Curriculum Corner
February/ March 2020
Mental Health Resources
Dear HSES Families,
In his Strategic Call to Action, Dr. Martirano states strongly the need for supporting the mental health and well being of our students. One of his desired outcomes shares, "Students’ mental health and social‑emotional learning are nurtured through skill development, collaborative dialogue and a restorative culture in our classrooms and communities." As a community, our collaboration and relationship is a critical component to supporting and nurturing our students.
As we read the newspapers and listen to colleagues, the issue of mental health continues to be a high concern. Our children are the most precious part of our lives. If they are suffering, I cannot imagine a greater pain. Unfortunately, there is still a stigma with mental illness. As a result, there can be a sense of isolation for both the student and the family suffering with mental illness. As we saw in "Screenagers" in the Fall, there can be many factors that can influence a child's mental health. This edition of Curriculum Corner will share resources and ideas that may help support our families in need and hopefully reduce the feeling of isolation families may be feeling.
Together we can do so much. I hope you find these resources valuable.
Sincerely,
Amanda Wadsworth
Principal, HSES
HCPSS and County Resources
HCPSS Website
HCPSS Link to resources for mental health and well-being
Network of Care for Behavioral Health: Looking for one stop shopping for information about behavioral health resources in Howard County? Check out http://howard.md.networkofcare.org/mh/. You can find links to providers in the categories of:
o Crisis
o Housing
Have you heard of Nami?
"NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.
What started as a small group of families gathered around a kitchen table in 1979 has blossomed into the nation's leading voice on mental health. Today, we are an association of hundreds of local affiliates, state organizations and volunteers who work in your community to raise awareness and provide support and education that was not previously available to those in need."
Homeless and Counseling Resources
Need emergency counseling or supports?
Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center operates a 24-hour crisis intervention and counseling hotline and free walk-in counseling. The hotline and walk-in program serves as the single point of entry for the Howard County Coordinated System of Homeless Services. There is also a mobile crisis team that responds with the police to psychiatric emergencies, family crises, and other traumatic events.
The shelter program has 33 beds for families and single women and 18 beds for single men. Supportive services and case management services are available to all residents. Motel placement is available for up to three families when the shelter program is full.
There is also a cold weather shelter that provides overflow shelter from November–March. Additionally, the Route 1 Day Resource Center operates three days a week and provides meals, showers, laundry, and social services to the homeless.
Contact: Grassroots Crisis Hotline 410-531-6677 or 800-422-0009
Parental Control - Electronic Devices, App, etc.
There are different points of view when it comes to parental controls and oversight of our children's devices. For those interested in some of the more popular apps and/or programs for oversight, please see resources below:
iPhone - Family Sharing - https://www.apple.com/family-sharing/
It allows a parent to choose screen time limits and downtime (when they can’t access anything). It also allows a parent to see how much time they spend on certain apps as well as what time they are on it.
Life360 - https://www.life360.com/
For tracking location, where they are and where they have been.
No more endless texts and calls wondering, did Sarah make it home? Has Dad left the office? When will Mom arrive to pick me up? With Life360, just open the app and instantly see everyone in your private Circle on the map. You can also message the whole group at once or privately.
Avoid annoying “where are you?” calls and just send a quick “check-in” to let Mom know you’ve made it to soccer practice and you’re doing great. Or you can make it really easy, and automate the whole thing by adding “Places” to alert you when Circle members come and go from your favorite spots.
Circle - Smart Family Controls - https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/circle-smart-family-controls/id1037062934
Circle is the smart way for families to manage content and time online, on any device.
Circle works with your home Wi-Fi and manages every device on your network, both wireless and wired, without ever needing to put software on them. Setup is a cinch, and customizing Circle for your unique family is quick and easy!
How to set up parental controls on your iPad:
Setting parental controls on YouTube:
Parental Controls for Amazon Prime Videos: