Where Can I Get Help? Mental Health Resources for Children, Youth, and Parents

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When a child is struggling with a mental health issue, parents often feel helpless and worried, not knowing where to seek help. Navigating mental health services can be a daunting process. In my work as a school counsellor, I often advise parents on how to enhance their own knowledge about the resources available. Here are a few of my favourite tools for children, youth, and parents in BC:

For Children and Youth

Kids Help Phone provides children and youth, age 20 and under, with free access to professional counsellors. Kids Help Phone is anonymous and confidential, with phone service available 24/7 and an online chat option between certain hours. The Info Booth section of the Kids Help Phone website also offers kid-friendly information on a variety of mental health topics. www.kidshelpphone.ca

The Booster Buddy App is a fantastic free tool that allows children and youth to monitor their own mental health and wellness. App users choose a “booster buddy,” one of three adorable cartoon creatures, who will check in with them each day, monitor their use of coping and self-care strategies, and provide opportunities to complete fun quests. This app is an interactive way to build kids’ self-awareness and knowledge of mental health. www.viha.ca/cyf_mental_health/boosterbuddy

Designed by Anxiety BC, the Mindshift App helps older children and teens monitor their own anxiety symptoms, triggers, and coping skills. As with the Booster Buddy app, users can take ownership of their mental wellness and care. https://www.anxietybc.com/resources/mindshift-app

For Youth and Young Adults

Mindcheck is a wonderful, interactive website, aimed specifically at teens and young adults to help them identify what to look for and what may be happening when someone is struggling with depressed mood, anxiety, stress, body image or eating problems, substance use problems, or psychosis. Created by BC Children’s Hospital, this website provides quizzes, self-care information, and connections to community resources and professional services. www.mindcheck.ca

The Crisis Centre of BC has created a youth-oriented service called Youth in BC, which offers 24/7 phone support for teens, as well as online chat services from noon to 1:00am. www.youthinbc.com

For Parents

The Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre is the number one service I recommend to parents. The Centre is physically located at BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver, but can be accessed easily by phone and online. Parents can call the centre to chat with a Parent in Residence, a person who has vast experience in navigating the mental health system and has a child with a mental health challenge. The centre also has several Youth in Residence staff members who have lived with mental health challenges and can provide mentorship for other youth. In addition, the Kelty Centre runs the Pinwheel Education Series, a free monthly lunch-hour session on a mental health topic, which parents can attend in person or by telephone. www.keltymentalhealth.ca

Here to Help is a mental health service aimed at adults. As parents struggle to cope with a child’s mental health concerns, they often need to access services to take care of their own mental health needs. Here to Help provides information and access to services in several languages. www.heretohelp.bc.ca