Ground on First Municipal Mental Health Treatment Campus

Dr. Rick Afable, who leads the nonprofit that will run the Be Well OC mental health campus, speaks during a groundbreaking ceremony for the campus on Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2019.

By Nick Gerda October 17, 2019

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Orange County officials on Wednesday symbolically broke ground on the county’s first mental health treatment campus, celebrating the effort as part of a “seismic” shift from jails and hospitals to treatment for people with mental illnesses.

The campus, known as Be Well OC, is expected to open in January 2021 near where the Santa Ana River meets the 22 freeway in Orange.

“For too long, Orange County has lacked the…resources to treat mental illnesses and substance use disorders,” county Supervisor Andrew Do said at the ceremony.

Many people with mental illnesses “are suffering silently,” he added. “They are living on the street, they are languishing in our jails.”

JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC

Left to right, Mayor Darrell Steinberg of Sacramento, and Board of Supervisors: Lisa Bartlett, Michelle Steel, and Andrew at the Be Well OC Campus Groundbreaking.

The new campus “will be the first visible manifestation of the seismic change that is taking place for mental health and mental well-being in Orange County,” Do said, adding that work to fix the system is “far from over.”

The campus, known as Be Well OC, is being developed by county officials and private sector hospitals and medical providers, which formed a nonprofit called Mind OC to design, build and run the facility. The county bought the property in February 2018 and had the existing building torn down.

Plans call for mental health and drug addiction treatment programs to be available to all county residents, regardless of who their insurance provider is, which officials said would be the first facility in the nation to do so.

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Dr. Rick Afable, who leads the nonprofit that will run the Be Well OC mental health campus,

MENTAL HEALTH BE WELL OC A POSSIBLE MODEL

At groundbreaking in Orange, officials talk about the potential role the specialized healthcare facility will play.

By Theresa Walker

thwalker@scng.com @TellTheresa on Twitter

It’s one thing for local officials to view the Be Well Orange County Regional Mental Health and Wellness Campus as a potential role model of specialized healthcare, something that someday might be emulated around the state.

But that becomes more than hometown boasting when the project gets endorsements from the author of California’s landmark Prop. 63 Mental Health Services Act of 2004, and from the state’s so-called “mental health czar” recently appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Accolades flowed during a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday in Orange to mark the start of construction for the Be Well OC hub on south Anita Drive.

“Be Well OC, you literally are leading the way,” said Sacramento Mayor Darrell Stein-

HEALTH»PAGE4

Officials hold ceremonial shovels of dirt during

a groundbreaking ceremony for the Be Well Orange County Regional Mental Health and Wellness Campus in Orange on Wednesday. Be Well is a public/private partnership that will accept clients regardless of insurance status.

PHOTO BY JEFF GRITCHEN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

The Be Well OC hub will be built along Anita Drive, west of The 57Freeway in Orange.

Health

FROM PAGE 3

berg, chairman of the state commission on Homelessness & Supportive Housing and a longtime advocate of mental health services who, as a state legislator, authored and championed Prop. 63. Steinberg — one of about 20 local, state and federal representatives who spoke Wednesday — noted that he was marking his 60th birthday: “I can’t think of a better birthday gift.”

Moving forward

Joining Steinberg in support of the county’s $40 million public-private initiative was Dr. Tom Insel, a psychiatrist who led the National Institute of Mental Health for more than a decade. In May, Insel was tapped by Newsom to be his special adviser on mental health.

“This is an investment that pays off in so many ways,” said Insel, who in his new role has been visiting different areas of the state to see how they help the mentally ill and homeless populations.

Insel serves as the chair of the Steinberg Institute, a public policy agency founded by Sacramento Mayor Steinberg to focus on mental and behavioral health. Insel also is co-founder of the Silicon Valley mental health care startup Mindstrong.

In speaking to the nearly 200 people gathered beneath a white tent in the middle of the dirt lot where late next year the Be Well campus is expected to open, Insel talked about “the three C’s” that he views as keys to providing mental and behavioral health services: commitment, capacity and compassion.

Commitment from local leadership, he said of Orange County, “is exactly what is happening here” and “is so exciting to see.”

Compassion, according to Insel, is equally important to help people who struggle with mental health challenges: “This is the most disenfranchised and, in many ways, the most difficult and suffering part of our population.”

Former county Supervisor and current state Assemblyman John Moorlach evoked the name of Kelly Thomas, the mentally ill homeless man who died after a 2011 altercation with Fullerton police officers. In the

aftermath of Thomas’ death, Moorlach worked to make Orange County the second county in the state to adopt Laura’s Law, which provides a court process through which adults struggling with serious mental illnesses can be ordered to receive outpatient treatment.

Be Well OC represents another step to helping that population, Moorlach said, calling it an answer to many people’s prayers.

In the eyes of supporters, the county’s initiative is strong and unusual because it will offer centralized mental health services. As a publicprivate entity, Be Well will provide help to all comers, regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay. Supervisor Lisa Bartlett noted that clients could range from homeless people to others with great health insurance, saying “we’re here to serve all of Orange County.”

The 60,000-square-foot facility is expected to house everything from short- and long-term mental health treatment, to psychiatric crisis-stabilization units, residential programs and programs to help people battle substance abuse.

In 2017, the county spent $7.5 million to purchase the land and a nowdemolished office complex. In January, the Board of Supervisors committed another $16.6 million to the Be Well OC partnership that includes the county’s Health Care Agency; CalOptima, the Medi-Cal insurance provider in Orange County; as well as hospital systems Kaiser Permanente, St. Joseph Hoag Health, and St. Jude Medical Center.

The funding includes $11.4 million from CalOptima and $12 million in private dollars from the hospitals.

Mind OC was formed as a nonprofit to coordinate and oversee project construction and delivery of services.

The Anita Street campus, off Orangewood Avenue and not far from where hundreds of homeless people once lived in encampments along the Santa Ana River Trail, will be the first of three planned regional hubs for mental health treatment. The goal is to build similar projects in south and central Orange County.

‘Day of hope’

First District Supervisor

Andrew Do shared the story of a friend, Marry Lue, and her challenge to find help for her son.

“I dedicate today, the day of hope, to Marry Lue and to all of the families struggling with mental health,” Do said at the ceremony. He later described how his friend, who lives in Huntington Beach, at times had to corral her son as he ran naked in the street, fearful he would encounter someone and be arrested. Or worse.

“I was scared to death for him, and for her,” said Do, who added that the son, now in his mid-30s, is stabilized and living in a group home.

But Do and other supervisors faced criticism, including from a federal judge, for stockpiling county money available from the Mental Health Services Act, which generates hundreds of millions of dollars annually from a 1% tax on millionaires. Those purse strings have loosened, including a $90.5 million allocation for permanent supportive housing last year.

But Orange County is not alone in sitting on such funds. A February 2018 state audit showed that many of California’s counties had large reserves of unspent Prop. 63 dollars, something that Steinberg commented on in an interview after the Be Well OC ceremony.

“The needs are tremendous,” he said. “So the money can not sit there.”

Orange County Supervisors Michelle Steel, left, and Doug Chaffee don hard hats for Wednesday’s Be Well OC groundbreaking ceremony.

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SEE MY BOOKS: Two Veteran Teachers Expose How Technology

Mayo Clinic Child and Family Advocacy Center Child abuseAny intentional harm or mistreatment to a child under 18 years old is considered child abuse. Child abuse takes many forms, which often occur at the same time.

Physical abuse. Physical child abuse occurs when a child is purposely physically injured or put at risk of harm by another person.
Sexual abuse. Sexual child abuse is any sexual activity with a child, such as fondling, oral-genital contact, intercourse, exploitation or exposure to child pornography.
Emotional abuse. Emotional child abuse means injuring a child's self-esteem or emotional well-being. It includes verbal and emotional assault — such as continually belittling or berating a child — as well as isolating, ignoring or rejecting a child.
Medical abuse. Medical child abuse occurs when someone gives false information about illness in a child that requires medical attention, putting the child at risk of injury and unnecessary medical care.
Neglect. Child neglect is failure to provide adequate food, shelter, affection, supervision, education, or dental or medical care.

In many cases, child abuse is done by someone the child knows and trusts — often a parent or other relative. If you suspect child abuse, report the abuse to the proper authorities.

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The Crisis in Youth Suicide Too often, suicide attempts and deaths by suicide, especially among the young, become family secrets that are not investigated and dealt with in ways that might protect others from a similar fate.

