Finding Our New Normal

Strengthening Mental Health in a COVID World and Beyond

The changes in our day to day lives due to COVID-19 have greatly impacted the mental health for families all over the world. Join our panelists to learn what you can do right now to help your own mental health and what can help your kids. We will also discuss what to do moving forward to help you stay mentally healthy.

Resources and Links from the Presentation

Please Note: The Idaho Parent Network has not reviewed these links for content or consistency of message. The views expressed are solely those of the individual authors and/or agencies. They are presented solely for informational purposes.

Videos from Dr. Franz at PacificSource
American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
Center for Disease Control (CDC)
Child Mind Institute
HealthlyChildren.org
American Psychology Association

Specific topics for helping children manage attention and distractibility in online learning; student mental health; minority mental health

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

Book reviews, free parenting classes, online classes for parents of children with serious emotional disturbance.

Psychology Today
The Psychological Society of Ireland
Phases of Disaster
Disaster Emotion Graph

Adapted from Zunin & Myers as cited in DeWolfe, D. J., 2000. Training manual for mental health and human service workers in major disasters (2nd ed., HHS Publication No. ADM 90-538). Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services

Idaho Resources

Impacted by stress of COVID? Call/text 986-867-1073 or toll free  866-947-5186

Idaho Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health
Understanding and Healing from Trauma

Articles, blog, resource links

Session Presenters

Family Together

Dr. Mike Franz, MD, DFAACAP, FAPA

Medical Director, Behavioral Health, PacificSource

Dr. Franz is a board-certified child & adolescent and adult psychiatrist who has worked in a variety of clinical and administrative leadership positions throughout Oregon. He is currently Medical Director of Behavioral Health at PacificSource, but also works as a clinician providing psychiatric consultation to two pediatric clinics via telemedicine and the Collaborative Care Model. Dr. Franz also provides telepsychiatry out of his home in Bend to the frontier regions of Eastern Oregon.

In 2015 he was recognized as a Distinguished Fellow of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) and a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association (APA).

Tricia Ellinger

Parent, Co-Director, Idaho Parent Network for Children’s Mental Health

Tricia is a single mother of 5, residing in the rural Treasure Valley area, adoptive parent to 3 young, special needs children with co-occurring developmental disabilities and serious emotional disturbance.  Tricia is a fierce advocate for her children to access appropriate treatment and educational opportunities to encourage her littles to be their best selves.

Pat Martelle, LCSW

Program Development Coordinator, Idaho Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health

Pat is focused on system change in children’s systems of care as youth and families speak to what those changes need to be. Her background is in clinical social work, public health and policy development. She gets her inspiration from the youth who are currently speaking out globally about public health issues.