Handhold's family-friend design features illustrations of real parents and animated clips of them sharing their mental health journeys.
Identifying behavioral health issues in your child is never easy, but with the COVID-19 pandemic upending normal life for kids and parents everywhere, distinguishing a bad day from a more serious health condition has become harder than ever.聽
It鈥檚 also never been more important, as more and more children are struggling with feelings of uncertainty, isolation, and loss, leading to a prevalence of anxiety, depression, and grief, said Kelly English 鈥�95, M.S.W. 鈥�97, Ph.D. 鈥�05, director of the Children鈥檚 Behavioral Health Knowledge Center within the state鈥檚 Department of Mental Health.聽
鈥淐OVID-19 is putting incredible pressure on families,鈥� said English. 鈥淧arents are struggling too, as they attempt to balance the demands of caretaking, working, and supporting their child鈥檚 education.鈥�
Kelly English
Last spring, shortly before the pandemic forced the closure of schools and businesses across Massachusetts, English was in the midst of a three-week research sprint to determine how the state could reach families earlier in their mental health journeys. As in-person services were reduced, her team quickly pivoted to create a robust digital resource that families could access without leaving home.聽
The result,聽, is an interactive website meant to educate parents on the warning signs of behavioral health issues and help them navigate the complex system of resources available to address them. Launched in October, the site is a starting point for adults with questions about their child鈥檚 mental well-being, including the most common one: 鈥淪hould I be concerned?鈥�
鈥淲e wanted to remove some of the guesswork and help families learn if they should worry, what they can do, and who can help,鈥� explained English. 鈥淭he goal wasn鈥檛 to reinvent the wheel, but rather to provide a family-friendly front door鈥� to resources available in Massachusetts.
From its soothing color-scheme to the supportive language and streamlined menu options, the Handhold site is designed to be both a comforting and empowering space. There鈥檚 an interactive quiz to determine the seriousness of a child鈥檚 behavior, and a collection of tips and strategies submitted by other families that users can filter according to topics like 鈥渟tress鈥� and 鈥渞elationships.鈥� Nearly every page comes alive with the animated voice of a fellow parent sharing his or her own personal journey with a child鈥檚 mental health.聽
鈥淚 was seeing the signs, but I just [thought] ok, well maybe that鈥檚 just him, maybe he鈥檚 just not very social,鈥� said Janelle, a mother of three. 鈥淯ntil I realized ok, now it鈥檚 getting worse and worse.鈥�
The Handhold site is available in six languages: English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Haitian Kreyol, Chinese, and Vietnamese.
鈥淔ind your voice and figure out how to advocate to the best of your ability,鈥� instructed Annie, a foster mom. 鈥淚f you get answers that you don鈥檛 like, ask again, ask another person.鈥�
Hearing from fellow caregivers can help lessen feelings of isolation among parents, said English, encouraging them to take action rather than hope things will get better on their own.聽
鈥淚t helps to reduce the stigma many families feel around seeking mental health treatment for their child,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 one of my favorite features of the site.鈥�
Of similar importance is Handhold鈥檚 translation feature鈥攁ll content is available in six languages鈥攁nd its accessibility to families unfamiliar with the U.S. healthcare system. A section labeled 鈥淲hat to Expect鈥� explains the difference between a licensed social worker and a psychiatrist, as well as the pros and cons of seeking assistance from each, and defines common medical terms like 鈥渁nxiety鈥� and 鈥渢rauma.鈥�
More than 18,000 people have visited HandholdMA.org since its launch, said English, reading up on at-home activities for children with anxiety or what questions to ask when speaking to a service provider for the first time. Parents have sought tips for managing their own well-being, and found comfort in hearing the real stories of parents like Carlos, who have been down this road before.聽
鈥淵ou need to find that one person that you can connect to, to feel comfortable so you鈥檙e apt to open up,鈥� advised the dad of two. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what it took for me.鈥�
Alix Hackett | University Communications | December 2020