Dec. 2, 2019
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The death of a child is most parents’ worst nightmare, one made even worse when it is self-inflicted. This very tragedy has become increasingly common among young people in recent years. And adults — parents, teachers, clinicians and politicians — should be asking why and what they can do to prevent it.

In October, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that after a stable period from 2000 to 2007, the rate of suicide among those aged 10 to 24 increased dramatically — by 56 percent — between 2007 and 2017, making suicide the second leading cause of death in this age group, following accidents like car crashes.

“We’re in the middle of a full-blown mental health crisis for adolescents and young adults,” said Jean M. Twenge, research psychologist at San Diego State University and author of the book “iGen,” about mental health trends among those born since 1995. “The evidence is strong and consistent both for symptoms and behavior.”

Along with suicides, since 2011, there’s been nearly a 400 percent increase nationally in suicide attempts by self-poisoning among young people. “Suicide attempts by the young have quadrupled over six years, and that is likely an undercount,” said Henry A. Spiller, director of the Central Ohio Poison Center, who called the trend “devastating.” “These are just the ones that show up in the E.R.”

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Gov.-elect Newsom should heed Californians’ concerns on mental health care- In this Nov. 6, 2018 file photo, Gavin Newsom, addresses an election night crowd to become the 40th governor of California in Los Angeles. With new Democrats set to take over the governor's mansion across the country, the charter school movement may face a shifting political landscape in a number of key states.

By overwhelmingly approving Proposition 2 at the polls last month, Californians have told us enhancing mental health care and preventing homelessness rank as top priorities for legislators and Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom. With $2 billion in new annual funding now available, voters expect action from the new governor and lawmakers.

At the State Capitol, mental health reform is a nonpartisan issue. Legislators on both sides of the aisle are keenly aware that 75 percent of Californians with mental health needs either receive inadequate or no mental health treatment at all.

But several meaningful bills to increase access to mental health treatment and counseling have died on the desk of Gov. Jerry Brown. Among them, Senate Bill 906, which I authored to address the shortage of mental health providers by certifying peer providers with lived experience of mental illness or substance use disorders to help patients navigate the health system.

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What Is Child Abuse and Neglect? Recognizing the Signs

Emotional abuse (or psychological abuse) is a pattern of behavior that impairs a child’s emotional development or sense of self-worth. This may include constant criticism, threats, or rejection as well as withholding love, support, or guidance. Emotional abuse is often difficult to prove, and, therefore, child protective services may not be able to intervene without evidence of harm or mental injury to the child (Prevent Child Abuse America, 2016).

FED CAPTA 2010 What Is Child Abuse and Neglect Recognizing the Signs and Symptomswhatiscan (pdf)Download

SCR 73 Establishes October 10th as Blue Light Awareness

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PLEASE NOTICE BRIGHT SCREENS NO PROTECTIONS TO A CHILD'S EYES.

Dr. Richard Pan’s SCR 73 Establishes October 10th as Blue Light Awareness Day in California

More research shows the long-term health concerns associated with cumulative blue light exposure from our electronic screen devises; October 10th is also World Sight Day

October 9, 2019

SACRAMENTO – With more than 80 million electronic devices with digital screens in the state of California, and average screen time exceeding 9 hours per day, exposure to blue light has become a serious concern for public health. Dr. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento), Chair of the Senate Health Committee kicks off Blue Light Awareness Day by speaking to the health hazards posed by extended exposure to blue light from digital devices, in conjunction with World Sight Day.

“The impact of high energy blue light emissions on children is a significant health concern,” said Dr. Richard Pan, pediatrician and State Senator. “The resolution, passed by unanimous and bi-partisan support in both the Senate and Assembly, demonstrates that when it comes to protecting public health and educating around emerging health concerns, California will take the lead.”

Study: Limiting screen time to 30 minutes a day can reduce depression, loneliness

T. GEORGE — A recent study has found that limiting social media use to around 30 minutes per day can reduce loneliness and depression and improve personal well-being.

The study was performed by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, in which 143 undergraduates aged 18-22 were randomly placed into one of two control groups for three weeks, the first limited their time using Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram to no more than 30 minutes per day, or 10 minutes per platform, while the other group used their social media accounts as usual.

At the start of the study, participants were surveyed to determine their mood and well-being and shared a week’s worth of screenshots of their iPhone battery levels to help determine their typical use. Throughout the three weeks, they would send in additional battery level screenshots for researchers to tally. After the three weeks were up, participants were again surveyed and asked questions about their mental state.

At the end of the survey, those who limited their time on social media showed a significant decrease in depression and loneliness overall. This was especially pronounced for those who were more depressed at the beginning of the study.

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Is your teen’s mental health deteriorating due to social media? This Utah man wants to help

T. GEORGE — What started out as creating a parody Instagram account has led one Utah man to share his message with teenagers all over the country. His message: Social media is destroying kids.

Pleasant Grove resident Collin Kartchner, known for his nationwide movement called #SavetheKids, created a parody Instagram account more than a year ago to make fun of the social media platform and make people aware of how it has created what he called a “society of toxic perfectionism.”

Kartchner started speaking at schools after crossing paths at a gas station with a woman his wife used to work with. He said she looked miserable and informed him that her daughter, Whitney, died from a drug overdose.

“She told me the story in this gas station, and she said, ‘It all started because I gave her a phone when she was 14,'” he told St. George News.

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St. George man enters plea following child sexual exploitation sting

Is your teen’s mental health deteriorating due to social media? This Utah man wants to help

T. GEORGE — A St. George man has pleaded guilty to a charge of enticing a minor stemming from an online sting operation conducted by federal agents earlier this year.

On Thursday, 40-year-old John Russell Potter appeared in 5th District Court where he pleaded guilty to one second-degree felony count of enticing a minor by internet or text.

In March, Potter was one of five suspects arrested after agents posing as juveniles on social media platforms made arrangements to meet up with the suspects. All of the men showed up at various locations in St. George where they thought they would be meeting children age 12-13 for sexual acts, according to probable cause statements filed in support of the arrests.

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Safe walking and biking to school teaches critical social skills.

Is your teen’s mental health deteriorating due to social media? This Utah man wants to help

St. George Bicycle Collective secures funding for after-school bike workshop

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes Utah program (formerly known as SNAP) started the Spring Walk More in Four Challenge, which encourages students K-8 to walk and bike safely to and from school from now through May 3.

Participating students will be entered to win bikes, scooters, helmets and more from a prize pool worth $3,000, according to a press release from UDOT. Scooters were donated by Exooter. The more students walk or bike to school, the greater their chance of winning.

To qualify for prizes, children need to:

Walk or bike safely.
Track walking or biking using the progress chart found at the Safe Routes website.
Submit progress chart between May 3-8.

“With spring’s arrival, this challenge is a fun reminder for children to enjoy walking or biking safely to and from school,” Kristen Hoschouer, UDOT’s Safe Routes Utah program manager, said in the press release. “There are so many benefits for such a simple task.”

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St. George Bicycle Collective secures funding for after-school bike workshop

Mean-spirited messages, but no evidence of bullying found in death of 10-year-old Santa Ana girl

St. George Bicycle Collective secures funding for after-school bike workshop

T. GEORGE — In hopes of keeping young people active, healthy and engaged, the Healthy Dixie Council and Southern Utah Bicycle Alliance have awarded grants to the St. George Bicycle Collective.

The collective will use the donated funds to help implement an after-school bike workshop program designed to encourage active lifestyles and teach children how to maintain their bikes. Kids will receive a free bike if they cannot afford one after completing the workshop.

The nonprofit collective, which works to provide affordable, refurbished bicycles to kids and low-income households through community donations, opened its new location on St. George Boulevard in October.

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Ride safe, how to build bikes, how to maintain bikes and it also provides

Mean-spirited messages, but no evidence of bullying found in death of 10-year-old Santa Ana girl

Affordable bikes available to all at newly opened Bicycle Collective.

The nonprofit bike shop works to provide affordable, refurbished bicycles to kids and low-income households through community donations. Bicycle Collective board member Danielle Larkin started the program two years ago as the “Bike Kitchen” in an effort to secure transportation for homeless individuals.

“I really believe in active transportation and sustainability,” Larkin said, “and so for me, to actually have this come to fruition has just been unbelievable to watch.”

Larkin and several other volunteers ran the program out of a temporary space in the city’s industrial park before moving to the new location at 70 “It will also help educate people on how to ride safe, how to build bikes, how to maintain bikes and it also provides a lot of education and other programs.”

