Health and wellbeing · 10 guides
Non-Profit (Mental Health): problems and fixes, explained by Chris
Chris Bolding is the only non-profit (mental health) member of BNI Preston Center. These guides are written for a Dallas–Fort Worth reader who has the problem right now: what is happening, what to check, when to call, and what it costs.
- Your teen is home after a mental health crisis: the first weeks and what helps The days after a teen comes home from a hospital stay or a crisis are some of the most important and the most uncertain. Here is what families can do to keep a teen safe and connected while recovery takes hold. The first weeks, in briefQuestions to ask before dischargeMaking the house saferThe safety plan, and where it lives
- Your first support group for moms of struggling kids: what happens in the room Walking into a support group for the first time is hard. Here is what actually happens at Coffee Days, the ground rules that keep it safe, and where and when the groups meet. What happens at Coffee Days, in briefWho the group is forInside the roomThe ground rules that keep it safe
- Will asking my teen about suicide put the idea in their head? What the evidence says Many parents stay silent because they fear the question itself will cause harm. The evidence says otherwise. Here is why asking is safe, how to say it, and what to do next. No, and the evidence points the other wayWhere the fear comes fromWhy a vague question is not enoughOther beliefs that keep parents quiet
- What teen mental health care costs in Dallas, and the help that costs nothing The price of care for a teenager depends on the provider, your insurance and the level of care. Here is what moves the number, and what in North Texas costs nothing at all. The short answer on costSix things that move the price of careReading your insurance before the first appointmentHelp in North Texas that is free to use
- What Texas asks of schools on student mental health and suicide prevention Texas has added several mental health expectations for schools in recent years. Here is a plain-language overview of what the Texas Education Agency describes, and how a campus can turn compliance into something that actually helps students. The short summaryStaff training for everyone who works with studentsCrisis numbers on student IDsEight pieces of a complete school approach
- One assembly or an ongoing program: what a school's mental health effort really needs A single presentation can open the conversation on a campus, but it cannot carry it. Here is how one-time talks, peer programs and staff training compare, and how to combine them into a year that works. The honest answer: both, in the right orderWhat a single presentation does wellWhat one hour cannot doWhat an ongoing approach adds
- Helping a stressed, anxious child at home, and knowing when it is time for a professional A lot of everyday stress can be eased at home with routine, connection and a few coping skills. Here is what helps, what backfires, and the signs that mean it is time for a professional. What helps at home, and where home help stopsStress, anxiety and burnout are not the same thingEveryday habits that lower the pressureCoping skills worth practicing together
- Choosing a youth mental health nonprofit to give to or sponsor: what to check first A good cause and a well-run organization are not always the same thing. Here is how to check a youth mental health nonprofit before you give, and how to choose the way you support it. What to look for, in briefStart with the records anyone can checkLook at what the programs actually doQuestions worth asking before you commit
- A student seems to be struggling: the signs teachers notice and what to do next Teachers are often the first adults to notice when a student is sinking. Here is what depression can look like in a classroom, which signs mean act today, and how to hand off to the right people. The short version for a busy teacherWhy teachers so often see it firstWhat depression can look like from the front of the roomSigns that mean act today, not next week
- Your teenager has changed and you cannot tell if it is serious: where a parent starts Your teen is sleeping more, talking less and snapping at everyone, and you cannot tell whether this is adolescence or something more. Here is how to think it through, what to say, and how to find real help in North Texas without guessing. Something is different, and you cannot name itWhy adolescence makes this so hard to readWhat to pay attention to over the next two weeksWhen to watch and talk, and when to act today