Kids in Mental Health Crisis - Links to a Groundbreak Series

Kids in Mental Health Crisis from a series from the USA Today: 

http://www.postcrescent.com/story/news/local/2016/01/13/guide-full-kids-crisis-coverage/78738532/

Looking to make sure you're not missing a post in our Kids in Crisis series? Here's a guide to everything we've got.

Kids in Crisis is USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin's groundbreaking series on youth mental health. Wisconsin ranks among the worst states for rates of youth depression, youth suicide, and shortages of care providers. A team of 25 journalists throughout the state have spent months reporting on the topic and we hope you will join us in finding solutions.

Chapter 1: Kids falling through the cracks

In the first chapter of Kids in Crisis, we ask why youth in Wisconsin experience mental health challenges and die by suicide at higher rates than in most other states.

• Jan. 10: Call to action for Wisconsin
  • Accompanying reporter's diary: Kids face mental health crisis
• Jan. 10: Grieving family's vow: Not another suicide
  • Accompanying reporter's diary: Diving in suicide's shockwaves
  • Map of youth suicide rates by state
  • Map of youth suicide rates by county
• Jan. 11: Shame stands in way of mental health help 
  • Accompanying reporter's diary: Depression out of the shadows
• Jan. 12: Schools strained by kids' mental health woes
  • Accompanying reporter's diary: Students slip by the system
  • Map of mental health staffing shortfalls by school district
• Jan. 13: Police training on mental health lags
  • Accompanying reporter's diary: Girl recounts zip-tied trauma
  • Map of departments that do training in Crisis Intervention Teams
• Jan. 14: Waiting for help: Wisconsin short on professionals
  • Accompanying reporter's diary: Who has the time? 
  • Map of psychiatrist shortages by county 
• Jan. 15: Teens face harder road speeding into adulthood
  • Accompanying reporter's diary: College reality check

Chapter 2: Exploring solutions

In the second chapter of Kids in Crisis, we find ways to improve youth mental health. We highlight the most successful initiatives in the state and explore how to bring help to more kids and teens.

• Feb. 14: Wisconsin brings hope for Kids in Crisis
  • Accompanying reporter's diary: Call from inside the bathroom
• Feb. 15: Capitol chipping away at mental health crisis
  • Accompanying reporter's diary: Breaking rules in Kids in Crisis
  • Extra: Lawmakers running out of time on mental health bills
• Feb. 16: Treating the body and mind
  • Accompanying reporter's diary: Doctors who go the extra mile
  • Extra: Pediatricians add mental health care to doctor's kit
• Feb. 17: Telepsychiatry spreading mental health help
  • Accompanying reporter's diary: Meeting a psychiatrist in a horse barn
• Feb. 18: Programs keep mentally ill youth out of jail
  • Accompanying reporter's diary: Attorneys don't know best
• Feb. 19: School book wasn't enough to save teen's life
  • Accompanying reporter's diary: After suicide, memory is alive
• Feb. 20: Smartphones are lifelines for troubled teens
  • Accompanying reporter's diary: Friend texts darkest thoughts
  • Extra: read about other community initiatives throughout the state

Before writing the final chapter of Kids in Crisis, we held a series of 10 town hall meetings around the state to hear from experts and residents on what should be done to improve youth mental health. See the coverage and replays of the meetings:

• Manitowoc, Feb. 22
• Green Bay, Feb. 23
• Marshfield. Feb. 24
• Wisconsin Rapids, Feb. 25
• Fond du Lac, Feb. 29
• Stevens Point, March 2
• Oshkosh, March 3
• Wausau, March 8
• Sheboygan, March 9
• Appleton, March 10

Chapter 3: Action

In the final chapter of Kids in Crisis, we take what we learned from our reporting and town hall meetings, and translate it into action. We enlist experts from around the state to give recommendations, we travel to Minnesota to highlight a model for school-based mental health, and finally we offer our own ideas for action in an editorial.

• March 20: What we learned from Wisconsin communities at 10 town hall meetings
• March 21: Leaders in children's mental health share wish lists for ending the crisis
• March 22: First-hand report from innovative program in Minnesota schools
  • Extra: School-based services successful in Minnesota
• March 23: Pace of mental health reform slows to crawl
• March 24: Readers share their stories and solutions 
• March 25: A USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin editorial outlining the five steps to address the crisis 
• May 5: A day of action in Madison on Children's Mental Health Awareness Day.

As part of this chapter, we asked readers to submit their own stories about mental health in their own words. Read the submissions from youth, parents and caregivers:

• Teen shares journey out of elephant graveyard
• Skyler's suicide motivates mom to help others
• 12 ways to help your troubled teenager
• After son's suicide, mom breaks 'hush hush'
• Forgiving a murderer, listening to cries of help
• Teen opens up about anorexia battle
• Boy was so stressed he scratched hair off
• Teen wants to move on from stuicide attempt

Share your story | Submission guidelines

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