The Coronavirus outbreak can affect your kids’ mental and emotional health. Anxiety, depression and behavioral issues all can be consequences of the struggles children and teens are having as they cope with the uncertainty surrounding the public health emergency.

KidsPeace has helped kids and families navigate mental health issues for more than 100 years.  Today, KidsPeace offers not only direct mental health care services, but tools for the general public to address the potential toll of the Coronavirus pandemic on our children’s wellbeing. 

Please share this information on your websites, social media and internal communications channels!

MPE Toolkit

The stress of the pandemic has changed from acute to chronic, with significant implications for the mental health of individuals as they seek to cope with the pressure.  KidsPeace has created an “MPE Toolkit” to help.  

“MPE” stands for “mental-health protection equipment;” just as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) guards against threats to physical health, MPE can help people process the stress from the pandemic and become more resilient in the future.  You can read about MPE in the Fall/Winter 2020 edition of KidsPeace’s Healing Magazine.  You can also print out or share the MPE Toolkit here. 

TeenCentral.com 

TeenCentral.com is a web-based confidential and anonymous service providing a range of information and encouragement to older kids and teens – including the opportunity to submit questions and concerns and get an individualized response from clinical experts — provided in a “safe space” for young people who may have reluctance to discuss such matters with parents or other adults.  

KidsPeace is currently dedicating more resources to TeenCentral.com specifically to address the mental and emotional health concerns raised by the COVID-19 outbreak.  

Check it out – www.teencentral.com 

Walk-in Clinics

All KidsPeace’s outpatient locations in Lehigh and Monroe counties (PA) offer free walk-in mental health assessments by clinically trained professionals – no appointment needed!The assessments allow for fast evaluation of mental health condition and if needed crisis intervention – relieving the pressure on hospitals and emergency rooms.

The service is available during business hours at these locations:

Allentown 
801 E Green Street: 610-799-8910

Bethlehem
KidsPeace Broadway Campus Family Center (1620 Broadway, Bethlehem) 610-799-8600

Monroe County
1151 Pocono Boulevard, Suite #2, Mt Pocono, PA     570-243-8787

KidsPeace is committed to providing walk-in assessments at these offices as long as they are open during the emergency.  Check out www.kidspeace.org/outpatient-services for more information. 

Ask the Experts

We’ve added a new blog series to tap into the expertise of our associates.  Ask the Experts at KidsPeace offers advice and encouragement based on the clinical and professional experience of our therapists and clinicians, along with valuable perspectives from other KidsPeace associates.  Check it out – www.kidspeace.org/ask-the-experts-at-kidspeace

PLEASE NOTE, individuals who have symptoms of COVID-19 or who are concerned about social distancing SHOULD CALL the office nearest them and have the clinical professional do the assessment over the phone.