Toolkit Purpose

The goal of the Resiliency & Wellness Toolkit is to provide information and resources to students, parents, and educators in the face of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The resources contained in this toolkit have been specially selected to provide assistance for students returning to school. The toolbox includes information on Behavioral Health and Wellness, Learning Resources, Parenting Resources and Activities for Students.

How to Use the Resiliency & Wellness Toolkit

For students, the Resiliency & Wellness Toolkit provides access to learning activities, healthy ways to help cope with stress, and positive virtual messaging.

For parents, the Resiliency & Wellness Toolkit is a resource center where parents can educate themselves on CDC guidance for proper COVID-19 safety precautions, ways to talk with children about the COVD-19 Pandemic, ways to boost mental health and wellness during times of stress, and ways to support children when they go back to school.

For educators, the Resiliency & Wellness Toolkit is a resource center for useful information to assist the return of students to school during COVID-19. The toolkit contains resources on CDC school re-opening guidance, teaching tools for virtual learning, ways to support teachers, and links to data to support school decisions.

Rural Community Toolbox: FUNDING & TOOLS TO BUILD HEALTHY DRUG-FREE RURAL COMMUNITIES

Funding, Treatment Services, Information Resources, Expert Help and Training, Community Assessment, and Rural Community Action Guide

Sources of Strength: COVID-19 Resources

Activities, games, and resources to help educators, peer leaders, and families continue building sources of strength while sheltering at home. FREE, home-based resources that Sources of Strength has developed for families, youth, and educators during COVID-19. This is a great option for groups who are sharing resources for meal distributions.

Print this free coloring and activity book for kids!

Looking for free, educational activities to help keep your child busy and learning while at home? This printable coloring and activity book for children ages 8-12 features exciting facts about the human brain and mental health.

Common Sense Media 

Free Online Events & Activities for kids at home.  Since 2003, Common Sense Media has been an independent, nonprofit, and research backed organization offering free online events and activities for kids at home. They provide entertainment and technology recommendations for families and schools.  They also rate movies, TV shows, books, and more. Common Sense Media offers a library of independent age-based ratings and reviews. Supports K–12. Digital Citizenship Curriculum, tips and tools. 

DBHDD Covid-19 Emotional Support Line

Futures Without Violence – Activities and information for parents on coping with being at home, understanding the virus and self-regulation. Can be used by teachers in the classroom as well. Available in Spanish and English.

• How to Talk to Your Kids About Coronavirus from PBS; in Spanish: Cómo hablar con tus hijos sobre el coronavirus
• Preview this free, downloadable “A Kids Book About COVID-19” (for ages 6+) and if it feels right for your kids, read it with them!
• #COVIBOOK: Printable book to help kids understand coronavirus in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and more languages.
• Age-appropriate responses to common questions and tips for families by Zero to Three
• NPR comic: What is Coronavirus?
• Traditional Indigenous Kinship Practices at Home: Being Child-Centered During the Pandemic from Indigenous Motherhood

DBHDD 2×2 Self Care & Wellness Series

Daily Selfcare Tips and Support for managing life. Video sessions every Tuesday and Thursday about managing stress, grief, work/life balance, and wellness.

• • • Self-Care for the Caregiver
    • Reassuring Children During Challenging Times
    • Family Wellness 
    • Parenting Self-Check 
    • Helping Children to Cope 
    • Journaling for Mental Health and Wellness 
    • A Guided Meditation Exercise 
    • Mindfulness Techniques to Manage Stress 
    • Brain Pump- Mind/Body Connections for Kids and Grown-Ups! 
    • I’m Adjusting, Why Can’t You? Managing Transitions During Crisis
    • Anxiety – You are not alone 
    • Progressive Muscle Relaxation 
    • I Hope You Dance! The Benefits of Dance and Movement for Stress Management & Overall Wellness

DBHDD Mental Health Resiliency Support Clubhouses 

Our Mental Health Resiliency Support Clubhouses seeks to support children and families coping with isolation, stigma, and other considerations associated with mental health disorders. Clubhouse Listing

GPB’s National Public Media Well Being Initiative

Host recorded and live virtual events to demystify and destigmatize mental health concerns through storytelling

Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC)

Responding to COVID-19: Highlight products and resources that can be useful when coping with the effects of widespread public health crises such as: 

• Psychosocial Impacts of Disasters: Assisting Community Leaders 
• Supportive Practices for Mental Health Professionals During Pandemic-Related Social Distancing

The Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network:  Offers a large collection of webinars, resources, and toolkits designed to provide support to schools, educators, school-based mental health professionals, and parents.