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Mean-spirited messages, but no evidence of bullying found in death of 10-year-old Santa Ana girl

Police investigating the suspected suicide of a 10-year-old Santa Ana girl found several mean-spirited posts in a social media group she participated in, but nothing that rose to the level of bullying, officials said Wednesday, Oct. 23.

Relatives identified Allison Wendel as the Hazard Elementary School student who died in what police called an apparent suicide on Sunday, Oct. 13.The girl’s sister found her body at their home on the 1500 block of North Newhope Street.

Suspicions that the child had possibly taken her own life, and that bullying might have played a role in the tragedy prompted officials to launch an investigation.

Detectives interviewed more than 50 students, 30 adult staff as well as the family and friends of those possibly linked to the girl’s death, police and Garden Grove Unified School District officials said in statements Wednesday. Investigators also examined her online interactions and electronic devices, reviewing over 2,500 social media posts and videos, and found no evidence of criminal conduct.

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GREATER EFFORT IS NEEDED BRING AWARENESS ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA

CALIFORNIA 1 IN 5 HIGH SCHOOLERS CONTEMPLATESSUICIDE

A mother's warning: If you have white teen sons, listen up ...

1 in 5 California high schoolers who responded to a state survey say they have considered suicide, analysis shows

About 70% of California’s public school districts give students the California School Climate, Health, and Learning Surveys

About one in five California students surveyed by their school districts have thought about killing themselves, according to a new analysis by the Southern California News Group.

But not every school district asks students about whether they’re considering suicide, including two Southern California districts where students have killed themselves in recent years. Districts that obtain the information, however, and then act on it, report a reduction in suicide ideation rates.

“What happens in the classroom and on the playground matters,” said Avi Astor, a professor of social welfare at UCLA. “How students are treated between themselves and by teachers, it matters. … A lot of times it has to do with how they feel in the class or how the students or teachers react to them.”

State in line with national trends

Astor co-authored a study published last year in the Journal of Pediatrics examining data from the California School Climate, Health, and Learning Surveys, which are given to about 70% of students in the state’s 1,026 public school districts.

The surveys, known as CalSCHLS in educational circles, ask students about drug use, bullying, whether they’ve seen a weapon on campus, and more. Districts are required to gather data on school climate as part of California’s 2013 shake-up of educational funding. But there is no mandate that the CalSCHLS surveys be used in that process. In districts where CalSCHLS surveys are used, the state Department of Education and San Francisco-based WestEd distributes and tabulates the results.

One of the CalSCHLS surveys, given only to ninth- and 11th-graders as well as students in non-traditional high schools, asks students if they’ve seriously considered killing themselves in the past 12 months.

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A mother's warning: If you have white teen sons, listen up ...

Los Angeles (CNN)Joanna Schroeder has a warning for parents of teen and tween white boys: If you don't pay attention to their online lives, the white supremacists will.

"They've studied the way that our young men interact online, and they have looked at what these boys need," she said. "And they have learned how to fill those needs in order to entice them into propaganda."That's what she found when she asked her own teenager if they could go through some of his social media together."He was scrolling quickly, really quickly," she said. "It was so fast, and he slowed down, and I saw an image of Hitler and I stopped him, and I said, 'Wait, is that Hitler?'"It was. A meme depicting Hitler and implying a time traveler would have tipped him off about the future to keep him alive had popped into the boy's Instagram suggestions."I know my kids understand Hitler, but as I scrolled through his [social media] I saw more memes that joked about the Holocaust and joked about slavery," Schroeder said. The impact, she said, seemed to be "desensitizing our kids to things we should be sensitive to."

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National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

A mother's warning: If you have white teen sons, listen up ...

Schools engage with youths who consider taking their own lives

We can all help prevent suicide. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.

1-800-273-8255

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We're committed to improving crisis services and advancing suicide prevention by empowering individuals, advancing professional best practices, and building awareness.

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Schools engage with youths who consider taking their own lives

Early Mental Health Initiative provide students in grades TK-3 with positive, one-on-one attention

Schools engage with youths who consider taking their own lives

Success stories:

Schools engage with youths who consider taking their own lives

By Beau Yarbrough

byarbrough@scng.com @LBY3 on Twitter

It takes a village to lower the number of young people who think about killing themselves, according to educators whose school districts have dramatically reduced suicide ideation rates among their student

populations.

In four such school districts in Southern California, the number of students who contemplated suicide fell dramatically when the districts partnered with local government agencies and nonprofits to educate students, their teachers and others on campuses about warning signs and how to help those in crisis.

DISTRICTS » PAGE 8

Districts

FROM PAGE 1

About 70% of the state’s 1,026 school districts give their students the California School Climate, Health, and Learning Surveys, which are meant to gauge how many ninth and 11th graders and students in nontraditional high schools have considered suicide, as well as poll their experiences with drugs, bullying, whether they’ve seen a weapon on campus, and more.

San Francisco-based WestEd, which distributes and tabulates the CalSCHLS surveys, does not make sitelevel data available to the public or media. A Southern California News Group analysis, which averaged district-level data from 2013-14 through the 201617 school years, showed that about 18% of students surveyed had expressed suicidal thoughts.

Four school districts stood out in the SCNG analysis, showing drops in suicidal ideation rates among students in the same graduating classes over the fouryear period.

Spotting a trend

Social media plays a role in the rise and fall of suicidal thoughts, educators in Lake Elsinore Unified School District found.

Over the four school years analyzed, an average of 20% of the students surveyed in the Riverside County district reported they had thought about killing themselves.

In the 2013-14 school year, 25% of freshmen reported having suicidal thoughts. That number dropped by 6 percentage points two years later, when the same students were surveyed as juniors. Then, 19% reported they had considered suicide.

“About three years ago, we were dealing with much more volume of social media attacks on students and threats, and these were the things that caused greater disruption to the classroom environment, and we as a district had to pay more attention to social media,” said district spokesman Mark Griggs.

“Fast-forward three or four years,” he said, “and we have much more support on the ground for social-emotional support.” Lake Elsinore now has specialists available to work at all grade levels, from kindergarten through 12th grade, and intervene with students who need help. The district also developed a program to help students who have behavioral problems or have trouble focusing, but who aren’t covered by a traditional individualized education program, or IEP.

“We believe in investing in the wellness of students as much as equipping the classrooms with the latest teaching technology,” Griggs said. “We’re training more of our instructors to be the partner who recognizes signals and problems and can call in the specialist.”

Making an investment

“They have demonstrated a greater awareness of issues that adults may not be aware of,” Estrada said. “They’re more likely to report their concerns to a trusted adult.”

To address issues that can contribute to mental health problems, the district opened a family resource center, providing food to families that aren’t getting enough and offering an eye care

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Early Mental Health Initiative provide students in grades TK-3 with positive, one-on-one attention

About the program

The Rowland Unified School District provides the Early Mental Health Initiative program at ten elementary schools in the district. Some schools refer to it as PIP, STEPS, or SHIPS, but at its core the program focuses on helping children adjust to school. EMHI paraprofessionals, under the guidance of an elementary counselor, provide students in grades TK-3 with positive, one-on-one attention which helps them feel good about themselves, builds their self-esteem and helps make for a good start in the elementary school years. Each student spends 30 minutes in the activity room with a trained adult paraprofessional one day a week for about twelve sessions. Sessions are spent with small groups of 2 to 3 students. The sessions consists of lessons teaching classroom skills, friendships, empathy, anger management and coping, aimed at developing more socially competent students.

Trained Adult Aide

Trained adult aides are carefully selected to offer children a supportive caring relationship and how to listen and communicate with children. They respect and value children and are motivated to help children adjust to school as well as possible. They teach lessons that help children strengthen social skills.

How are children selected?

All children in Transitional Kindergarten through 3rd grade in RUSD schools are eligible. Teachers identify children who would most benefit from this program.

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Teens aren't socializing in the real world. And that's making them super lonely

Early Mental Health Initiative provide students in grades TK-3 with positive, one-on-one attention

Teens whose face time with friends is mostly on their phones are the loneliest of all, but even those who mix real-world socializing with social media still are increasingly isolated, a report out Wednesday shows.

Loneliness isn't just an age thing; it's generational, says the author of the study, San Diego State University psychology professor Jean Twenge. The percent of high school seniors who said they often felt lonely increased from 26 percent in 2012 to 39 percent in 2017.

The number of 12th graders who said they often felt left out also increased, from 30 percent in 2012 to 38 percent in 2017.

