Mental Health Resources for Parents and Caregivers

Recovery from Mental Health Conditions, Grief, and Disasters  

• Resources to Support Children and Families Impacted by Parent or Caregiver Loss: Reference this page from ACF to learn more about what we’re doing to support children and families who have experienced loss and ensure they are connected with services and resources that can support them emotionally and financially.
• Resource Guide to Supporting Children and Families Before, During, and After Emergencies, Disasters, and Adversities (PDF): This resource guide includes resources to help children, youth, families, and communities prepare for and recover from emergencies, disasters, and adversities.
• Helping Children Cope with Emergencies : Help your child cope and recover from an emergency experience with resources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• Talking to Children During Infectious Disease Outbreaks : Leverage this tip sheet from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which lists reactions to stress that are common among children, especially during and after an infectious disease outbreak.
• Recognizing and Supporting Children’s Response to Crises and Tragic Events : Explore this tip sheet to enhance your understanding of a child’s responses to a crisis or traumatic event.

Trauma Support, Healing, and Recovery

• What is Child Trauma? Types and At-Risk Populations : Learn more from The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) about what is child trauma, the types of trauma, and populations at risk.
• Parenting a Child Who Has Experienced Trauma  (PDF) — Fact Sheet for Families: Learn more about the nature of trauma, its effects on children and youth, and ways you can help your child as a parent. 
• Trauma — Responding to Crises and Fostering Recovery : These resources help caregivers and families understand the signs and dangers of stress in young children. 

Parental Mental Health Support to Ensure Child and Family Well-Being

• Parent Well-Being Matters (Video ): Watch this video to learn more about why parent well-being matters—because when adult caregivers are doing well and able to promote and provide safe, nurturing, and responsive relationships, then children will do well.
• Parenting Through Tough Times  (PDF) (PDF): Find tips and strategies for how you can help yourself and your family while experiencing depression or tough times.
• Family Well-being: A Focus on Parental Depression  (PDF): Explore the impact that parental depression has on children and families and identify successful intervention methods and treatments to help address any feelings of depression and promote your own strength, resilience, and well-being.

Key Considerations and Common Concerns

• Intro to Children's Mental Health : Explore childhood mental health topics, including information about mental health conditions, treatments, prevention, and research on children’s mental health.
• Mental Health and Early Childhood : Explore resources from ACF’s Head Start Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center about mental health, social and emotional well-being, and early childhood development.
• Common Child-Age Mental Health Concerns : Use this educational resource to help understand the wide array of mental health challenges.
• Childhood Mental Health — Key Topics List : Recognize and treat the signs of mental condition sooner rather than later with the help of this site from the National Library of Medicine.

Risk and Protective Factors

• Data and Statistics on Children’s Mental Health : Learn the facts about mental health in U.S. children, including prevalence of mental, behavioral, and developmental challenges.
• Risk and Protective Factors for Youth:  Understand the factors, whether biological, psychological, community, or family-related, that can contribute to the mental health of youth.
• Promoting Protective Factors Tip Sheets : View easy-to-read tip sheets (also available en español  (PDF)) to find answers to common parenting questions and learn about concrete steps you can take to strengthen your family.

Trauma and Mental Health

• Early Signs of Stress or Trauma in Young Children : Recognize the signs of traumatic stress, its impact on children, treatment options, and how families and caregivers can help.
• Tips for Talking with and Helping Children and Youth Cope After a Disaster or Traumatic Event — A Guide for Parents, Caregivers, and Teachers:  (PDF) This tip sheet will help parents, caregivers, and teachers learn some common reactions, respond in a helpful way, and know when to seek support.
• Understanding Child Traumatic Stress — A Guide for Parents : Reference this resource from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) to learn more about child traumatic stress, the best way to treat it, what parents can do at home for their children, and how parents can make sure their children receive support at school.
• Complex Trauma — Facts for Caregivers­ : Learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of complex trauma as well as recommendations on how to help children heal.

 Social Media, Online Safety, and Mental Health

• Social Media Safety and Children — Complete Resource Center : Scan through this comprehensive resource repository from the ACF Child Welfare Information Gateway, which help provide guidelines to foster parents who want to help youth use technology and social media safely.
• Social Media and Youth Mental Health : Understand key takeaways from the U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory, describing the current evidence on the impacts of social media on the mental health of children and adolescents. 

Resilience Practices and Positive Parenting

• Fathers, Families, and Mental Health : This webinar from ACF’s Office of Head Start National Center on Health, Behavioral Health, and Safety explores how to best support the family system by learning about the unique experiences of fathers, appropriate screening tools and interventions, and the impact of the father on the family.
• Pathways To Prevention — A Comprehensive Guide to Promoting Infant and Toddler Mental Health  (PDF): Discovery how to support infant and toddler mental health with this comprehensive guide that includes definitions, strategies, and challenges.
• Understanding Stress and Resilience in Young Children : Watch this video from ACF’s Office of Head Start to learn more about stress and resilience in young children and how you can buffer children from stress to improve outcomes.
• Positive Parenting Tips : Learn more about your child’s development and tools for positive parenting at each stage of your child’s life.

Skill-Building and Childhood Development

• Learn the Signs. Act Early : Learn the signs of your child’s development and act early if you ever have a concern. Includes a link for CDC’s free milestone tracker app.
• Social and Emotional Development in Early Years — Resources for Parents and Caregivers : Both social and emotional development are important for young children’s mental health. Read more about effective teaching practices for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.
• Essentials for Parenting: These resources from CDC are designed to help parents and caregivers handle some common parenting challenges. There are special resources for parents and caregivers of 2- to 4-year-olds and 11- to 17-year-olds.
• Children’s Social Emotional Development and Mental Health — Why Does It Matter?: Learn from ACF experts about why social emotional development and mental health is so important for children.

