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
- Managing Your Mental Health During COVID
- Helping Kids During COVID
- Helping Parents During COVID
- Interpersonal Violence and COVID
- Tips for Telehealth and COVID
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

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

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.