KidsHealth/TeenHealth 

Emotions and Behaviors for Parents, Teens, Educators. Find out how to understand your child’s behavior.

Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley – How to Support Teachers’ Emotional Needs Right Now 

This article from Greater Good Magazine provides insights into ways schools can develop a plan to help teachers who are feeling anxious and overwhelmed.

SAMHSA Preventing Suicide: A Toolkit for High Schools

This toolkit assists high schools and school districts in designing and implementing strategies to prevent suicide and promote behavioral health.

Diversity & Resiliency Institute of El Paso

Anti-Racism virtual training, with 3 modules (approximately 2 hours of content in each module) for Students and the General Public.

• Compassion Games: Survival of the Kindest is a community engagement experience that invites people around the world to inspire one another to reveal and promote acts of compassion that better our lives, our communities, and all life on Earth. Random Acts of Kindness.
• Seize The Awkward: A national public service advertising (PSA) campaign created by The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Jed Foundation in partnership with the Ad Council. It empowers teens and young adults (16-24 yrs) to reach out and support their friends who may be struggling with mental health issues. Includes videos, web banners, posters, and more.
• Futures Without Violence – Promising Futures Best Practices for Serving Children, Youth, and Parents Experiencing Domestic Violence: A resource toolkit that provides information for children and families to effectively meet the needs of adult and child survivors of domestic violence.

PBS For Parents

Support for A Different School Year “new normal” — Back to School check list and Learn at Home check list. This resource is great because it has an app parents can download, but it is for younger kids. How to Talk to Your Kids about Coronavirus, helpful tools to practice healthy habits with your children, tips on how your family can de-stress . 

PBS Education: How to Talk To Little Learners About Coronavirus

EVERY LEARNER EVERYWHERE

Every Learner Everywhere offers online instructions in response to COVID-19. Faculty-focused playbook intended to improve course design, teaching, and learning in online environments.  They offer Resources related to best practices for remote instruction as well as toolkits that guide you through the implementation of adaptive or other digital learning tools.

TEACHTHOUGHT 

Offers teacher-crafted learning activities that sync up with the school year. The goal is to empower parents and teachers so each child’s needs and potential can take center stage. Preschool to 5th Grade.

• 22 Remote Learning Tips for Parents Helping At Home. 
• Free Worksheets and Games
• Activities for Kids

KOGNITO 

Guide for Re-entry into the Classroom: How to Prepare Educators to Welcome Back the Students)

Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC)

GUIDE TO VIRTUAL LEARNING – This guide provides a walkthrough of both the technical (platforms) and the interactive (the pedagogy) strategies and approaches to virtual learning. It is written for facilitators and presenters who are leading professional development and group learning online. (pdf)

Common Sense Media

Common Sense Media Since 2003, Common Sense Media has been an independent, nonprofit, and research backed organization offering free online events and activities for kids at home. They provide entertainment and technology recommendations for families and schools.  They also rate movies, TV shows, books, and more. Common Sense Media offers a library of independent age-based ratings and reviews. Supports K–12. Digital Citizenship Curriculum, tips and tools. 

Kahoot – A game-based learning company

• Create online learning games to engage students.

FUN WALLPAPERS

Download custom virtual backgrounds & wallpapers that support positive messages of wellness & resiliency to use during virtual learning.

CDC Coronavirus Toolkits Links

• Childcare Programs & Summer Camps K-12 Schools: Guidance and planning documents to help school administrators make decisions, protect students and staff, and communicate with their communities. Additionally, it includes posters on COVID-19 prevention measures such as wearing a mask, handwashing, and social distancing to stop the spread of COVID-19:  Interim Guidance for Administrators of US K-12 Schools and Child Care Programs, Considerations for Schools, Considerations for K-12 Schools: Readiness and Planning Toolpdf icon, Reopening Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting Public Spaces, Workplaces, Businesses, Schools, and Homes, Guidance for Cleaning & Disinfecting Public Spaces, Workplaces, Business, Schools, and Homespdf icon, Guidance Cleaning and Disinfecting, Interim Considerations for K-12 School Administrators for SARS-CoV-2 Testing
• CDC Tool Kits for Young Adults Age 15-21: Provides basic information on COVID-19 and how to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
• Social Media Toolkit: Includes shareable resource materials and messages on COVID-19  (Topics include: Contract Tracing, Fight Coronavirus this Summer, What To Do If You’re Sick, Testing Information, Protecting Older Adults, Protect Yourself While Buying Gas, Travel Information, and Pets & COVID-19)
• FAQs: Basics, Spread, Prevention
• Resources: Testing, Daily Life and Going Out, Symptoms of Coronavirus, Prevent Getting Sick, Personal and Social Activities, Pets and Other Animals, Social Distancing , How to Wear Cloth Face, Coverings, For all types of transportation
• FACT SHEETS, Self Checker, Data Tracker, Social Media, PSAs

