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Parent Connext™

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Parent Connext™

One Mom’s Parent Connext™ Story

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Kayla’s son Jordan* was exhibiting extremely disruptive behavior at school. His behavior had become so severe that Kayla was forced to remove him from kindergarten. Jordan was only 5-years-old at the time and his mother was desperate for improvement in his behavior and peace in their lives. “Kayla initially came in due to the disruptive and sometimes physically aggressive behavior the child had at school and was now having at home,” Shawn, Kayla’s Parent Connext™ Parenting Specialist said. Kayla was a single mom struggling with her own anxiety and depression and she and Jordan were living with her parents. Because of her busy work schedule, Jordan was spending much of his time with his grandparents whose parenting philosophies did not necessarily align with Kayla’s. She was determined to improve her family’s situation and become a better mother to her son. Kayla sought help at her pediatrician’s office. Kayla’s pediatrician completed an initial assessment and determined Parent Connext™ may be a good solution for her. Kayla was connected with Shawn that same day. “Kayla had great parenting instincts but did not trust herself,” Shawn said. Shawn first focused on identifying Kayla’s strengths. This would provide a solid foundation on which to build. “We identified her strengths of patience, fairness, bravery, prudence, judgment, love, and listening,” Shawn said. With these Natural Strength Parenting™ tools in place Kayla was equipped to begin having powerful, necessary conversations with her son, her parents, and Jordan’s school. Kayla’s primary concern at home was a lack of structure provided for Jordan by her parents while she was working. With Jordan no longer being in school, the lack of structure at home was causing him to spiral out of control. Kayla relied on her strengths of bravery and judgment to approach her parents about these issues. Once these conversations occurred, Kayla established trust and understanding with her parents and they suddenly became a team with Jordan’s best interest in focus. Together, they were able to establish a daily routine for Jordan. This had an immediate, positive effect on his behavior. With some visible progress, Kayla pushed for a more unified approach to raising Jordan. She was appreciative of her parent’s help but needed them to understand her desires for their future. “We worked toward empowering Kayla to have the difficult conversation with her parents regarding her parenting philosophy,” Shawn said. Kayla felt her parents undermined her authority which was confusing to Jordan. By having this conversation with her parents, they became closely aligned in their parenting approach. Together they began setting limits for Jordan and following through with the agreed upon consequences for negative behaviors. Jordan’s improvement and the new-found serenity at home inspired Kayla to explore self- care and address her own mental health issues. Kayla is now in individual therapy and Jordan has returned to school. Kayla established a proactive working relationship with Jordan’s teacher and they communicate regularly. Through her own desire to find effective solutions for herself and Jordan, Kayla found her strengths and set herself on the path to be the best parent she could be for Jordan. Natural Strength Parenting™ provided the tools she needed to initiate real change in her environment and strengthen her family. Jordan has returned to school and has been incident free since his return. Help moms like Kayla by supporting Beech Acres Parenting Center today!  

Photo of a father hugging his son from the side with his hand on his head
Natural Strength Parenting™, Parent Connext™

One Dad’s Parent Connext™ Story

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Ben was a dad struggling with negativity following his recent divorce when he saw a Parent Connext™ flyer in his child’s pediatrician’s office. He was carrying with him a tremendous amount of anger, bitterness, and resentment. These emotions were having a negative impact on his relationship with his son. Divorce is one of the more common ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) that can have a significant impact on a child’s development. Meaningful cooperation between parents during a divorce is critical to mitigating the negative effects a child feels. But this can be difficult when there is ongoing turmoil between the parents. Ben was concerned with the negative messaging he believed his son was receiving from their mother about him. He was focused all of his energy on her, rather than on developing a solid relationship with his child. But Ben had a powerful motivation, a true desire to be a good father to his son. Ben engaged the Beech Acres Parenting Center Parenting Specialist through Parent Connext™ located in his pediatrician’s office. “Ben came in because he wanted to improve his parenting,” Mary, Ben’s Parent Connext™ Parenting Specialist, commented. “We focused on building his relationship with his son.” In the beginning, it was still difficult for Ben to set aside the bitterness and negativity, but soon he began to make progress.  Mary introduced Ben to Natural Strength Parenting™, Beech Acres Parenting Center’s unique strengths-based approach to parenting, through a variety of fun, easy to use tools that focused on intentionality, strengths, and mindfulness. Mary asked powerful questions to encourage Ben to open up to her in an authentic way. This helped him to focus on the positive outcome of building a strong relationship with his child. When Ben would speak about his son Mary used expansive listening, listening fully and engaging with what Ben was saying. This enabled true collaboration between the two on solutions for parenting strategies. Through effective use of Natural Strength Parenting™ Mary and Ben were able to focus on his kid and on a plan for the future. “His long-term goal is to have a healthy relationship with his child,” Mary said. Ben was empowered to be a good father. “That mindfulness stuff you taught me really works,” Ben told Mary after several sessions. “Ben had a ‘lightbulb’ moment,” Mary said. “He stated his intention to be 100% present and engaged when he was with his son.” Ben is focused on building long-lasting, positive relationships with his child. By being intentional, mindful, and focusing on his families’ strengths Ben is improving himself and his son. *Names and circumstances may be altered to protect the identity of our client

