Addiction specialist Dr. Lipi Roy discusses what substance use disorders are and teaches us about the most updated models of care for these painful conditions. There are effective medical treatments available now that are integrated into comprehensive treatment plans that include non-medication interventions as well. Unfortunately, because of outdated understandings of and stigma about substance use disorders, many people are unaware of how effective medical treatments can be. Old models that bl...
Aug 21, 2025•58 min
Peer mentor Jax Agee joins Candida and Jo-Ann to tell about their work as a peer mentor for people living with mental health challenges. Jax’s lived experience helps them connect with individuals living in the community with tasks and goals related to their treatment plans. This can include tasks of daily living, budgeting and banking, learning to use transportation, reinforcing therapeutic goals, and more. We learned what to expect as a client and what it’s like to be a mentor. Resources sugges...
Jul 24, 2025•52 min
The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better by Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop provides a framework to consider why students approach school as they do. Mainly targeted toward parents, this newly published book (January 2025) can be helpful for educators and providers to help teens navigate their education and next steps. The writers walk through four types of engagement and what they could mean about how a student, or anyone, is approaching a particular aspe...
Jun 26, 2025•1 hr 2 min
“Stop Panicking Over Teens and Social Media,” an essay from the Wall Street Journal by Lucy Foulkes provides a different point of view that Jo-Ann and Candida discuss. Foulkes points out that some of the generalizations about social media use and teen mental health may not be backed up by the data. While we have some differences, we agree that parents need tools and guidance to help their teens learn to safely navigate the digital world that is different than what they grew up with. Stop Panicki...
Apr 03, 2025•23 min
Candida and Jo-Ann talk about a recent guest essay in the New York Times, Giving Kids Some Autonomy Has Surprising Results (Jan 2, 2025) by Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop, authors of “ The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better. ” Students are more likely to be engaged in their education with some autonomy, particularly in choosing how to approach their learning. With flexible thinking from students, teachers, and parents there can be some leeway with demon...
Mar 20, 2025•32 min
Erin Tate, a licensed clinical social worker from Montana joins Jo-Ann and Candida for a compelling conversation. Erin shares insights from her private practice, Dragonfly Counseling, which is dedicated to serving communities in need, regardless of their ability to pay. The discussion highlights the increasing levels of anxiety among adolescents, exacerbated by the pandemic and its impact on social development. They explore how anxiety often manifests in School environments, sometimes being mist...
Feb 13, 2025•45 min
Ellen Hallsworth, Director of Bradley REACH, joins Jo-Ann and Candida to discuss innovative approaches in Mental Health care for adolescents. Ellen shares insights into Bradley REACH's virtual partial hospitalization program, which has been remarkably successful in engaging adolescents in remote mental health treatment. Ellen delves into the unexpected success of virtual care during the pandemic and how it has evolved, including increased family involvement and the ability for clinicians to gain...
Jan 30, 2025•47 min
💬 Show Notes Dr. Willough Jenkins, child psychiatrist joins Jo-Ann Berry and Dr. Candida Fink to discuss the multifaceted challenges of Mental Health in School settings. Recorded live from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry conference in Seattle, this episode of Mental Health Goes to School dives deep into the intersection of digital technology and student well-being as well as cyberbullying and digital citizenship. The episode highlights the necessity of collaboration betw...
Jan 23, 2025•52 min
Inspired by the film Inside Out 2 Jo-Ann and Candida discuss how anxiety manifests in adolescents and how it can be managed. They explore how anxiety, a natural part of adolescence, can become overwhelming, especially when linked to academic pressures like writing assignments. The hosts emphasize the importance of recognizing anxiety triggers and employing strategies such as movement breaks, sensory changes, and cognitive behavioral therapy techniques to manage these feelings. Jo-Ann and Candida...
Dec 20, 2024•32 min
Steve Locke is a New York-based artist and professor of art whom Candida and Jo-Ann have known since college. His work focuses on identity and asks the viewer to contemplate our shared history from another perspective. Our wide-ranging conversation covers the transition to college, how the pandemic has affected teaching and learning, art, life, and so much more. Steve is the recipient of many grants and awards. His show the fire next time is at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MassM...
Dec 12, 2024•55 min
Steve Locke is a New York-based artist and professor of art whom Candida and Jo-Ann have known since college. His work focuses on identity and asks the viewer to contemplate our shared history from another perspective. Our wide-ranging conversation covers the transition to college, how the pandemic has affected teaching and learning, art, life, and so much more. Steve is the recipient of many grants and awards. His show the fire next time is at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MassM...
Dec 05, 2024•45 min
Maria Barrera, Founder & CEO of Clayful tells us about how Clayful provides on demand online wellness coaching for students to help build resilience in real time. Maria leveraged her experience as a mechanical engineer, and as a founder of Nearpod, the online educational platform, to develop a system that addresses mental wellness through this school-supported platform. Clayful offers accessible, preventative mental health resources to families of all socio-economic statuses. Clayful’s diver...
Nov 14, 2024•1 hr 1 min
Cell phone use by students in the classroom is a contentious issue. Join Jo-Ann Berry, a seasoned special educator, and Dr. Candida Fink, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, as they delve into this topic. In this episode of Mental Health Goes to School, they tackle the complexities surrounding students' use of mobile devices during school hours and its impact on learning and mental health. From the potential benefits of digital accessibility for those with disabilities to the challenges posed b...
