The Child Mind Institute Launches Video Series to Help Raise More Resilient, Thriving Kids

In 2022, the Child Mind Institute partnered with the State of California to launch Healthy Minds, Thriving Kids, a series of free videos that teach kids important mental health skills. Building upon the success of that program, California is launching another powerful free video series — Positive Parenting, Thriving Kids — in partnership with the Child Mind Institute. This comprehensive series is designed to equip caregivers with invaluable, evidence-based strategies for nurturing resilient and thriving children. Each video is accompanied by learning guides and additional resources, with careful consideration of programs adapted for diverse populations. It is available for free on childmind.org/positiveparenting in English and Spanish.

The Positive Parenting, Thriving Kids series helps provide parents and caregivers with the support they need to face today’s parenting challenges. The videos cover 20 topics that focus on a wide range of situations, like how to promote good behaviour in children, how to talk about alcohol and drugs with your teen, and why it’s important that caregivers make sure to take care of themselves. The topics were identified by a team of more than 40 experts from the Child Mind Institute, Harvard University, the University of California, and other leading institutions. Content was informed with the help of survey data collected from a Child Mind Institute and IPSOS survey of 1,000 California parents. The survey found that 85% of California parents and caregivers agree they would benefit from resources to support their child/teen when they show signs of stress or anxiety.

The videos feature an incredibly diverse group of individuals, including 150 parents, caregivers and children. The Positive Parenting, Thriving Kids topics cover four broad themes, including:

·   Self-Care and Parent-Child Relationships

·   Healthy Child and Adolescent Growth

·   Big Changes and Challenges

·   Family and Community Stressors

Positive Parenting, Thriving Kids, funded as part of California’s Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI), builds upon the innovative partnership between the Child Mind Institute and the State of California to address the ongoing youth mental health crisis. The inaugural campaign, Healthy Minds, Thriving Kids, provided educators and caregivers in California and beyond with a mental health skill video resource library. The series has reached more than two million children since launching in January 2022. Positive Parenting, Thriving Kids focuses on providing resources for caregivers to better care for the mental health fitness of the children in their lives.

“We are proud to expand our work with the State of California. The debut of the Positive Parenting, Thriving Kids video series marks a significant milestone for us in addressing the youth mental health crisis,” said Harold S. Koplewicz, MD, founding president and medical director of the Child Mind Institute. “We are confident these innovative tools will serve families and caregivers as instruments for positive change, offering a renewed sense of optimism and prioritising the mental health of our nation's children and adolescents.”

Nationwide, rates of anxiety, depression, and self-harm are climbing. Between 2019 and 2021, about one-third of California teens experienced serious psychological distress, with a 20% increase in adolescent suicides. Meanwhile, the nationwide mental health provider shortage is causing longer wait times for appointments to community-based mental health providers. Availability is particularly limited among the uninsured, people of colour, people with low incomes, and people with disabilities.

The project was launched as part of DHCS’ CalHOPE program. Visit the Positive Parenting, Thriving Kids digital content hub at https://childmind.org/positiveparenting/ for more information and to access the full library of resources. For more resources for California parents and caregivers, visit CalHOPE.org