MCS’ Mental Health Matters prepares for two upcoming webinars

MADISON – The Mental Health Matters initiative with Madison City Schools will host two free webinars to educate parents and involved adults about the ways to support mental health of youth amid the ever-encroaching reach of technology.

MCS employees in Mental Health Services have coordinated this virtual learning series with two respected local agencies: National Children’s Advocacy Center and The Enrichment Center.

The webinar, “Online Dangers: Prevention & Support,” will open on Feb. 25 at noon. Participants will learn about current trends that concern social media and internet safety, communication strategies for talking to your child and how to handle potentially dangerous online situations.

The National Children’s Advocacy Center is presenting this session. The center at 210 Pratt Ave. NE in Huntsville provides trauma counseling services and parenting classes.

The advocacy center defines trauma as “an event or series of events that involve fear or threat. These can include child abuse, physical assault, witnessing violence, disasters, violent crime or sudden/violent death of a loved one.”

In his podcast series, “Sittin’ With the Supe,” MCS Superintendent Dr. Ed Nichols said that the district is pleased to partner with both Madison first-responders and the National Children’s Advocacy Center. Specifically, the “Handle With Care” initiative was designed to provide sensitivity-tailored care to students who may have experienced a trauma-inducing event.

“As educators, we know that traumatic experiences can impact student learning from lack of sleep, difficulty concentrating, changes in behavior or being unprepared for class,” Nichols said. With Handle With Care, “schools are better able to offer extra care to these students to help them succeed.”

MCS values its community partnerships with National Children’s Advocacy Center, The Enrichment Center, The Caring House and Crisis Services of North Alabama’s, according to Stephanie Allen, MCS Coordinator of Mental Health Services.

The next webinar, “Building Self-Esteem & Resiliency in a Digital Age,” is set for March 19 at noon. The Enrichment Center will present the session.

The Enrichment Center, a non-profit organization, provides therapy services for mental health during the school day, thus eliminating the need for transportation. The services are provided at no cost to student families.

Attendees will learn skills and strategies to help build self-esteem and resiliency in youth. The material will give special consideration on social media and internet activity’s impact, according to material by Courtney Burns and Zoe Yohe with The Enrichment Center.

In simple terms, self-esteem is your opinion of yourself. Furthermore, it’s a strong and deeply felt belief that you as a person has value.

Factors that influence self-esteem include transitions, physical appearance, social stability, gender differences, expectations (realistic versus unrealistic) and family support, according to The Enrichment Center.

To register, visit tinyurl.com/444k-9su7. Individuals also can register by scanning the QR code on fliers or visiting madisoncity.k12.al.us/domain/2411. To join from a mobile device, the WebEx app is required (free to download).

For questions, email Stephanie Allen at slallen@madisoncity.k12.al.us.