Mental Health Needs and Supports for the Entire Family of a Child with a Developmental Disability

Supporting the mental health of families with a child who has a developmental disability is crucial. Parents and siblings often experience significant emotional challenges, including stress, anxiety, and feelings of isolation. Access to comprehensive mental health services and resources is essential to address these challenges effectively.

Early intervention and tailored support can significantly improve the well-being of both the child and their family members. Collaborative efforts among healthcare providers, educators, and community organizations are vital in creating a supportive environment that fosters resilience and positive outcomes for the entire family.

In this webinar you will learn (Learning Objectives):

  • Family Adjustment and Adaptation
  • Strengths and Talents of Children with Developmental Disabilities
  • Family Support and Experiences
  • Positives of Raising a Child with a Disability
  • Challenges and Family Dynamics, and many more!

About the Speaker: Dr. Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, M.D., Ph.D.

Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola is Professor of Clinical Internal Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis. He is also Founding Director of the newly developed Center for Reducing Health Disparities at UC Davis Health System. Dr. Aguilar-Gaxiola is the on-site Principal Investigator of the Mexican American Prevalence and Services Survey (MAPSS), the largest mental health study conducted in the U.S. on Mexican Americans. He is a member of the National Advisory Mental Health Council (NAMHC), National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

Tags:

best of the internet, Child Disability Resources, developmental Disabilities, Developmental Disability Support, family mental health, Family Well-Being, Mental Health, Supporting Parents and Siblings

Depression in the Family

It is estimated that nearly 7% of the adult population in the US will at some point in their life suffer from depression. It is a rare family that has not been touched by the pain of depression, which might include drug/alcohol abuse, job-loss, divorce, infidelity, suicide, emotional and physical harm, and a host of other difficult and hard to talk about subjects that harm the integrity of a family.

Despite an increasing number of conversations about depression in the public sphere, many families continue to fight this battle in silence and alienated from their loved ones.

Learning Objectives:

  • Currently accepted causes and treatments of depression.
  • Risk factors associated with the onset of depression.
  • Strategies for working with you loved one to seek help.
  • Recommendations to help your loved one or clients maximize the offerings of the professional mental health offerings.

About the Presenter: Mark Meier, MSW, LCSW

Mark is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over with over 25 years of clinical, professional, and academic training on depression, to go along with a deeply personal understanding of the impact depression has on families and workplaces when left unrecognized and untreated. In 2009 Mark co-founded the Face It Foundation to provide free support services to men who deal with depression and who have survived suicide attempts.

Today Face It serves over 100 men each month with support groups, retreats, education classes, and social activities. In addition to his full-time work at Face It, Mark is on staff in the University of Minnesota’s School of Medicine – Department of Family Medicine and Community Health and an advisor for multiple research studies on depression through the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Mark has delivered over 350 talks across the United States on depression and he openly speaks about his own battle with depression that resulted in his hospitalization in 2002.

Mark believes it’s his own experience with depression that has best positioned him to help others.

Tags:

depression support, family mental health, Health, risk factors, seeking help, treatment options, Well-being