Pediatric Care Coordination:

Community of Practice

Wednesday, October 13, 2021

This email includes useful resources and key takeaways from the two-part discussion, “The COVID-19 Pandemic and Mental Health: Caring for Ourselves and Supporting Children with Specialized Needs and Disabilities,” on August 24 and August 31, 2021. Look out for more eblasts coming soon! 

Key takeaways about supporting children with specialized needs and disabilities

Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on kids’ mental health

  • Kids with disabilities and specialized health needs have been more impacted than their peers without disabilities or specialized health needs, although impacts have varied based on disability and needs

  • The pandemic has exacerbated preexisting mental and physical health challenges, and we’ve seen an increase in depression and anxiety

  • Deaf and hard of hearing youth have experienced communication and socialization challenges (e.g., lip-reading while masked, signing while social distancing)

  • Changes in daily structure and routine have negatively impacted some kids with specialized health needs, such as autism and anxiety

  • Loss of resources and support systems with sheltering in place or distance learning negatively impacts kids

Identify mental health warning signals in kids with specialized needs and disabilities

  • Changes in behavior, like becoming more withdrawn, different sleeping or eating patterns,

    or ways that they talk or interact with others

  • Reverting to old behaviors kids had previously worked through 

  • Avoiding activities or losing interest in things they use to enjoy

How to support the mental health of kids with specialized needs and disabilities

  • Make sure parents are aware of the mental health needs of their children

  • Keep in place as much routine and structure from before the pandemic and enhance and adapt routine as needed

  • Play outside, spend time in nature

  • Practice breathing, mindfulness, and visualization exercises with kids

  • Ask kids what they are thinking and how they are feeling 

  • Explain things that are going on in the world at a level they can understand 

  • Model how to take care of ourselves, because kids pick up on stress and anxiety

  • Maintain interaction with friends virtually, such as online games

Key takeaways about supporting ourselves

Signs of compassion fatigue

  • Impaired work/life balance

  • Unable to detach from your work-both mentally and physically

  • Work feels overwhelming

  • Struggling to say no, people pleasing driven by empathy

  • A change in your caring approach to others

  • Working to help others at the detriment of your own wellbeing

  • Trouble sleeping

  • Exhaustion and low energy levels

  • Loss of enjoyment in your work

  • Increased anxiety and frustration in your work

Signs of burnout

  • Sadness, apathy, or depression

  • Easily frustrated

  • Irritability

  • Lack of feelings

  • Isolation or disconnection

  • Poor self-care (hygiene)

  • Tired, exhausted, or overwhelmed

  • Feeling like a failure or that nothing you can do will help

Buffer your mental health by taking care of yourself

  • Self-Knowledge: Understand your compassion fatigue risks

  • Self-Examination: Self-monitor stress levels

  • Resources: Utilize individual, agency, and community support services 

  • Expectations: Keep it real

  • Self-Care Strategy: Develop personal self care plan

Set boundaries to reduce stress

  • Setting boundaries is hard (we worry about the feelings of others)

  • Self-care means taking personal responsibility for your health

  • Self-care requires you to set boundaries (both physical and emotional)

  • Boundaries help you to manage stress

Monitor your stress to avoid moral injury

  • Seek out others to assist in making difficult choices when possible, and for support about circumstances that cause moral distress

  • Become more attentive to internal self-talk (turn the “I should have” into a “I did the best that I could have at that time”)

  • Take satisfaction in what can be accomplished, however small

  • Be more patient or kind with yourself!

The Pediatric Care Coordination: Community of Practice is a program coordinated by ACET Inc. under a grant funded by the Minnesota Department of Health. Opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent the Minnesota Department of Health’s position or policy.

Feel free to share this newsletter with anyone who can benefit from the content provided within.

For more information, please contact info@acetinc.com or (952).922.1811.

mnpedcares.com

ACET, Inc., Minneapolis, MN