Advice from Our Professionals

Informative articles by Youth First Social Workers

Maintaining a Healthy Relationship with Your Teen

By Kelsey Crago, MSW, LSW, Youth First, Inc. During adolescence, it’s normal for your child to want more independence, test boundaries, and make decisions you don’t understand. According to Stanford Medicine, it’s developmentally…

Make Time for Playtime

By Alicia Slaton, MSW, LSW, Youth First, Inc. In today's fast-paced world, it is easy for parents to get caught up in work, household chores, and other responsibilities, leaving little time for children to play. However, research has…

Three Ways to Promote Well-Being in Adolescence

Counties, Youth First Blog

By Rachel Haug, MSW, LCSW, Youth First, Inc. Adolescence represents a critical period of self-exploration. The teen years are when many factors contributing to lifelong well-being are developed. As a parent, it is important to be aware…

The Importance of Self-Worth

Counties, Youth First Blog

By Valorie Dassel, MSW, LCSW, LCAC, Youth First, Inc. As parents, we just want our children to be successful and happy. We hope they will be honest, hardworking, and motivated to create healthy work and personal lives. The truth is that…

What is Coping?

Counties, Youth First Blog

By Melinda Johnson, MSW, LCSW, Youth First, Inc. We often hear the word “coping” in conversation, but what does it really mean? People often think coping skills are learned in therapy, but we all cope from day to day- some of us are…

When to Seek Professional Help for Anxiety and Depression

All Posts, Counties, Perry County, Youth First Blog

By Jordan Nonte, MSW, LSW, Youth First, Inc. We’ve all felt sad at some point in our lives, we’ve all felt anxious, but at what point do these emotions go from normal to disruptive? You may be wondering why anxiety and depression…