The data and study, published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, are from nationally representative surveys of 8.2 million U.S. adolescents between 1976 and 2017.

The study comes as the topic of loneliness gains considerable interest in the health care field because of its link to mental and physical health, as well as life expectancy.

Research out last year from the insurer Cigna found teens reported being loneliest, but it wasn't clear whether that was due to age or being from a different generation.

"We find it is a generational difference, since loneliness increased among teens 2012 to 2017," says Twenge, who is also the author of "iGen: Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy--and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood."

Rob Agnello of Grand Island, N.Y. is shown with his daughter, 14, who died by suicide in December 2015.

The increase in loneliness might be due to how teens spend their leisure time, Twenge says. When compared to teens in earlier decades, Gen Z are less likely to "get together with friends in person, go to parties, go out with friends, date, ride in cars for fun, go to shopping malls, or go to the movies," she reported.

More:Generation Z predicts the future: America's kids explain love, marriage and gender roles

'A lot of time alone'

Rebecca Agnello of Grand Island, New York, was "alone in her suffering" when she died by suicide at 14 in December 2015. Her father, Rob, says there is no "one cause" that led his daughter to take her life though he believes social media played a role.

"With social media, there’s an appearance of having all this closeness, but we have a lot of time alone," he says.

Agnello cites the book "A Mind at Home with Itself," by the author Byron Katie, which he said helped him get through the grieving process. It wouldn't resonate as much for teenagers, he says.

The latest book by Jean Twenge, author of the new study on teens and loneliness.

"At that age, they can't really process the mind being at home with itself," he says. For Rebecca, who had a good group of friends, "sitting with her phone and people not getting back to her," was particularly painful, he says.

Other statistics from Twenge's study:

• In the late 1970s, 52 percent of 12th graders said they got together with their friends almost every day but, by 2017, only 28 percent did.

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• In 2017, teens got together with their friends 68 fewer times a year than they did in the early 1990s and high school seniors went out on dates 32 fewer times a year.

• Gen Z 10th graders went to approximately 17 fewer parties a year than Gen X 10th graders did.

The perils of social isolation

As a heartthrob for those of Gen Z and older, musician Nick Jonas might seem an unlikely spokesman on the perils of social isolation, but he is doing so for Cigna. In a recent interview, he said balancing Type 1 diabetes with the challenges of his new solo career several years ago was difficult but not as hard as it might have been.

"I was really lucky to have my brothers, my family and my touring family," said Jonas, who recently resumed performing with his brothers. "I never felt that sense of real loneliness."

Nick Jonas appears at Cigna's Health Improvement Tour at Evolve on March 07, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.

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AS FOUNDER OF P.D.D.C. DEDICATING THIS WEBSITE FOR FAMILIES

Spike in Children’s Mental Health Hospitalizations Draws Silence From OC Supervisors

Why does Utah have a high suicide rate? A researcher is starting a years-long search for answers.

An ambulance is loaded with equipment next to the Hoag emergency room entrance.

By NICK GERDA October 22, 2019

Orange County’s top elected officials had no comment Tuesday as they were officially alerted to a dramatic spike in local children trying to kill themselves.

The rate of teens and pre-teens hospitalized for intentional self-harm injuries grew 32 percent between 2010 and 2017, the most recent available year of data, according to the annual Conditions of Children in Orange County report.

The rate at which children were hospitalized for serious mental illnesses rose 87 percent from 2008 to 2017, according to the report.

Additionally, the report noted a 76 percent jump in children living in insecure housing over the past nine years – defined as “living unsheltered or in motels, shelters, parks and doubling- or tripling-up in a home.”

In past years, supervisors have publicly discussed the annual report when it was presented to them.

The new report was on supervisors’ agenda for their regularly-scheduled meeting Tuesday as an item to receive and file. Supervisors opted to not discuss it publicly.

In 2017 alone, Orange County teens and pre-teens went to the emergency room 861 times for injuries caused by self-harm, according to the report.

Orange County has long faced a severe shortage of psychiatric beds, particularly for children, prompting many children to end up in emergency rooms that are less prepared to treat mental health crises.

Click here to read our full article about the new report.

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Why does Utah have a high suicide rate? A researcher is starting a years-long search for answers.

Published: April 8, 2018
Updated: April 09, 2018

When you visit a mother to learn about her child’s suicide, expect to stay awhile. Expect to be asked if you want to visit his room. Or flip through his book of baby pictures. Or see his soccer trophy, which you notice looks identical to your son’s soccer trophy.

“She starts crying, and you start crying,” said University of Utah psychiatrist Doug Gray, recalling his interviews with families whose children have died by suicide.

The conversations were part of Gray’s research into why the number of Utah youths dying by suicide was increasing in the late 1990s. He and other researchers created psychological autopsies for 49 teenagers and young adults, asking relatives, friends and others about the adolescents’ lives and what may have stopped them from getting help.

The project led to successful experiments that improved the mental health of boys at risk in 3rd District Court and are still seen by experts as a visionary approach to preventing youth suicides. But when a federal grant paying for the program expired, Utah abandoned it.

Twenty years later, suicide is the leading cause of death for Utah youths ages 10 to 17. The state’s suicide rate for all ages is more than 60 percent above the national average. The state needs a better approach to prevention.

To help design it, a new researcher will soon begin interviews for hundreds of new psychological autopsies.

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OC Health Care Agency releases reports on suicide deaths By: courtesy On: November 3, 2019

Why does Utah have a high suicide rate? A researcher is starting a years-long search for answers.

OC Health Care Agency releases reports on suicide deaths By: courtesy On: November 3, 2019

The OC Health Care Agency (HCA) today released the “2014 – 2018 Suicide Deaths in Orange County, California” report, available online at www.ochealthinfo.com/suicidereport, which analyzes data sourced from the State of California’s Department of Public Health Death Statistical Master File and Vital Records Business Intelligence System.

Orange County tends to have lower suicide rates compared to the nation and state of California; in fact, it has never exceeded national rate of suicide death for the past two decades. “Orange County is truly a county that cares,” said Chairwoman Lisa Bartlett, Fifth District Supervisor. “The Be Well OC Suicide Prevention Leadership Committee has been meeting monthly to discuss suicide prevention priorities in OC in addition to aligning and expanding current efforts. We want every Orange County resident to know there are resources available and exactly how to receive help — because with help, there is hope.”

An average of 330 OC residents have died by suicide each year over the past five years. Most suicidal people show some signs that they are thinking about suicide. You can learn the warning signs at www.ochealthinfo.com/suicideprevention to be prepared to step in and speak up.

OC’s suicide rate has been steadily increasing about 1.3 percent per year since 2000, and reached an all-time high of 10.8 suicide deaths per 100,000 population in 2018. “Suicide is a serious public health problem that requires everyone to take action,” said Supervisor Andrew Do, First District, who has focused on reforming the County’s mental health system. “If you are thinking about suicide, you’re not alone. Help is out there. It’s free, completely confidential, and available 24/7.”

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#SaveTheKids packs Snow Canyon High: ‘Most important app for your child is you’

Board of Supervisors to Consider $1.4 Million Agreement for Behavioral Health Training Services

OC Health Care Agency releases reports on suicide deaths By: courtesy On: November 3, 2019

ST. GEORGE — “How social media is destroying our kids” was the topic presented during an event attended by more than 1,000 Thursday night, where an internet crusader offered parents a lifeline to guard children against social media’s culture of perfection, and to empower parents in the battle to save their children from social engineering.

The event, which took place in a packed auditorium at Snow Canyon High School, featured Collin Kartchner and Katey MacPherson of #SaveTheKids, an organization created to save children and teens from the destructive impact that social media can have on their self-esteem and mental health, while helping parents to reconnect with their kids.

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Board of Supervisors to Consider $1.4 Million Agreement for Behavioral Health Training Services

PLEASE NOTE THE CHILD IS BEING EXPOSED TO BLUE LIGHT CA SCR 73 CALLING FOR AWARENESS HARM TO EYES,SCREEN TIME LEADS TO SUICIDES,ADHD,SLEEP ISSUES.

The Orange County Board of Supervisors is set to vote Nov. 5 on a $1.4 million, nearly three-year agreement for behavioral health training services for community members working in various fields throughout the county.

The Health Care Agency began developing a new program after receiving feedback at community engagement meetings held from August through September 2018. This feedback indicated a need for increased understanding of behavioral health issues in the general population.

The agreement is between the Health Care Agency and Western Youth Services, a Laguna Hills-based nonprofit organization providing mental health services to youth.

