Ascension St. Vincent Evansville Awards $20,000 to Youth First

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Grant to Provide Mental Health Support and Substance Misuse Prevention
for Youth in Evansville Catholic Diocese Schools

Ascension St. Vincent Evansville has awarded $20,000 to Youth First, Inc., to invest in the health and well-being of youth and families. The award will provide mental health support and substance misuse prevention through social work services and prevention programs in over 20 Catholic Diocese of Evansville schools.

Ascension St. Vincent Evansville is dedicated to advancing compassionate, patient-centered care within their statewide ministries. Charitable contributions from supporters fund programs and projects focused on holistic care that extends beyond traditional healthcare services, allowing new ways to improve outcomes and create positive experiences for those served.

Alex Chang, Ascension President, South Region, states: “We recognize the vital importance of mental health support for students in the Evansville Diocese, particularly at school, where our youth spend so much of their time. Through our support of Youth First, we are not only addressing the immediate needs of these young individuals but also helping to foster a community of compassion, resilience, and understanding.”

The grant to Youth First will allow for continued mental health support for students in selected Catholic Diocese of Evansville schools. Youth First partners with 125 schools across 14 Indiana counties to embed prevention programs and over 90 skilled mental health professionals (primarily master’s level social workers) in school buildings, where they provide caring mental health support for students and prevention coaching for parents and teachers. Youth First Mental Health Professionals build caring relationships, foster readiness for positive change, and boost resiliency, along with other valuable life skills.

Research shows these protective factors are the keys to effective prevention of negative outcomes for young people. The organization’s positive work and strategies are driving growth, with more schools seeking Youth First’s help to address the growing need for mental health support for students.

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Helping Kids Manage Big Emotions

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By Hannah Smith-Quirey, MSW, LCSW – December 23, 2024 –

Disappointment, failure, pain, and stress are normal parts of life. But as parents, it is difficult to watch our kids go through tough moments without becoming stressed ourselves or jumping in to fix things.

Co-regulation is connecting with our kids to help them remain calm, manage distress, and learn effective and healthy ways to manage emotions. Parents have to first understand their own emotions and obstacles in regulating their emotions. We can share our calm, and we can also share our own distress.

Self-regulation consists of many skills. These include being able to identify and communicate emotions, empathy (seeing things from another’s perspective), social skills, the ability to pay attention and focus, self-soothing, problem solving, flexibility, time management, and setting goals.

Self-regulation is developed through a nurturing and warm relationship with the child, where boundaries and structure are present. Routines and consistency are essential. Kids learn to regulate emotions in an environment where the consequences and expectations are clear.

There are many self-soothing regulation activities that kids can practice. Some examples include breathing exercises, playing with fidgets or squeezing a stress ball, exercise, imagining a favorite place, listening to calming music, and completing mindfulness activities.

Dysregulation occurs when someone is not able to handle stressors. There are several things that can trigger dysregulation in kids, such as change in routine, increased sugar or junk food, not getting enough sleep, lack of exercise, new situations with other kids or unfamiliar people/environments, certain smells, bright lights, and loud environments.

Signs that a child is experiencing dysregulation include arguing, increased sleepiness, impulsivity, mood swings, using angry words/behavior, and a large amount of difficulty doing typical/simple things. Other signs of dysregulation: low frustration tolerance, inattention, difficulty listening, having a hard time remaining or sitting still, difficulty getting along with peers, trouble with simple problem solving, and inability to separate from electronics.

When trying to help our kids regulate their emotions it is important to be calm and validate your child’s feelings. Important things to remember include what causes your child to feel stressed, your child’s ability to express/communicate their feelings, and what self-regulation skills your child may already know and use.

Self-regulation is being able to manage feelings and respond to what our bodies need in any given situation. You are the greatest example for your child and can practice self-regulation in many ways. You can listen to calm music when feeling stressed or upbeat music if you are feeling down. Remember to eat healthy foods and get plenty of rest. Deep breathing practice can help decrease stress, and don’t forget that laughter is some of the best medicine.

Pause and think before responding or acting to be present in the moment. Try to name and validate your emotions, but don’t ruminate or judge yourself. You can always reassess new and better ways of handling situations, because of course we are ALL always a work in progress.

The following are ideas for helping your child regulate their emotions: Remain calm, show empathy and validate their emotions. Support your child with positive words and encourage them to use relaxation skills. Life can be very busy and chaotic, so try to avoid overloading their schedule and keep them in a routine. Kids are calmer when they know what to expect; this is why consistency and structure are key. Prioritize sleep, healthy foods, and regular activity for your child.

Self-regulation takes time to learn; remember to be patient with your child and yourself. Make sure you are working on your own emotional regulation and self-care. Practice calming techniques with your child in the calm moments, not just the heightened moments. You’ve got this!

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CenterPoint Energy Foundation to Award $100,000 to Youth First, Inc.

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Gift to Provide Mental Health Support for Students at Youth First Partner Schools in Vanderburgh, Posey, and Gibson Counties

Youth First is celebrating CenterPoint Energy Foundation for investing in Indiana youth. The organization will award $100,000 to Youth First, Inc. to strengthen the mental health and well-being of students in eight Youth First partner schools across Gibson, Posey, and Vanderburgh counties.

In attendance will be EVSC Superintendent Dr. David Smith, Washington Middle School Principal DeVon Simon, EVSC Youth First Social Worker Molly Johnson, MSW, LSW, CenterPoint Foundation President Amanda Schmitt, CenterPoint Senior Community Engagement Specialist Patricia Jackson, and Youth First President & CEO Parri Black, along with others.

This significant gift from CenterPoint Energy Foundation, along with funding from other sources, will enable Youth First to provide its school-based student assistance program and family and community prevention programs at Washington Middle School and McGary Middle School (Vanderburgh County), North Elementary School and West Elementary School (Posey County), and Wood Memorial High School, Wood Memorial Middle School, Wood Memorial Intermediate School, and Wood Memorial Primary School (Gibson County).

Youth First embeds highly trained mental health professionals in school buildings, partnering with 125 schools across 14 Indiana counties. Youth First Mental Health Professionals build caring relationships, promote healthy choices, foster readiness for positive change, and boost resiliency along with other valuable life skills.

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What Kids Really Need this Holiday Season

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By Jana Pritchett – December 18, 2024 –

The holidays are here, and kids everywhere are hoping to be on Santa’s good list. Popular toys like AI robots and flying orb balls are on many kids’ wish lists, as are classics such as bikes, LEGO sets, and Barbie.

We all hope to give our children the presents they want, but what do our kids really need from adults this holiday season? What other gifts can mom, dad or grandparents provide to help them become happy, healthy, and successful adults?

Here is my list of the essentials:

  1. Security and stability. Kids need the basics: food, shelter, clothing, medical care and protection. In addition, a stable home and family environment make them feel safe, and being part of a family gives them a sense of belonging.
  1. Full attention. Be present. Turn off your phone, the TV and all electronics and listen to them, especially at mealtimes and bedtime. Removing distractions lets them know they’re special and there’s no need to compete for your attention.
  1. Time. Spend quality family time together. Take the whole family to pick out a Christmas tree or to see a ballgame or holiday concert. Take each child on mom and dad “dates” to create special memories and boost their self-esteem, especially if they’re used to sharing parent time with siblings. Spending quality time together encourages deeper conversations and strengthens the bonds between parent and child.
  1. Love. Saying and showing your kids you love them can help overcome just about any parenting “mistake” you might make. Even when your kids have disappointed, frustrated, angered or disobeyed you, they must know you will always love them.
  1. Affection. Don’t wait for your children to come to you for hugs. Regular physical affection helps strengthen and maintain your emotional connection with kids of any age. When that bond is strong, kids act out less often and know they can come to you for support.
  1. Emotional support. Through good and bad times, kids must know you are there for them. According to Dr. Harley Rotbart of Children’s Hospital Colorado, “Parents’ words and actions should facilitate kids’ trust, respect, self-esteem and ultimately, independence.”
  1. Consistency. Parents need to work together to enforce rules. Important values should not be compromised for the sake of convenience or because the kids have worn you down. If parents are no longer together, mom and dad should still try to communicate and work together whenever possible to maintain consistency.
  1. Positive role models. Parents are their kids’ first and most important role models. Kids see plenty of bad behavior in the media. Be the kind of person you want them to become and don’t just give “lip service” to good behavior.
  1. Education. Give your kids the best possible shot for their future by stressing the importance of education. Providing guidance and teaching them life lessons during the time you spend together is also important.

