THE IMPORTANCE OF EARLY SUPPORT – ADMH Highlights Children’s Mental Health Acceptance Week

THE IMPORTANCE OF EARLY SUPPORT
ADMH Highlights Children’s Mental Health Acceptance Week

As Alabama recognizes Children’s Mental Health Acceptance Week, the Alabama Department of Mental Health (ADMH) continues the goal to ensure young people have support so they can grow, learn, and succeed.

This year’s theme, Beyond the Screen: Education, Prevention, Connection, focuses on how technology affects children’s mental health and family life.

Early childhood experiences play a big role in how kids learn, build relationships, and handle challenges. Too much screen time at a young age may affect thinking skills, language development, and emotional well-being. ¹

Device use starts early for many children. By age two, about 40% have their own tablet. ² By teenage years (13–18), between 88% and 95% have a smartphone. Researcher Jonathan Haidt, in The Anxious Generation, connects the rise in youth anxiety and depression with increased screen use. He points to less in-person interaction, poor sleep, shorter attention spans, and addictive patterns as possible reasons.

Parents and caregivers can take simple steps to support healthy habits. One recommendation is to keep all devices out of bedrooms to help children sleep better and reduce overuse. Families can find more information and support at https://mh.alabama.gov/child-and-family-services/.

Across the state, ADMH continues to expand access to care for young people. More than 120 school districts and all 19 community mental health centers are part of the School-Based Mental Health Collaboration, serving approximately 12,000 students each year. The goal of the collaboration is to ensure that children and adolescents, both general and special education, enrolled in local school systems have access to high-quality mental health prevention, early intervention, and treatment services. ADMH provides Alabama State Department of Education training, resources, and support for school staff, including Mental Health Service Coordinators, and assists with programs like the Turnaround Schools Initiative.

In addition, ADMH partners with the Department of Human Resources and the Department of Youth Services through the Our Kids Program. This program helps coordinate care for young people with complex needs. Youth in the program must receive, or have recently received, services from at least two local agencies, such as a community mental health center, a county DHR office, or a juvenile court.

Teams from these agencies meet in person, review progress, and track outcomes to make sure each child is getting the right support.

As part of Children’s Mental Health Acceptance Week, ADMH also highlights youth voices through its annual art contest. Young people receiving services are invited to share their experiences through artwork. The winning design is shared with providers across the state and on ADMH social media.

For more information, contact the Office of Public Information at publicinformation.dmh@mh.alabama.gov or call (334) 242-3417.