The goal of the program is to provide behavioral health training services, such as mental health first aid, across Orange County through online and in-person instruction.

The trainings seek to benefit both youth and adults with symptoms of mental health disorders and will be open to the general public. Trainings also will target non-clinical providers, as well as clinical ones.

The instruction will cover mental health first aid for youth and adults, recognizing symptoms of mental health disorders, working with diverse populations, and behavioral health. The nonprofit’s website will promote these trainings.

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I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.

Board of Supervisors to Consider $1.4 Million Agreement for Behavioral Health Training Services

I salute the man who is going through life always helpful, knowing no fear, and to whom aggressiveness and resentment are alien. Albert Einstein

CALIF AB 272 SMART PHONE REPEAL NO SMART TECH ONLY FLIP PH

Dr. Bruce Hensel, former TV correspondenPACIFIC PALISADES, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Dr. Bruce M. Hensel, a former longtime medical correspondent for KNBC in Los Angeles, was arrested Wednesday morning on suspicion of asking a 9-year-old girl to send him sexually suggestive pictures, authorities said. Hensel, 71, was taken into custody about 10:15 a.m. by investigators from the Los Angeles Police Department's Juvenile Division,

Dr. Bruce Hensel discusses removing the stigma of mental illness while participating in a panel at the Museum Of Tolerance in Los Angeles on Feb. 6, 2013. PACIFIC PALISADES, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Dr. Bruce M. Hensel, a former longtime medical correspondent for KNBC in Los Angeles, was arrested Wednesday morning on suspicion of asking a 9-year-old girl to send him sexually suggestive pictures, authorities said.

Hensel, 71, was taken into custody about 10:15 a.m. by investigators from the Los Angeles Police Department's Juvenile Division, a spokesperson for the agency said. He was released later in the day after posting $5,000 bail.

He was seen leaving the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown L.A., where he dodged questions from Eyewitness News reporter Eileen Frere and quickly scurried into a car before driving away.

In a statement, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said Hensel was charged with one felony count of contact with a minor for sexual purposes.

Hensel allegedly requested the images from the daughter of an acquaintance through a messaging app on or about Aug. 4, said Deputy District Attorney Angela Brunson of the DA's Cyber Crimes Division.

Hensel's attorney, Steve Sitkoff, released the following statement: "Dr. Hensel is completely innocent of the charge. We are cooperating with the authorities and look forward to a speedy and complete exoneration."

On Oct. 16, members of the Los Angeles Regional Internet Crime Against Children Task Force served a search warrant at Hensel's home in Pacific Palisades.

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When Your Teen Won’t Stop Sexting Here are seven ways parents can deter teens from sending sexually explicit photos and videos.

Sexting is all about conveniently connecting intimately – sharing sexual material, such as a picture or video, via mobile device or through a social networking app – and it's not just adults who are doing it. Teens are also sexting.

While adults are more likely to sext than teens, studies indicate that between 7 and 28 percent of adolescents sext. In fact, research from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston suggests that sexting may become a normal part of adolescent sexual development. In the past, sexual development was much more discreet. But now with about three-quarters of the adolescent population having access to a cell phone, according to the Pew Research Center, parents must be vigilant in protecting their youth from online dangers. That includes addressing sexting behaviors.

Parents don’t have to be technologically proficient to talk with their teens about sexting. In fact, the conversation shouldn’t be about technology. Rather discussions should be centered around values, expectations, appropriate online behavior, online privacy and good decision-making. As sexting becomes increasingly common, these conversations need to occur sooner rather than later.

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Dr. Bruce Hensel, former TV correspondenDr. Bruce Hensel, a former longtime medical correspondent for NBC4 in Los Angeles, was arrested Wednesday morning on suspicion of contacting a minor with intent to commit sexual acts, authorities said.t, accused of asking 9-year-old to send him sexually suggestive pictures

PACIFIC PALISADES, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Dr. Bruce M. Hensel, a former longtime medical correspondent for KNBC in Los Angeles, was arrested Wednesday morning on suspicion of asking a 9-year-old girl to send him sexually suggestive pictures, authorities said.

He was seen leaving the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown L.A., where he dodged questions from Eyewitness News reporter Eileen Frere and quickly scurried into a car before driving away.

In a statement, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said Hensel was charged with one felony count of contact with a minor for sexual purposes.

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Gray Matters: Too Much Screen Time Damages

Gray Matters: Too Much Screen Time Damages the Brain Neuroimaging research shows excessive screen time damages the brain.“Taken together, [studies show] internet addiction is associated with structural and functional changes in brain regions involving emotional processing, executive attention, decision making, and cognitive control.” --research authors summarizing neuro-imaging findings in internet and gaming addiction (Lin & Zhou et al, 2012) But what about kids who aren't "addicted" per se? Addiction aside, a much broader concern that begs awareness is the risk that screen time is creating subtle damage even in children with “regular” exposure, considering that the average child clocks in more than seven hours a day (Rideout 2010 ). As a practitioner, I observe that many of the children I see suffer from sensory overload, lack of restorative sleep, and a hyperaroused nervous system, regardless of diagnosis—what I call electronic screen syndrome. These children are impulsive, moody,

Brain scan research findings in screen addiction:

Gray matter atrophy: Multiple studies have shown atrophy (shrinkage or loss of tissue volume) in gray matter areas (where “processing” occurs) in internet/gaming addiction (Zhou 2011, Yuan 2011, Weng 2013,and Weng 2012). Areas affected included the important frontal lobe, which governs executive functions, such as planning, planning, prioritizing, organizing, and impulse control (“getting stuff done”). Volume loss was also seen in the striatum, which is involved in reward pathways and the suppression of socially unacceptable impulses. A finding of particular concern was damage to an area known is the insula, which is involved in our capacity to develop empathy and compassion for others and our ability to integrate physical signals with emotion. Aside from the obvious link to violent behavior, these skills dictate the depth and quality of personal relationships.

The Effects of Screens on Kids and How to Set Limits “My precious,” coos Gollum from the Lord of the Rings, clutching his prized possession, the One Ring to Rule Them All. His obsession to possess the ring drives him slowly to madness. I often wonder, as a clinical psychologist who works with children and adolescents struggling with digital addiction, if the fantasy saga wasn’t in fact a cautionary tale about smartphones and the other ubiquitous, all-knowing gadgets that rule our lives, impinging on our children’s cognitive development, impacting our social relationships, and giving us all a literal pain in the neck. “My 11-year old son has been throwing tantrums and talking back, he is always irritable and seems depressed,” said Kathleen, an accomplished professional and mom who seemed at her wit’s end. We had gone through all the usual background information about her son, such as medical history, psychosocial development, interpersonal relationships, etc., and nothing had stood out.

PLEASE NOTE GLOW TO THE FACE OF BOTH CHILDREN THIS BLUE LIGHT WITH NO EYE PROTECTION CAUSING EYE DETERIORATION CA STATE SCR 73 RESOLUTION OCT,10TH FROM 2019 PLUS CAUSING SLEEP PATTERNS ISSUE,SCREEN TIME LEADING TO SUICIDES IN YOUNG CHILDREN !!! I asked Kathleen if anything had changed in her son’s environment recently. “Not really,” she said after thinking for a while. “We haven’t changed schools or homes, he has the same teachers, his routine has been pretty regular.” Then she added, “I mean, he’s always on his phone. He sleeps with it, eats with it, but that’s not something I can do anything about.”

As adults, we have leveraged technology to accomplish amazing things in our lives: we do our work, manage our social lives, consume news and entertainment, even make new purchases for the holidays, all with the push of virtual buttons. Despite being cognitively mature, emotionally resilient and capable of delaying gratification, we struggle to set limits on our own usage. The negative effects on adult relationships, productivity and mental health are well known. Imagine how much more challenging such technology is on children, who have not yet developed to full emotional, cognitive and social maturity.

Parents also face unique challenges in restraining their kids’ usage and rehabilitating their habits and relationships with technology, due to the highly personal and addictive nature of smartphones, as well as the positive aspects of technology. The good news is, there are several strategies and coping skills that parents can learn and teach their kids. But in order for parents to buy into initiating an intervention, they must be aware of what those negative effects are.

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Autism and Screen Time: Special Brains, Special Risks Children with autism are vulnerable to the negative effects of screen timeChildren with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are uniquely vulnerable to various brain-related impacts of screen time. These electronic “side effects” include hyperarousal and dysregulation—what I call Electronic Screen Syndrome—as well as technology addiction, to video games, internet, smartphones, social media, and so on. .