Jim Mason, Mental Health, Natural Strength Parenting™, Parent Connext™, Parents, Strengths

Parents Embracing Children’s Mental Health, Beech Acres Study Indicates

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A new, national Children’s Mental Health Awareness Study from Beech Acres Parenting Center offers insights into the evolving perceptions and practices of parents regarding the mental health of their children. The study shows that acceptance of mental health as a key factor of overall health is becoming increasingly mainstream among parents. Among the most compelling results of the study is the dramatic generational change in parents’ view of mental health. While 61% of parents said they had no discussion of mental health when they were kids, only 13% of them do not discuss it now as parents. “Many children and families live with mental health concerns or even a mental illness, so it’s extremely encouraging that we are bringing down the veil of stigma for parents on this topic,” said Jim Mason, President, and CEO of Beech Acres Parenting Center. “Parents who are actively engaged with their children’s mental health and well-being can have a huge positive impact, and we’ve seen that to be true over many generations at Beech Acres.” Hope for Parents This changing attitude toward mental health is further reflected by a finding from the study that 91% of parents who have not had to seek treatment for their child would expect to be involved in their child’s mental health treatment, instead of taking a hands-off approach. Even before seeking treatment, 41% of parents in the study said they actively work to support their children’s mental health on a regular basis. Parents are interested in hearing about mental health proactively from sources they trust. About 2/3 of parents who participated in the study think mental health resources should be proactively shared by a child’s school. The same number of parents would like to receive mental health resources from their pediatrician during a well-child visit. “Proactively addressing children’s mental health in a setting in which other needs are already being met has been a successful strategy of ours for several years now through our Parent Connext™ program,” Mason said. “It’s encouraging that parents are validating this approach.” Parent Connext™ meets parents where they are by placing parenting specialists onsite in pediatric care practices. By providing prompt, practical support, we help build parents’ capacity to provide safe and nurturing environments for their children. Mental Health Education As more people realize the importance of mental health, education is increasingly necessary to set aside misconceptions about it. “There is no substitute for personalized care from a mental health professional to help your family address mental health questions,” Mason said. “Misperceptions about mental health stop some families from accessing the best possible care for their children. By educating and supporting parents, Beech Acres reduces fears and increases parents’ confidence in providing their children with whatever mental health care they may need.” The study also discovered other areas of mental health that need clarification. For example, the top three concerns of parents who have never had to seek treatment for their children are Not understanding their child’s condition (42%), Fear of the unknown (42%) and Not knowing where to go for help (38%). Solutions In many cases, the answers to mental health treatment questions may be more attainable than we realize. The study indicated that eight in 10 parents believe there is a strong or moderate connection between building on a child’s strengths and improving their mental health. At Beech Acres, building on a child’s innate strengths is a pillar for its Natural Strength Parenting™ framework. Natural Strength Parenting™ is a distinct approach to parenting that integrates concepts of intentionality and mindfulness to help parents better see and encourage their children’s unique, innate strengths. Beech Acres Parenting Center is the first organization anywhere to recognize the power of combining intentionality, mindfulness, and strengths into one foundational approach to parenting. Sharon James, Senior Parent Educator at Beech Acres Parenting Center, said the Natural Strength Parenting™ approach can give parents easy steps to support their children’s mental health. “For example, listen to them with curiosity to spot a strength they have, and make a point to promote that strength to build their confidence and self-esteem,” James said. “This kind of intentional act of support can make a huge, positive impact in the lives of children.” Methodology Information from the Children’s Mental Health Awareness Study is based on a 2018 survey of 798 parents nationwide who have children aged 18 and under that lived with them in their homes.