May 30, 2024•37 min
Note: This episode discusses mental health crises and mentions suicide. If you or a loved one are experiencing thoughts of suicide, know that you are not alone and help is available. You can call or text “988” - the National Crisis/Suicide Hotline. They are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Dr. Shivana Naidoo is a child and adolescent psychiatrist with a broad range of experience working in various settings including inpatient, outpatient, emergency, partial treatment, and private practic...
Apr 04, 2024•1 hr 12 min
E12: Lori Krinsky: NAMI - You Are Not Alone Lori Krinksy joins Candida and Jo-Ann to discuss her involvement with NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness). Lori is her local chapter's president (volunteer) and walks us through NAMI’s national, state, and local programs and resources. NAMI is volunteer-driven, with some paid staff at the national and state levels. The 600 local chapters, while connected to the national organization, are run by volunteers and thus vary in program offerings and a...
Feb 29, 2024•46 min
In Part 2 of the conversation with Dr. Jacqui Springer, Assistant Dean for Student Support and Advocacy Services at the University of Rhode Island, we focus on the transition to college and learning what supports are available and what students and families should consider when applying to college. The most important thing is for students to have honest conversations with providers, teachers, and caregivers. The biggest error is wishful, magical thinking that it will all work out, without consid...
Feb 01, 2024•48 min
Candida and Jo-Ann talk with Dr. Jacqui Springer, Assistant Dean for Student Support and Advocacy Services at the University of Rhode Island. Our discussion focuses on the transition back to school from hospitalization or partial hospitalization for mental health treatment. In most cases, the need for a higher level of care for a student does not come as a surprise - there is usually some sort of buildup. There may or may not be a precipitating event, but educators and school staff observe that ...
Jan 11, 2024•29 min
In this episode Jo-Ann and Candida spin off from our last interview about school avoidance, digging a little deeper into the high rates of chronic absenteeism being seen across the country since COVID-19. Public discussions have tended to focus on this problem as one of kids and families falling into bad habits since the pandemic. In our experience and reading we have found that there are numerous reasons for students to be chronically absent and that solving this problem will need a broader per...
Dec 28, 2023•42 min
School refusal or avoidance is a real problem that is not the same as not liking school. Some students miss school for weeks, months, or even entire academic years. The reasons students avoid or refuse to attend school are rooted in anxiety and are not just a desire to do something else. It’s not playing hooky. Jayne Demsky started her journey with school refusal when it became a problem for her son. As she learned and traveled this path, she was determined that other parents and students should...
Nov 16, 2023•57 min
Medical treatment of ADHD is often a key support for student success. Jo-Ann and Candida talk about ADHD: what it is and how medications can be part of a multi-pronged approach to treating ADHD. The discussion includes reviewing some of the most common medications prescribed and potential benefits for some children with ADHD. The hosts remind listeners that anything spoken about in this episode is for educational purposes only - it is not medical advice. ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity dis...
Oct 05, 2023•38 min
School nurses and school health and safety are intertwined and yet often misunderstood. The role that nurses play in the school environment varies across states and districts - although far too many schools and districts have no or too few school nurses. Feeling safe is fundamental for students to be able to learn and for teachers and others to help students learn. Unfortunately, school nurses are often not included in conversations about school safety despite their being on the front lines of s...
Sep 21, 2023•54 min
Back to school articles and tips are everywhere this time of year - with great ideas for helping your child or teen navigate the start of the school year to set them up for success. But when mental health needs are in the mix, some of these tips may sound impossible to approach, let alone put into practice. Organizational tips that make sense for many children and families may not be accessible to students and/or parents living with ADHD. Or sleep habit building may be a persistent challenge des...
Aug 31, 2023•27 min
Black, LatinX, Indigenous, and other marginalized communities have historically been under-resourced in mental health services, and school settings reflect that. The average number of students managed by each psychologist or counselor is 1200 or more - leading to deeply inadequate supports for mental health needs. Furthermore, the ranks of mental health professionals working in these communities typically don’t reflect the diversity of people they serve. Equity in resources and diversity in the ...
Aug 10, 2023•55 min
Mental health has been a challenge for educators for years and the pandemic only increased the needs of students and educators. Scared and unhappy kids can’t learn. In this episode we talk to a middle school administrator who has been bringing greater awareness, sharper focus, and useful practices to students and educators in her school and district. Courtney Rau Rogers is a middle school Assistant Principal in suburban Boston. For the last 7-8 years she has been studying trauma-informed instruc...
Jul 27, 2023•56 min
The surging mental health challenges in kids dominate headlines, but solutions remain elusive. In this episode we’re going to learn about how one pioneering school psychologist has been building systems to bridge that gap. Our guest today, Dawn Cattucci, is a school psychologist who witnessed the rising tide of high school students struggling every day. In 2008, she and her team discovered a powerful psychotherapy model that was just beginning to be applied in schools - and they decided to make ...
Jul 13, 2023•43 min
Candida and Jo-Ann introduce ourselves and why we are doing this podcast. We met on the first day of college orientation and have been best friends through a range of training and career paths and through parenting our kids into young adulthood. Jo-Ann now teaches English to teens with mental health needs, and Candida consults to school districts about student mental health. We have spent many hours talking about the intersections between our professional spheres, with our lived experiences as p...
Jun 29, 2023•13 min
