Mental Health Conditions

How to Recognize Depression in Teens: Signs Every Parent and Teachers Should Know

Adolescence is a time of immense growth, but for many, it is also when symptoms of depression first appear. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly 1 in...

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How Physical Activity Improves Teen Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing

How Physical Activity Affects the Teenage Brain When teens engage in physical activity—whether it’s dancing, basketball, or walking the dog—their bodies release...

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How Can Schools Celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month in May?

What is the Positivity Pledge? The Positivity Pledge is a schoolwide awareness campaign by Erika’s Lighthouse designed for Mental Health Awareness Month in May. It is a...

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How Can I Tell if My Teen is Depressed or Just Being a Teen?

Understanding Adolescent Depression Adolescence is a period of significant physical and emotional change, which can sometimes make it difficult to distinguish between...

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The Ripple Effect: How Your Stories Power Youth Mental Health

A Shared Mission for Every Student At Erika’s Lighthouse, we sit at the intersection of professional educators and passionate supporters. While our donors provide the fuel,...

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School Refusal and Depression: How to Help Your Child Get Back to Class

Understanding the Root of School Refusal It is not uncommon for a child or teen with depression to avoid or refuse to go to school. This behavior can be disruptive...

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Mental Health Crisis

If you are experiencing mental distress or having a mental health crisis, please talk to a trusted adult or call 988.

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Erika’s Lighthouse ’23-’24 Program Report

Erika’s Lighthouse releases an annual program report to highlight the impact that our programs have made in schools nationwide with our Level II and Level III...

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Enlighten Learning Management System

Erika’s Lighthouse Enlighten Learning Management System is preparing school communities around mental health. We offer a variety of course selections and hope that...

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Spreading Kindness with Erika’s Lighthouse Compliment Poster

Erika’s Lighthouse is a non-profit organization that provides mental health education and resources to schools and communities. One of their many resources is the...

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Empowerment Clubs

What programs or resources are included in Erika’s Lighthouse Empowerment Clubs? We offer opportunities for students to take on leadership roles in their schools...

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Family Conversations: “Let’s Talk” During the Holiday Season

The holidays can be a busy and sometimes stressful time for families, especially for children and teens. There are often long days and lots of changes in routine which...

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Depression Education is Suicide Prevetion

Depression is a common mental illness that affects millions of people worldwide. It can cause a wide range of symptoms, including sadness, hopelessness, fatigue,...

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As Funds Expire, Equity & Sustainability Are Key

As Funds Expire, Equity & Sustainability Are Key A flurry of recent articles has raised the reality that federal COVID-19 relief funds are set to expire, and their...

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The Four Pillars

Erika’s Lighthouse focuses on equipping school communities with the mental health education needed through four main pillars. Classroom Education, Family...

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Erika’s Lighthouse: Family Engagement Conversations

Are you looking for free, turn-key family engagement resources around mental health? Access Programs The resources we offer include two youth...

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Minority Mental Health: The Importance of Culturally-Sensitive Care and How Your Donation Can Help

In 2020, suicide was the third leading cause of death for black and African American youth ages 15-19. Mental health disparities among minority groups are a severe...

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The Family Conversation Journal: A Tool for Building Stronger Relationships

There are many different ways to communicate, and not everyone prefers or feels the most comfortable doing it verbally. It’s important to be aware of different...

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Parenthood

A Heart on the Outside of the Body That is what it’s like having children. That’s what we’re told and we accept that as how it is. However, I am sitting here...

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Why Educators Must Focus on Student Mental Health

Access Programs Erika’s Lighthouse at SHAPE Florida I heard an amazing presentation on Erika’s Lighthouse curriculum at a conference hosted by SHAPE...

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Schools Can Address Mental Health Smarter, Better, Easier

Access Portal Another study. Another confirmation that our youth are struggling with their or their peers’ mental health. In fact, student mental health...

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Erika’s Lighthouse Update on Adolescent Mental Health: February 2023

Access Programs Erika’s Lighthouse is dedicated to adolescent mental health and our mission of ensuring no young person ever feels alone in their...

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The Importance of Reaching Out to a Trusted Adult

Access Programs Trigger Warning: Suicidal Ideation My Story I have always been someone who is afraid of reaching out for help. However, that had to...

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The Power of Programs with Impact Part IV:School Policy & Staff Development

Does the school policy at your school account for students who may be experiencing mental health challenges? Do staff know how to be trusted adults? How do your...

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SEL and Mental Health Education Build on One Another

Access Programs Serving Students with SEL During a recent conversation with a colleague who is in charge of social-emotional learning (SEL) for a large...

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How Culture Affects Mental Health

Patricia Voloschin-Weiner, LCPC has been working as a therapist with children, adults, and couples for the past 30 years and has addressed a variety of...

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Strategies to Take Care of Your Mental Health

Access Programs The Basics “You’re not alone,” a phrase so simple yet it’s the hardest to grasp when struggling with mental health. It’s what I like to...

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The Power of Programs with ImpactPart III: Family Engagement

Do the family members of your district have the tools and knowledge they need to recognize signs of depression? Are they trusted adults who can address mental...

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The Power of Programs with ImpactPart II: Teen Empowerment

When you look at the teens at your school, do you see empowered students who know they can build the school culture they aspire to thrive in? When given the right...

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Reframing the Narrative – Empowering Youth

Access Programs We have heard so much about everyone’s declining mental health – particularly our young people. In our effort to bring attention to this...

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Mental Health Education: The Power of Programs with Impact

Erika’s Lighthouse Core Value Series Part 1: Classroom Education Do you think students would benefit from depression and mental health education in your...

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A Partnership Between Erika’s Lighthouse and School Day

Chicago, Ill., September 6, 2022 – Erika’s Lighthouse and School Day announced a partnership today to collaborate and cross-promote their resources to promote a...

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CDC Report on Youth Mental Health: The Erika’s Lighthouse Perspective

Access Programs In April, the CDC published a report on youth mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. The statistics are grim. But the survey also...

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The Erika’s Lighthouse Perspective to the CDC’s Recent Youth Survey on School Connectedness and Mental Health

An examination of the mental health impact of COVID-19 and how connectedness to school, family, friends and community groups impact mental health outcomes. Please...

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10 Advantages of Erika’s Lighthouse

Our programs can work in any school community. 1. Wraparound ProgrammingWe don’t just offer a standalone curriculum, we believe in impacting the whole school by...

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White Paper: Integrating Mental Health into the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) Model for School Health

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A Family Workbook Series on Childhood Mental Health and Adolescent Depression

Somewhere between 15 and 20 percent of children and teens will suffer from at least one depressive episode before they reach adulthood. These episodes come in many...

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RESOURCE HIGHLIGHT: Shared Vocabulary

At Erika’s Lighthouse, we understand that discussing depression can be a challenging topic. As an educator or social worker, you are considered a trusted adult to the...

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