Signs and Symptoms in Children

• Training on Children’s Mental Health : Looking for information to help recognize, manage, and support your child’s mental health? Watch this virtual training featuring experts from HHS and parent and youth leaders to learn more about signs and symptoms of mental health conditions.
• Children and Mental Health — Is This Just a Stage? : Better understand your children’s behaviors and emotions and if they signify a potential mental health issue or additional help may be needed.  
• Recognizing and Addressing Anxiety and Depression in Children and Teens - Tune in to this parenting and caregiver webinar, hosted via ACF and SAMHSA, to learn the signs and symptoms of anxiety and depression and how they can vary by individual based on different factors. Learn practical strategies to recognize, support, and address anxiety and/or depression-related concerns in children and adolescents.

Treatment and Finding the Right Care

• Therapy to Improve Children’s Mental Health : Learn more about therapy and how it can help improve your child’s mental health—including what types are most effective and the right therapy for your child.
• Treatment Options for Youth with Mental Health Challenges : Uncover more information about treatment approaches, key questions for parents, and guides for families with this page from Youth.gov.
• Finding Treatment : Use your zip code to find a nearby provider/program based on your unique mental health or substance use needs with this treatment finder from the Substance Use and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

About Teen Mental Health

• Mental Health for Teens and Young Adults : Discover targeted resources and information from Youth.gov to address mental health concerns specific to teenagers and young adults, including guidance and support for promoting well-being among this age group.
• Mental Health for Adolescents - Common Signs and Conditions : Learn about mental health when it comes to adolescents, specifically how to identify common signs and challenges that may affect this age group.
• Teen Mental Health Basics and Resources : Delve into this repository of resources related to teen mental health, including educational resources, statistics and research, health check tools, and more from the National Library of Medicine.
• Youth Mental Health: Read more from the U.S. Surgeon General about why youth mental health matters, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic, and how you as a parent can be supportive.  

Anxiety and Depression in Teens

• Virtual Training for Parents and Caregivers - Anxiety and Depression in Children and Youth
• Understanding Depression : Use this ACF tip sheet to identify the signs of depression and when to seek help if necessary.

Risks and Protective Factors

• Mental Health and Genetics - What Your Genes Can They Tell You : Explore this resource and dive into the intersection of mental health and genetics, exploring how genetic factors can provide insights into understanding mental health conditions and their potential implications.
• Risk and Protective Factors for Youth: Understand the factors, whether biological, psychological, community, or family-related, that can contribute to the mental health of youth.

Promoting Self Esteem and Resilience

• Coaching Teens to Recognize and Manage Emotions - Essentials for Parenting Teens : Coach teenagers to identify and effectively manage their emotions, fostering emotional intelligence and healthier communication, with help from this resource from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• Disparities and Resiliency in Adolescent Health: Learn more about resiliency and prevalent types of disparities that adolescents in the United States face, along with how to promote resiliency.

Prevention Strategies and Tips

• What is Mental Health Promotion and Prevention? How Does it Apply to Parents and Caregivers? : Learn more about how parents can support the mental health needs of teenagers and young adults.
• Virtual Training for Parents and Caregivers — Access to Child and Youth Mental Health Resources (Video): Uncover the tools and skills needed to support your child’s mental health with this virtual discussion with ACF, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA), and parent, youth, and community leaders.
• For Parents — Adolescent Health : Parents play a huge role in keeping their teens safe and healthy—learn more about how you as a parent can practice positive parenting and help your teen stay healthy.

Talking About Mental Health

• Tip Sheet for Parents and Caregivers (PDF): Practical tips for parents and caregivers from young people who have experienced mental health challenges. Tips include suggestions for what to do and say when talking to a young person about mental health concerns or challenges.

Signs and Symptoms

• Youth Mental Health Warning Signs: Strengthen your ability to recognize warning signs, address youth mental health challenges, and support young individuals’ mental well-being.
• Tool for Parents to Understand Teen's Wellbeing - Screen4Success : Learn more about the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s screening tool, designed to help parents and caregivers better understand the health, wellness, and well-being of their children.

Treatment Options and Types

• Treatment Options for Youth with Mental Health Challenges : Gain insights into an array of treatment options specifically tailored for youth with mental health challenges so parents and caregivers can make informed decisions about care for loved ones.

Finding Nearby Treatment Providers and Services

• Finding Treatment : Use your zip code to find appropriate treatment options for teens and young adults seeking help for various mental health concerns.

Supporting Teen Mental Health

• Supporting Your Teen’s Mental Health — Tips for Parents  (PDF) (PDF): Discover recommendations for parents and caregivers on addressing youth mental health and tips for helping youth become resilient and thrive.
• Find Support : In addition to health care professionals, there are many community programs that offer help—use this resource to help find support for your teen.
• Resources for Parents and Caregivers: Refer to this resource hub from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for additional resources curated specifically for parents and caregivers supporting children with mental health challenges.  

Stress Management Tips

• Help Your Teen Cope with Stress : Recognize the signs of stress and learn strategies for helping teens channel their stress in healthy ways.
• Coping with Stress: Learning to cope with stress in a healthy way will help you, the people you care about, and those around you become more resilient.
• Guided Meditation Series with the U.S. Surgeon General : Share these free guided meditation recordings with your teen, featuring U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy and the Calm app.