Coronavirus  CDC Toolkit for K-12 Schools

• Guidance and Planning Documents:  Interim Guidance for Administrators of US K-12 Schools and Child Care Programs, Considerations for Schools, Considerations for K-12 Schools: Readiness and Planning Toolpdf icon, Reopening Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting Public Spaces, Workplaces, Businesses, Schools, and Homes, Guidance for Cleaning & Disinfecting Public Spaces, Workplaces, Business, Schools, and Homespdf icon, Guidance Cleaning and Disinfecting, Interim Considerations for K-12 School Administrators for SARS-CoV-2 Testing
• Web Resources:  Support for Teens and Young Adults, What School Nutrition Professionals and Volunteers at Schools Need to Know about COVID-19
• FAQs:  K-12 Schools and Child Care Programs: FAQs for Administrators, Teachers, and Parents

UNICEF

• Coronavirus (COVID-19) guide for parents: UNICEF Parenting offers articles and resources to help parents support their children’s physical and emotional well-being during COVID-19. Resources include information about coping, health & wellness, learning to play during social distancing, and supporting children’s mental health as they return to school.

National Association of School Psychologist (NASP)

Helping Children Cope With Changes Resulting from Covid-19. Helpful Tips for Parents. Stay Calm, Listen and Offer Reassurance…

• Coping With Stress During Infectious Disease Outbreaks 
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) 
• Handwashing and Hand Sanitizer Use at Home, at Play, and Out and About 
• NASP COVID-19 Resource Center 

Cincinnati Children’s

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information Videos for Kids and Parents 

Help parents to explain COVID-19 to children using relatable animation. Video topics include social distancing, fear related to COVID-19, why people are wearing masks, how to stop the spread of germs, and when to seek medical care.

• Social Distancing explained to children
• Why are People Waring Masks?
• Are you worried or scared?

Department of Public Health (DPH)

• Covid Testing Sites:  https://dph.georgia.gov/locations/covid-19-testing-site
• Call for Covid-19 Testing: https://dph.georgia.gov/covid-19-testingdirect-patient-lines
• Universities/Schools, & Childcare Facilities:  https://dph.georgia.gov/covid-19-schools-childcare-facilities

American Lung Association

• EACHBREATH. Top Story: COVID-19. Protecting yourself and loved ones…

Operation Parent COVID-19 Webinar Series  

• https://operationparent.org/resource-type/webinar/  A platform sourced with the “must know” material for anyone raising teens and preteens, curated from leading experts and our own experiences as parents. E-books, webinars and videos for parents and teachers of fourth grade to high school students.

Mental Health America

• Mental Health & Covid-19 Resources – Resources For Immediate Response, Mental Health & Wellness Webinars, & Information (Tips for Social Distancing, Protecting Your Mental Health, When Home Becomes The Work Place, etc.), and Online Peer Support.

Mercer Medical Minute

• Youtube video – Cover Your Coughs and Sneezes

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta 

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Parenting Resources During COVID-19 

• Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta developed a resource guide dedicated to providing parents information on COVID-19 and helping children cope during the pandemic. 

COVID-19 Mental Health Resources in Multiple Languages

• A new compilation of COVID-19 Mental Health Resources in Multiple Languages is now available to help U.S. refugees and immigrants cope with the stress, isolation and hardships of the COVID crisis.  It was designed so that non-English speakers can directly access the information they want and need without the aid of an English-speaker.  Mental health guidance is available in Spanish, French, Arabic, Russian, Chinese, Swahili, Burmese and other languages. Topics include how to manage stress, cope with isolation, comfort children, and identify signs of anxiety and depression that might require additional attention. Compiled by The Center for Victims of Torture (CVT), a global nonprofit dedicated to providing mental health care to refugee survivors of torture and trauma worldwide, including through U.S. centers in Minnesota and Georgia.

GET SMART ABOUT DRUGS, A DEA Resource for Parents, Ed & Caregivers. Teens and Rx Meds: What You Should Know…

How To Talk To Your Kids About Vaping, American Lung Association

What You Need to Know About E-cigarettes:

• For Middle and High School Students, American Cancer Society
• Q&A About E-cigarettes for Parents, American Cancer Society

N-O-T: Not On Tobacco – Proven Teen Smoking and Vaping Cessation Program, American Lung Association

INDEPTH: An Alternative to Suspension or Citation, American Lung Association. Helping teens quit smoking. Four, 50-minutes training sessions. Helps educate students about nicotine dependence and cravings and ultimately guide them through the process of identifying their own reasons for chewing, smoking or vaping tobacco products. Adults can implement the IN DEPTH program at their school or community-based organization.