Why? Because a brain with autism has inherent characteristics that screen time exacerbates. In truth, these impacts in occur in all of us, but children with autism will be both more prone to experiencing negative effects and less able to recover from them; their brains are more sensitive and less resilient.

As a framework for understanding these vulnerabilities, it’s helpful to know that screen time—particularly the interactive kind—acts like a stimulant, not unlike caffeine, amphetamines, or cocaine. Also know that children with autism are often sensitive to stimulants of all kinds, whether pharmaceutical or electronic. For example, children with autism and attention issues often can’t tolerate prescribed stimulants, a standard treatment for ADD/ADHD. Stimulants tend to make children with autism irritable, weepy, over-focused, more obsessive-compulsive, and unable to sleep. Stimulants can also exacerbate tics, self-injurious behaviors, aggression, and sensory issues

‘Most important app for your child is you’

Business World health officials take a hard The World Health Organization issued strict new guidelines Wednesday on one of the most anxiety-producing issues of 21st century family life: How much should parents resort to videos and online games to entertain, educate or simply distract their young children? The answer, according to WHO, is never for children in their first year of life and rarely in their second. Those aged 2 to 4, the international health agency said, should spend no more than an hour a day in front of a screen. The WHO drew on emerging — but as yet unsettled — science about the risks screens pose to the development of young minds at a time when surveys show children are spending increasing amounts of time watching smartphones and other mobile devices. Ninety-five percent of families with children under the age of 8 have smartphones, according to the nonprofit organization Common Sense Media, and 42 percent of children under 8 have access to their own tablet device.line

Experts in child development say the acquisition of language and social skills, typically by interacting with parents and others, are among the most important cognitive tasks of childhood.

“Achieving health for all means doing what is best for health right from the beginning of people’s lives,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement. “Early childhood is a period of rapid development and a time when family lifestyle patterns can be adapted to boost health gains.”

The guidelines, like those of other public health groups that have weighed such issues in recent years, also seek to provide clear rules for the messy realities of parenting, when a fussy baby may be soothed most easily by a video of a nursery rhyme, or a grandmother three states away may be able to engage with a toddler only over Skype.

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#SaveTheKids packs Snow Canyon High: ‘ST. GEORGE — “How social media is destroying our kids” was the topic presented during an event attended by more than 1,000 Thursday night, where an internet crusader offered parents a lifeline to guard children against social media’s culture of perfection, and to empower parents in the battle to save their children from social engineering.Most important app for your child is you’

“Kids need our eyes and our love and validation more than ever before,” Kartchner said. “Showing your kids you love them is 2 percent effort and 98 percent just putting down your phone.”

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Napolitano Introduces the Reducing Mental Health Stigma in the Hispanic Community ActOctober 1, 2019 Press Release (WASHINGTON, DC) Last week, Rep. Grace F. Napolitano (CA-32) introduced H.R. 4543, the Reducing Mental Health Stigma in the Hispanic Community Act. The bill would direct the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to develop and implement an outreach and education strategy to promote behavioral and mental health among Hispanic and Latino populations. “The Reducing Mental Health Stigma in the Hispanic Community Act supports our continued goal of stigma-reduction and promotes mental wellness, while meeting the diverse cultural and linguistic needs of Hispanic and Latino populations across the U.S.,” Napolitano said. “Machismo and other cultural tendencies are still preventing members of our community from being open and honest about what might be troubling them. This legislation reinforces our message that there is absolutely zero shame in asking

H.R. 4543 outlines a strategy which must be designed to:

Provide information on evidence-based practices, interventions, and treatments that are culturally and linguistically appropriate;
Increase awareness of symptoms of mental illnesses common among such populations, taking into account differences within subgroups, such as gender, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, or ethnicity;
Ensure full participation of both consumers and community members in the development and implementation of materials.

“The National Latino Behavioral Health Association knows that educating the public, families, individuals, and Latino communities about the facts pertaining to mental health and mental illness helps to reduce stigma about these health conditions and increase awareness about the importance of accessing behavioral health treatment,” said Frederick Sandoval, MPA, Executive Director of NLBHA. “We also know that removing barriers to treatment including stigma will improve the well-being of those who receive education, services and care.”

“The American Psychological Association (APA) supports this legislation and commends Congresswoman Napolitano for working to reduce stigma associated with mental health within the Hispanic population,” said Arthur C. Evans, Jr., PhD, CEO of APA. “Representative Napolitano clearly understands the needs of this population. This bill emphasizes the importance of evidence-based, culturally and linguistically appropriate treatments, which APA believes are essential for all communities.”

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DIGITAL HEROIN WILL EDUCATION EXPERTS WAKE UP TO STUDY

Is Screen Time Altering the Brains of ChildExperts are worried about how screens from tablets and smartphones are affecting the brains of children.ren? Early results from a large study suggest that screen time may impact children’s brains and learning.

Is screen time to blame for these brain and learning differences?

Dr. Ellen Selkie, an adolescent medicine physician at the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, told Healthline that “the only conclusion we can draw right now is that two things are happening at the same time. But it’s hard to tell whether one caused the other.”

For example, excessive screen time may lower children’s academic performance. But it could also be that children who have difficulty with certain mental tasks may be more drawn to screens for some reason.

The same is true of the differences seen in some children’s brain scans — did screen time cause those changes, or are children with cortical thinning more drawn to screens?

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9 dangerous apps for teens: Do you know ST. GEORGE — There are dangerous apps out there that download within seconds, but can expose children to dangers ranging from bullying and unwanted sexual messages, to apps that give strangers a child’s location. Do you know which apps on on your child’s phone? A recent study by the Pew Research Center found that 95 percent of teens report they have a smartphone or access to one, with more than half reporting they are online on a “near-constant basis.” Infographic shows that parents of younger teens are more likely to use parental controls and check web history. | Image courtesy of Pew Research Center, St. George News Mobile devices are driving online activity that helps teens connect through social networking and enjoy numerous other benefits, but can also expose them to online dangers. While there is not a predator lurking behind every app, some apps are more dangerous than others.what’s on your child’s phone?

One in five teenagers has received an unwanted sexual solicitation online, and 75 percent of teens share personal information online, according to PureSite, a child safety website.

The Iron County Sheriff’s Office has encountered multiple apps that teens are using, Lt. Del Schlosser said. When asked to expound on the topic, his response was simple: “Wow, where do we start with this.”

Parents are the single most important factor when it comes to making safer choices as their children navigate through the myriad mobile apps, he said, but parents need to know what they are dealing with.

“Most teens don’t see the danger lurking out there, so it is up to the parents to monitor their children’s activities,” Schlosser said.

The primary concerns shared by law enforcement officials when it comes to teens and apps involves cyberbullying and the exchange of photos, “particularly of the inappropriate type,” he said, adding that the most commonly used apps in the Iron County area are Snapchat, Whisper and Tumblr.

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CALIFORNIA MENTAL HEALTH SERVICERevolutionizing compassion for healing CalMHSA pioneers cutting edge research, providing counties an independent administrative and fiscal intergovernmental structure. We help fund, develop, and implement mental health services and educational programs at the state, regional, and local levels. A central component of CalMHSA‘s vision is to continually promote systems and services arising from a commitment to community mental health, and to the values of the California Mental Health Services Act. AUTHORITY

Vision

CalMHSA serves California Counties and Cities in the dynamic delivery of mental health and supportive services. A nationally recognized leader, CalMHSA inspires the service community through its commitment to results and values. Successful statewide and regional programs enable the voice of many to be heard.

Purpose

Promoting Efficiency, Effectiveness and Enterprise among Counties and Cities

Mission

The mission of CalMHSA is to provide member counties a flexible, efficient, and effective administrative/fiscal structure focused on collaborative partnerships and pooling efforts in:

Development and implementation of common strategies and programs
Fiscal integrity, protections, and management of collective risk
Accountability at state, regional, and local levels

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LETS END THE SOCIAL MEDIA DANGER BY ACCESS ONLY BY A FLIP PH

Cartersville man accused of traveling to have sex with 8-year-old girlPAULDING COUNTY, Ga. - A Cartersville man is behind bars after authorities said he tried to have sex with an 8-year-old girl earlier this month. The Paulding County Sheriff’s Office first started investigating 34-year-old Brian Cowart on Oct. 29 after being notified about a man using a social media site, requesting to have sex with young girls. Investigators identified the suspect as Cowart.Brian Cowart, 34, was arrested after authorities said authorities said he tried to have sex with an 8-year-old girl

Two days later, on Halloween, an undercover detective made contact with Cowart online. Investigators said Cowart offered money to perform sexual acts on an 8-year-old girl. According to the sheriff’s office, Cowart thought he was speaking to the 8-year-old’s older sister.

