Addressing Cyberbullying
Guest Post By: Melyn Huntley, Project Director, Safe Schools/Healthy Students
“People bully me. I want to die.”  The words echoed in the mind of the parent who found the crumbled note in her daughter’s room.  Words of desperation cried out for help.  How do you help her?  How serious is the threat?
Protecting your child is critical.  Today with online communications, a bully can follow their victim home to the aloneness of their bedroom.  If your child should become a victim of bullying, there are several things you should do.

Believe …

Written By:   Ingrid Donato, Branch Chief, Mental Health Promotions Branch & James Wright, Public Health Advisor, Division of Prevention, Traumatic Stress and Special Programs
Bystanders have the power to play a key role in preventing or stopping bullying. Their actions make a critical difference. Every day, kids and adults witness bullying. They want to help, but don’t know how. Fortunately, there are a few simple, safe ways that those who witness bullying can help:
Be a friend to the person being bullied.
Being friendly can go a long way toward letting a child who …

Written By: Rashetta Fairnot, Public Health Advisor, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment
On Monday, July 9, we hosted a Recovery Month Twitter chat about “Access to Behavioral Health Care for Military Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families.” I was joined by our co-hosts: retired Navy Reserve Captain Kathryn Power, SAMHSA’s Strategic Initiative Lead for Military Families and Regional Administrator from Region 1, and MSG Stephanie Weaver, National Guard Liaison to SAMHSA.  The conversation focused on military families and especially those service members recently returning home and their navigation of the behavioral health system. …

Written By: Rashetta Fairnot, Public Health Advisor, Consumer Affairs, CSAT
As Independence Day approaches, our nation reflects on its freedom and we look to honor the military service members and veterans who keep us safe. Since September 11, 2001, more than 2.3 million American military personnel have been deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, or both.  Although the vast majority of returning service members successfully transition back home, 18.5 percent of returning service members do meet criteria for either post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression. Unless treated, these types of behavioral health issues have …