Spending quality time with your kids is the best solution for just about any parenting dilemma. This holiday season and in the New Year, don’t stop with what’s on your child’s wish list. Give them what they really need — the gift of being the best parent you can be.

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The Weight of Grief During the Holiday Season

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By Breanna Dudley-Wissel, MSW, LSW – December 11, 2024 –

Unfortunately, grief is a normal part of life. We all experience grief, whether it is the loss of a job, a divorce or breakup, or the death of a loved one.

Most of the time, grief feels anything but normal and is far from comfortable; quite frankly, it is incredibly overwhelming. These uncomfortable feelings may lead us to suppress the feelings of grief that we need to welcome in to start the grieving process.

Elizabeth Kubler-Ross developed the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. What can be misleading about the five stages of grief is that we do not necessarily go through these stages in order. In fact, our grief tends to bounce around the stages. One day we might be in denial, and the next we might be at acceptance and then step back to anger. This is normal.

Grief is not a linear process. It is not something where we work through the steps and then magically feel better. Sure, the heaviness of grief eases up over time, depending on what we have lost, but there will still be days when we feel it very intensely, especially when it comes to grieving a loved one.

Grief can make us feel multiple things, and pretty commonly those feelings can be felt physically throughout the body. The National Institute of Health has recognized that some of these physical symptoms include tightness or heaviness in the chest or throat, nausea or upset stomach, headaches, weakness, tension, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, loss of interest in activities, increased irritability and hostility, difficulty concentrating, restlessness, unexplained anger, and guilt. Usually, physical symptoms occur most intensely at the beginning of the loss, but these feelings can creep back unexpectedly at any time.

Our grief can be triggered by multiple things, some of which include important dates such as birthdays, anniversaries, holidays; a certain smell, show, song or article of clothing that reminds you of the person; or a place that holds many memories. We are not always aware of our grief triggers, and that may make it hard for us to recognize why we are feeling a certain way. This can be especially hard for children to identify and explain.

As the holiday season approaches, you and/or your children may find yourselves feeling extra weighed down by grief. Please know that you are not alone. I encourage you to embrace grief in any healthy way you can. Talk about your own grief with your children to open up the space for them to share their own feelings.

Acknowledge and validate their feelings of grief, as well as your own. Share fond memories of the loved one who is no longer with you. Look through photos. Carry on traditions you had with your loved one, but do not be afraid to start new traditions as well.

In the words of Donna Ashworth, “You don’t move on after loss, but you must move with. You must shake hands with grief, welcome her in, for she lives with you now. Pull her a chair at the table and offer her comfort. She is not the monster you first thought her to be. She is love. And she will walk with you now, stay with you now, peacefully. If you let her. And on the days when your anger is high, remember why she came, remember who she represents. Remember, grief came to you my friend because love came first. Love came first.”

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The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

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By Jordyn Bryant, MSW, LSW – December 5, 2024 –

As the saying goes, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year,” the holiday season. Holidays can bring joy, happiness, and special times. But for so many people, the holidays can bring sad feelings and emotions to the surface, such as grief, loss, and loneliness, as well as mental health concerns and financial concerns.

Regardless of our opinions surrounding the holiday season, it is important to remember to take care of ourselves and our needs during this busy time. According to UC Davis Health, there are many different strategies we can employ to reduce stress during this time.

First, it’s important to enjoy family on our own terms and respect each other’s boundaries. Have a plan in place if you need space from your family, whether it is finding quiet time in another room, having someone you can call for a few minutes to talk, or leaving altogether. It is okay to take time for yourself, even if the belief is that holidays are meant to be spent with others.

Prioritize yourself and your health, mental and physical. Don’t overschedule yourself to please others. Maintain healthy habits. Make sure you get enough sleep, eat the things that are best for your body, and attempt some type of movement every day. Write down what you have planned, decide if it is too much for you, and eliminate some activities if necessary.

When giving gifts during the holiday season, the amount of money spent is not what is important. Give what is within your budget. A small, homemade gift is just as special as the newest, biggest, “must have” item. You can show you care about someone without putting yourself in a tight financial situation. As they say, “It’s the thought that counts.”

Lastly, if you are alone, please reach out to someone. Send a message to a friend or family member for support. If you are in crisis, help is available by calling or texting 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Hotline.

During this time when it’s easy to get overwhelmed by shopping, events, and long to-do lists, let’s prioritize ourselves this holiday season.

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