White house of values graphic featuring a hand drawn image of a house with a list inside of it of family characteristics
Beech Acres, Parent Connext™

House of Values: A Parent Connext™ Story

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Most parents turn to pediatricians as their trusted source of advice about child-rearing problems. Conversely, many pediatricians worry about the impact family and modern-day stressors have on children’s health. Yet a typical visit to the doctor is a difficult time for the kind of consultation many parents need. Until now. Parent Connext™ was designed by Beech Acres Parenting Center staff with pediatricians to solve this dilemma, in partnership with the Mayerson Center for Safe and Healthy Children at Cincinnati Children’s. The program is funded by Bethesda Inc. and the Mental Health Recovery Services of Warren & Clinton Counties. The aim of Parent ConnextTM is to support, educate and connect parents to the next step on their parenting path. Parenting Specialists are located right in the pediatric practice, making them convenient for parents. Parent Connext™ is on its own journey to demonstrate a positive impact on the quality of children’s health, parent and physician satisfaction, and long- term cost reduction, by intervening in potential future health problems before they get started. In its first seven months, Parent Connext™ has made impressive progress on its three-year journey to demonstrate stronger pediatric health care. Testing in four pediatric offices thus far, as of the end of the fiscal year, 1588 families have been screened during well-child visits for stress from environmental and parenting factors. Beech Acres Parenting Specialists have received a total of 426 referrals, either through the screenings or directly from the pediatricians. Natural Strength Parenting™ provides a framework for success for families. Through our Natural Strength Parenting™ framework, Parenting Specialists encourage parents to: shift from reactive to intentional parenting, focus on developing their child’s natural strengths (and their own), and mindfully notice each moment with their child as an opportunity to deepen their relationship and model important values. One family recently referred to Sue, a Parent Connext™ Parenting Specialist, brought Natural Strength Parenting™ to life in their home. Literally. Frustrated by their son’s big emotions and often aggressive meltdowns, Kelly sought advice from her pediatrician. Sue was there to help. Kelly and husband, Jon, identified living by values-based goals as a priority for their family. With Sue’s guidance and support, they convened a family meeting with their three children to create their family’s goals. They decided to ‘build their house’ out of values. Once they decided what was most important to their family (happiness and joy), the parents and kids examined who they are as a family. These qualities became the foundation for their house of values. An exploration of each member’s natural strengths led them to see that their family is kind, respectful, responsible, accountable, healthy and safe. Building on their strengths of teamwork and creativity, they made a poster together. A house. house of values. It was important for them to quantify what made their family unique. They listed their values as the foundation of the house. Under happiness and joy as the roof, they made a list of tangible items providing structure for their values. After asking each other what their values looked like to them, their answers were: Stay calm when upset (Self-Regulation) Use respectful words (Kindness) Tell the truth (Honesty) When they were finished they had a new perspective on who they are as a family. Upon reflection, Kelly commented, “I found this process very valuable to my family. It has helped me accept who we are and to respond to each other in a more thoughtful way. I’ve also learned some strategies to use to help me respond appropriately during a meltdown. And, I’ve enjoyed learning about meditation. It has been a neat new tool for me to use for myself and with my son.” Kelly and Jon learned several very practical tools by shifting from our typical reactive mode as parents to a more intentional and mindful approach based on a better understanding and appreciation of each family member’s natural strengths. This will help them stay grounded, and together when difficult challenges and stressors arise in their lives going forward. They also have firm validation of their family’s values and love for one another. Parent Connext™services are currently available at select TriHealth/ GroupHealth Associates offices in Anderson and Kenwood, Pediatric Associates of Northern Kentucky and Landen Lake Pediatrics with designs to expand to more offices throughout the Greater Cincinnati area in 2018. Special Thanks to Bethesda Inc. for their support of this program.

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