On Nov. 1, authorities said Cowart made a plan to meet the alleged victim’s sister at a store in Hiram. At the store, the older sister would “deliver” the 8-year-old victim to the suspect for a period of time, according to the sheriff's office.

Cowart arrived at the Hiram location where he was quickly taken into custody. He’s facing a number of charges, including criminal attempt to commit child molestation, criminal attempt to entice a child for indecent purposes, and violation of the Computer/Electronic Pornography and Child Exploitation Prevent Act.

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Reconnect to Disconnect from November 19th, 2019 California Students Who Were Cyberbullied Four or More Times in the Previous Year by Levels of School Connectedness: 2015-2017

One in five California 7th, 9th, and 11th graders were cyberbullied in the previous year, from 2015-2017. Students with low levels of school connectedness were more likely to be victimized online than their more connected peers. There were 12% of California students with low levels of school connectedness who were cyberbullied four or more times, compared to about 3% of those with high levels of school connectedness in grades 7, 9, 11, and non-traditional programs. Ensuring students feel safe and connected to their schools can diminish the prevalence of cyberbullying.

Cyberbullying is not as easily detectable as in-person bullying and is a growing concern among teachers and families as more children and youth communicate online and via social media. Cyberbullying can often be an extension of in-person bullying at school, worsening the social and emotional stress on children. According to a study from the U.S. Department of Justice, experiencing a mix of online and in-person harassment had the highest negative emotional impact on children compared to in-person only and online-only incidents.

See more data on how the prevalence of cyberbullying varies by gender, race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation.

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Perceptions of Safety by School District October 11th, 2019Ninth Grade Students’ Perception of School Safety in California and in Princeton Joint Unified School District: 2015-2017

All California students deserve to feel comfortable and secure at school. Perceptions of school safety are essential for learning, building friendships, and supporting emotional and physical health. However, the California average differs substantially from the best performing school district in school safety, among districts with data. The statewide average of 9th grade students who felt very safe at school during the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 school years was 16%, far below the average in Princeton Joint Unified School District (Glenn County) where 53% of 9th grade students felt very safe. This gap between the California average and the best performing district suggests that we can do more to create nurturing school environments for all students.

Data on student behaviors, such as fighting or carrying a weapon, help further inform disparities in school safety. During the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 school years, 11% of 9th graders were in physical fights, 2% carried a gun, and 6% carried a weapon other than a gun at school, though percentages varied by school district. By looking at student perceptions of school safety and behaviors that play a role in being safe, we can make informed decisions on policies and programs that support each child’s well-being.

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Utah targeting pornography in protecting kids,

New Utah media blitz aims to help parentswww.safeinternetforkids.com) Home page for Safe Internet for Utah Kids. Officials on Thursday announced a new, privately funded media campaign in Utah targeting pornography in the name of protecting kids, including billboards, radio spots and the new website, at www.safeinternetforkids.com.The privately-funded campaign, set to run through Dec. 1, features billboards, radio spots and a website aimed at shielding children from internet and smartphone porn. protect their kids against digital pornography

By Kelly Schmidt · Published: September 14, 2017
Updated: September 14, 2017

A new Utah campaign announced Thursday will target pornography in the name of protecting children, with billboards, radio spots and a new website aimed at raising awareness and providing online filtering tools to parents.

The Safe Internet for Utah Kids campaign, running through Dec. 1, is being privately funded by Sorenson Legacy Foundation and supported by groups including the socially conservative Utah Eagle Forum, Sutherland Institute and Family Watch International, as well as the Utah Republican Party and several prominent elected leaders.

In an event at the Utah Capitol to launch the media blitz, state Rep. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross, likened indecent materials on the web to ongoing problems with the homeless on some downtown Salt Lake City streets, now being addressed by Operation Rio Grande.

“Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could collaborate on trying to protect our children from some of the filth we know as pornography,” said Weiler.

He was joined by Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes, who urged parents to understand the technology their children use — and how it could be used against them. Learning about Instagram, Snapchat and other social media platforms could help start a healthy conversation about using digital media responsibly and the dangers children could face, he said.

“If the kids use it,” Reyes warned, “so do the predators.”

In June and July alone, Reyes said, the state’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated more than 200 cases involving child pornography, 80 enticement cases — in which adults seek to entice minors into sexual activity over the internet or other platforms — and made 22 arrests.

Campaign manager Jennifer Brown said accessibility to pornography on the internet and smartphones has made children more vulnerable than ever and educating parents will help protect kids’ rights to their youth.

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Pope wants tech companies to prevent kidPope Francis delivers his blessing in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican at the end of an audience with students and teachers of the LUMSA Catholic University, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019s from viewing porn

Tarantino / AP)

Francis told a Vatican conference of religious leaders and high-tech representatives that it’s no longer acceptable to merely follow the law in monitoring online content, because technology is fast outpacing regulation.

He said tech and computer software companies should assume a moral responsibility to protect young people from what he said were the ruinous effects of pornography on their emotional and sexual development.

“There is a need to ensure that investors and managers remain accountable, so that the good of minors and society is not sacrificed to profit,” he said.

Francis was addressing participants at the conference “Promoting Digital Child Dignity,” which follows on a 2017 conference hosted by the Jesuit university in Rome and a 2018 meeting in Abu Dhabi.

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Uploaded: Thu, Aug 1, 2019, 10:55 am State launches $50M program for school-based mental healthBevy of recent bills boost the role of school districts in health care, suicide prevention CHAC sends intern-therapists to work with students in the Mountain View-Los Altos High School District as part of a campus-based mental health program. Pictured is CHAC intern Zo Jimenez in her office at Los Altos High School. Voice file photo

The California State Legislature is calling on local school districts to come up with new ways to fill big gaps in mental health care for children and teens, setting aside $50 million this year for schools willing to try new ways of detecting and preventing mental illness through campus-based services.

The Mental Health Student Services Act, established through budget legislation this year, launches a grant program where county behavioral health departments -- largely responsible for publicly funded mental health care -- can partner with local schools to create campus-based mental health services. The goal is to reach students before mental illness becomes severe and disabling, preventing suicide, dropouts, homelessness and suffering.(PLEASE NOTE THE AUTHOR OF THIS STORY IS FLAWED ABOUT Assembly Bill 2639, authored by Assemblyman Marc Berman (D-Palo Alto) last year, strengthened the bill by requiring mandatory updates to those policies and more guidance for training school staff on both suicide awareness and prevention. NO IT CLEARLY STATE EVERY FIVE YEARS FOR REVIEW AND IF NEEDED MY QUESTION THE REPORTER WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU COULD REMENBER EXACT DETAIL OF A LAW. THIS WAS IN MY OPINION TO ERASE THIS SECTION FROM AB 2246 2015-2016 WHILE OUR STATE HAS 34 % INCREASE IN YOUTH SUICIDES FROM THE LAST THREE YEARS IN 2019 LOOKS THIS AUTHOR FLAWED SINCE ONE IN FIVE IS THINKING ABOUT SUICIDES AB 2639 WAS BAD BILL FROM THE THOUGHT OF INTRODUCING TO THE ASSEMBLY NOW LETS DO THE WRIGHT THING AND REPEAL TO EVERY YEAR UPDATES WITH STAKE HOLDERS INVOLVED AND REQUIRE EDUCATION HARM FROM SOCIAL MEDIAL AND CA STATE SENATOR PAN SCR 73 2019 BLUE LIGHT AWARENESS HARM TO THE EYES NOT HAVING SAFETY PROTECTION THEN THE SLEEP INTERRUPTION AND SCREEN TIME OVER TWO HOURS CAUSES SUICIDES AND ADHD FROM THOSE WHO NEVER HAD ADHD.

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U.C. DAVIS SAYS YES PAWS READING ADDS UP TWO 30% INCREASE

READING TO ROVER: Does it really help children? Veterinary school says ‘yes’Seven-year-old Zachary Callahan from Davis reads a Harry Potter book to Lollipop, a Chihuahua-terrier mix.

Kids, dogs and a good book are a great combination, according to researchers in the School of Veterinary Medicine — and they have the data to back it up.

It has been recognized anecdotally that children become better readers when they regularly read aloud to dogs, and many animal organizations and libraries around the country have developed reading programs that pair up kids and dogs.

