Kids and teens are walking into our offices carrying more than the generations before them did. Many are growing up with a steady sense that the world is unsettled, with more exposure to trauma, and with a digital life that follows them from school to the dinner table to their bedroom at night. Some are still making up ground from the years the pandemic took out of classrooms and friendships. Providers across Indiana see this every week in rising anxiety, school avoidance and self-harm, and in young clients who are harder to reach in the first few sessions.

This webinar looks at what is shaping youth mental health right now and what it means for the clinician sitting across from a young person. We'll start with what current data says about prevalence and access to care, nationally and in Indiana, and how social media and phone use tend to show up in presenting concerns. From there we'll cover how to tell the ordinary ups and downs of growing up from distress that needs a closer look, and which standardized screens fit which concerns (Bitsko et al., 2022; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024; Office of the Surgeon General, 2023).

A good part of the hour is about youth in crisis. Indiana has a strong crisis continuum, but much of it was built with adults in mind. We'll talk through what a youth- and family-centered crisis response looks like, how to build a safety plan with a young person and their caregiver, and when to bring in 988, mobile crisis or a higher level of care (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2022; Stanley & Brown, 2012). We'll close with ways to build engagement with children and teens who didn't choose to be in therapy, worked through a case example.

This is part 1 of a two-part series for providers serving children, adolescents and families in Indiana. Each session stands on its own, so join one or both. Part 2, "When home is shifting: Supporting youth through family change, instability, and stress," is on Wednesday, February 10, 2027, from 1:00 to 2:00 pm ET.

Agenda (ET)

[1:00] Welcome and continuing education details

[1:05] Where things stand: youth prevalence, access and service use, nationally and in Indiana

[1:13] What's driving referrals: societal stress, trauma exposure, digital life and social media, and developmental gaps from the pandemic years

[1:23] Early identification: warning signs and choosing a screening measure for depression, anxiety and suicide risk

[1:33] Youth in crisis: what a youth-specific crisis response looks like, safety planning with young people and caregivers, and when to use 988, mobile crisis or a higher level of care

[1:45] Engagement in the first sessions, worked through a case example

[1:53] Questions, post-test and evaluation

[2:00] End.

Who it's for: social workers, counselors and marriage and family therapists in Indiana who work with children, adolescents and their families, including Anthem Indiana Medicaid network providers, associates working toward licensure and the clinical supervisors who guide them.

Content level: intermediate. The webinar assumes a working knowledge of child and adolescent development and basic clinical assessment. No other prerequisites.

Disclosure: Tara Pappas is paid by Motivo to develop and present this webinar. No products or services are promoted.