Georgia Patients’ Rx Medicine Info/FAQ Summary (printable).  Information on 10 specific questions you should ask your doctor if you are prescribed opioids or prescription pain medication.

Drug Free Hall ‘Three steps to save a life’ (opioid OD rescue demo)  Information on how to identify an opioid overdose and how to respond to an opioid overdose in case of emergency. 

Check out the DBHDD Prevention Clubhouses – Teen program for youth ages 11-17. Provide emotional and educational support so youth can successfully navigate their world

• Next Generation Youth Development (Dawson County, GA)
• DR3AM’RS Clubhouse Program (Norcross, GA)
• 100 Black Men of West Georgia (LaGrange, GA)

Drug Disposal Locations: DEA National Rx Drug Take-Back Day/Drug Disposal Locations  Information on DEA sponsored National Prescription Drug Take Back Days to safely dispose of any prescription medication to prevent possible misuse or accidental poisoning due to prescription drugs. 

Georgia Standing Order for Naloxone Rx: In Georgia, there is a Standing Order of Naloxone for overdose prevention instituted by the Commissioner of Public Health. Please see this resource for more information. 

Drug Free Communities (DFC) Support Programs are Federal grant programs that provide funding to community-based coalitions that organize to prevent youth substance use. GA Listing (pdf)

OBHPFG’s Georgia Strategic Prevention System (GASPS) Data Warehouse 

An online one stop shop for gathering state- and county-level data, as well as other national or external resources, related to substance abuse prevention, suicide prevention, and mental health promotion.

Voices for Georgia’s Children

Georgia Insights is an initiative of the Georgia Department of Education, focused on improving the clarity and accessibility of district and school-level data through public-friendly and easy-to-use dashboards. Georgia Insights utilizes the data the state already collects and presents it using clear, easy-to-understand visuals.

Voices for Georgia’s Children Network of agencies focused on research and analysis, public education, convening, and engagement with decision-makers. Utilize a holistic “whole child” perspective that allows us to identify how different policies impact children and to propose solutions that benefit children on multiple levels.

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

Health in Georgia Schools: How Three School-Based Mental Health Providers Serve Students.

By gleaning information and perspective from these in-depth interviews in the context of Georgia’s “new normal,” we have the opportunity to design a mental health service delivery future that is sleeker, more efficient, and more effective. And as children and youth emerge from sheltering in place, we will need this roadmap more than ever. 

Help Guides for Children with Behavior and Learning Challenges. 

These Guides are for parents and caregivers but may also be helpful for teachers, advocates, and others concerned about school children with behavior or learning challenges. Georgia Appleseed Center for Law and Justice and its Young Professionals Council created the guides. 

What Parents, Rescue Workers, and the Community can Do. National Institute of Mental Health. 

• Georgia Crisis and Access Line (GCAL) 1-800-715-4225 http://www.mygcal.com/

• • GA Crisis Text Line Text: GA to 741741 https://www.crisistextline.org/text-us/
  • My GCAL App for Android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mygcal.app
  • My GCAL App for Apple https://apps.apple.com/us/app/my-gcal-app/id1449949560

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255 https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
• Not Ok App: https://www.notokapp.com/download
• Translifeline: 1-877-565-8860 http://www.translifeline.org/
• Veterans Crisis Line 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1
• National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) 1-800-950-6264
• United Way of Metro Atlanta Dial 211 http://211online.unitedwayatlanta.org/
• GHC Community Area Resources https://sites.highlands.edu/food-pantry/food-pantry/additional-resources/

GHC Counselors (During regular business hours: Mon – Thur 8-5 & Fri 8-12 EST)

• Peer 2 Peer Warm Line: https://www.gmhcn.org/ peer2peer-warm-line Call 888-945-1414 (toll-free) statewide, or locally: (Decatur: 404-371-1414) (Bartow County: 770-276-2019)
• Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence: https://gcadv.org/  1-800-334-2836
• The Georgia Covid-19 Emotional Support Line: https://dbhdd.georgia.gov/covid-19 1-866-399-8938

Westside Connect Help Line Flyer (pdf) 404-430-8180 Get help for food, housing, counseling, employment, healthcare, Covid-19 Testing, or employment. Or just feeling lonely, lost, stressed, anxious or down? Call.