An example is the All Ears Reading Program, an animal-assisted therapy program developed by St. Louis Cardinals baseball manager Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation of Walnut Creek.

Hoping to collect scientific data related to the observed successes of reading-to-dogs programs, the foundation and the vet school decided to collaborate on two studies.

The first explored changes in reading skills among third graders in a public school and the second study focused on home-schooled students. Researchers found that the kids’ reading fluency improved by 12 percent in the first study and by 30 percent in the second study.

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Animal cruelty now a federal crime after Trump signs bipartisan bill into law

Trump signs bipartisan bill making animal cruelty a federal crime

After bipartisan approval from both the House and Senate, a bill making animal cruelty a federal crime was signed into law by President Donald Trump.

WASHINGTON - A bipartisan bill that makes animal cruelty a federal crime has passed Congress, and the president signed it into law on Monday.

The Prevent Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act is a federal ban on animal cruelty, outlawing purposeful crushing, burning, drowning, suffocation, impalement or other violence causing serious bodily injury to animals. Those convicted would face federal felony charges, fines and up to seven years in prison.

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Animal cruelty now a federal crime after Trump signs bipartisan bill into lawTrump After bipartisan approval from both the House and Senate, a bill making animal cruelty a federal crime was signed into law by President Donald Trump.

WASHINGTON - A bipartisan bill that makes animal cruelty a federal crime has passed Congress, and the president signed it into law on Monday.

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11 Jul SEL in Action

PLEASE NOTE THAT CALIF WHEREAS, Sections 233.5 (part of the Hate Violence Prevention Act) and 60042 of the Education Code require instruction in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, to promote and encourage kindness to pets and humane treatment of animals; and WHEREAS, Humane education, such as that involving wildlife, the animals’ place in the overall environment, and the negative impacts humans can have on them, including death and extinction, can disrupt the cycle of animal and human abuse by decreasing a child’s potential to be abusive or neglectful toward animals and, consequently, to promote prosocial behavior toward humans;

I DONT HEAR ANY WORDS OF DOGS TO TEACH EMPATHY WHY ??

Dr. Michael Vallejo from Westminster High School shares his experience on how TLC supports their MTSS team with SEL initiatives.

“PAWS for Reading is amazing! I am so thankful for the time

PAWS for Reading™ We are an all-volunteer, pet-assisted literacy program of PAWS for People, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to lovingly provide therapeutic visits to any person in the community who would benefit from interaction with a well-trained loving pet. PAWS for People serves parts of DE, MD, NJ and PA. PAWS for Reading offers children and adults the opportunity to read aloud to a well-trained therapy dog (cat or bunny) in order to improve their reading and communication skills.

PAWS-Reading-Brochure-8.8.17[1] (pdf)Download

WORLD WIDE SOCIAL MEDIA NEWS STORIES EFFECTIVE CHILDREN !!

SOUTH KOREA WRESTLES WITH INABILITY TO UNPLUG

OC Breaks Ground on First Municipal Mental Health Treatment Campus

By Nick Gerda October 17, 2019

MENTAL HEALTH BE WELL OC A POSSIBLE MODEL

SEE MY BOOKS: Two Veteran Teachers Expose How Technology

Mayo Clinic Child and Family Advocacy Center Child abuseAny intentional harm or mistreatment to a child under 18 years old is considered child abuse. Child abuse takes many forms, which often occur at the same time.

The Crisis in Youth Suicide Too often, suicide attempts and deaths by suicide, especially among the young, become family secrets that are not investigated and dealt with in ways that might protect others from a similar fate.

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Dangers of early Screen Time Video

What Is Child Abuse and Neglect? Recognizing the Signs

More screen time damaging cognitive skills and eyesight

SCR 73 Establishes October 10th as Blue Light Awareness

PLEASE NOTICE BRIGHT SCREENS NO PROTECTIONS TO A CHILD'S EYES.

Dr. Richard Pan’s SCR 73 Establishes October 10th as Blue Light Awareness Day in California

More research shows the long-term health concerns associated with cumulative blue light exposure from our electronic screen devises; October 10th is also World Sight Day

Study: Limiting screen time to 30 minutes a day can reduce depression, loneliness

Is your teen’s mental health deteriorating due to social media? This Utah man wants to help

Is your teen’s mental health deteriorating due to social media? This Utah man wants to help

Is your teen’s mental health deteriorating due to social media? This Utah man wants to help

St. George man enters plea following child sexual exploitation sting

Is your teen’s mental health deteriorating due to social media? This Utah man wants to help

Is your teen’s mental health deteriorating due to social media? This Utah man wants to help

Safe walking and biking to school teaches critical social skills.

Is your teen’s mental health deteriorating due to social media? This Utah man wants to help

St. George Bicycle Collective secures funding for after-school bike workshop

St. George Bicycle Collective secures funding for after-school bike workshop

Mean-spirited messages, but no evidence of bullying found in death of 10-year-old Santa Ana girl

St. George Bicycle Collective secures funding for after-school bike workshop

Ride safe, how to build bikes, how to maintain bikes and it also provides

Mean-spirited messages, but no evidence of bullying found in death of 10-year-old Santa Ana girl

Mean-spirited messages, but no evidence of bullying found in death of 10-year-old Santa Ana girl

Mean-spirited messages, but no evidence of bullying found in death of 10-year-old Santa Ana girl

Mean-spirited messages, but no evidence of bullying found in death of 10-year-old Santa Ana girl

Mean-spirited messages, but no evidence of bullying found in death of 10-year-old Santa Ana girl

GREATER EFFORT IS NEEDED BRING AWARENESS ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA

CALIFORNIA 1 IN 5 HIGH SCHOOLERS CONTEMPLATESSUICIDE

A mother's warning: If you have white teen sons, listen up ...

A mother's warning: If you have white teen sons, listen up ...

About 70% of California’s public school districts give students the California School Climate, Health, and Learning Surveys

State in line with national trends

A mother's warning: If you have white teen sons, listen up ...

A mother's warning: If you have white teen sons, listen up ...

A mother's warning: If you have white teen sons, listen up ...

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

A mother's warning: If you have white teen sons, listen up ...

Schools engage with youths who consider taking their own lives

Schools engage with youths who consider taking their own lives

Early Mental Health Initiative provide students in grades TK-3 with positive, one-on-one attention

Schools engage with youths who consider taking their own lives

Early Mental Health Initiative provide students in grades TK-3 with positive, one-on-one attention

Early Mental Health Initiative provide students in grades TK-3 with positive, one-on-one attention

Early Mental Health Initiative provide students in grades TK-3 with positive, one-on-one attention

About the program

Trained Adult Aide

How are children selected?

Teens aren't socializing in the real world. And that's making them super lonely

Early Mental Health Initiative provide students in grades TK-3 with positive, one-on-one attention

Early Mental Health Initiative provide students in grades TK-3 with positive, one-on-one attention

'A lot of time alone'

The perils of social isolation

AS FOUNDER OF P.D.D.C. DEDICATING THIS WEBSITE FOR FAMILIES

Spike in Children’s Mental Health Hospitalizations Draws Silence From OC Supervisors

Why does Utah have a high suicide rate? A researcher is starting a years-long search for answers.

Why does Utah have a high suicide rate? A researcher is starting a years-long search for answers.

By NICK GERDA October 22, 2019

Why does Utah have a high suicide rate? A researcher is starting a years-long search for answers.

Why does Utah have a high suicide rate? A researcher is starting a years-long search for answers.

Why does Utah have a high suicide rate? A researcher is starting a years-long search for answers.

OC Health Care Agency releases reports on suicide deaths By: courtesy On: November 3, 2019

Why does Utah have a high suicide rate? A researcher is starting a years-long search for answers.

OC Health Care Agency releases reports on suicide deaths By: courtesy On: November 3, 2019

#SaveTheKids packs Snow Canyon High: ‘Most important app for your child is you’

Board of Supervisors to Consider $1.4 Million Agreement for Behavioral Health Training Services

OC Health Care Agency releases reports on suicide deaths By: courtesy On: November 3, 2019

Board of Supervisors to Consider $1.4 Million Agreement for Behavioral Health Training Services

Board of Supervisors to Consider $1.4 Million Agreement for Behavioral Health Training Services

Board of Supervisors to Consider $1.4 Million Agreement for Behavioral Health Training Services

I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.

Board of Supervisors to Consider $1.4 Million Agreement for Behavioral Health Training Services