Kids’ Minds Matter hosts back-to-school sessions for parents

Kids’ Minds Matter is hosting several sessions on Facebook Live during August and into September to help prepare families as children transition back to school in an ever-changing landscape.

The sessions are part of Mental Health Mondays, a virtual series providing information, discussion and resources about mental health topics to the Southwest Florida region and beyond. The first one was held Aug. 10.

Remaining sessions include:

• Aug. 17 at 5 p.m., Deborah Comella, executive director of Lee County Coalition for a Drug-Free Southwest Florida and Jonathan Engh, senior vice president, team leader of Commercial Banking at Busey Bank and chair of the board for Lee County Coalition for a Drug-Free Southwest Florida; “Prevention in Today’s World: Just Say No to the Old Paradigm”
• Aug. 24 at 9:30 a.m., Julie Noble, child advocate for Golisano Children’s Hospital; “Tips for Helping Kids Stay Safe at Home During Virtual Learning”
• Aug. 31 at 4 p.m., Kari Davis, holistic life coach, essential oil educator and founder of The Well Team; “Using Aromatherapy for Upleveling Kids’ Mental Health”
• Sept. 7 at 12:30 p.m. Peggy Jugmahansingh, Joseph R. Craig, Jeannine Sparkes, mental health navigators, and Richard Keelan, child advocacy supervisor for Golisano Children’s Hospital; “How Mental Health Navigators are Making a Difference in SWFL Schools”

“Everything for children and families has been turned upside down in recent months,” said Dr. Paul Simeone, vice president and medical director of behavioral health at Lee Health. “Children and the community have been impacted by changes to continue education during the pandemic, and Kids’ Minds Matter is dedicated to providing resources to help parents and children navigate these changes successfully.”

The Mental Health Mondays series is streamed live every Monday from the Kids’ Minds Matter Facebook channel (Facebook.com/KidsMindsMatter). Each week, experts speak on a different aspect of mental health and answer questions from viewers. Community advocates, partners and viewers are encouraged to create “watch parties” to join the experience and share the live stream with friends and family. Those who are unable to view live can later watch a video of the presentation on Kids’ Minds Matter’s Facebook. To learn more, visit KidsMindsMatter.com/MentalHealthMondays.

Founded in 2016, Kids’ Minds Matter is a unified movement in Southwest Florida dedicated to advancing pediatric mental and behavioral health services. By developing clinical pathways to screen and treat patients, enhancing public awareness through education, and lobbying for systemic change and sustainable funding, Kids’ Minds Matter aims to align mental health providers, local agencies, the judicial system, law enforcement, schools and faith-based organizations. Kids’ Minds Matter is managed through the Lee Health Foundation.