Loudoun County Public Schools is helping parents take a more active role in helping their children with everything from anxiety to bullying to suicidal thoughts.
The district is paying $433,000 for 18 months of services from ParentGuidance.org, which provides a wide range of tools for families to deal with the mental health issues their children face.
LCPS Student Mental Health Services Director Jennifer Evans learned about ParentGuidance.org about a year ago and saw the benefits for LCPS parents. She said this bridges the gap between school-based services and formal therapeutic interventions that many children may not need.
“This is a great way for parents to navigate some difficult topics with their kids and get the resources to know what's normal and what needs to seek professional help.” It’s somewhere in the middle,” Evans said.
“We've created a series of resources, some for do-it-yourself, some for groups, and some for individuals,” said Cook, president and CEO of the nonprofit Cook Center for Human Connection. ) says Anne Brown. I created a website.
Our Ask a Therapist section contains frequently asked questions and answers. There are on-demand seminars with therapists covering topics such as anxiety, depression, bullying, grief and loss, parental support, and suicide prevention. “My Life is Worth Living” is an animated series focused on suicide prevention designed for parents and children to watch together.
Parents can also request virtual one-on-one coaching sessions.
“A coach is like a liaison between therapists, helping you navigate difficult conversations and determining whether you need to seek professional help,” Evans says.
Next year will feature a live, interactive mental health series addressing topics of greatest concern to Loudoun County families.
The site, which has been available since late January, already has 23,000 users and more than 60 one-on-one sessions scheduled.
