Mental Health Resources

If your child's mood or behaviour  is having a significant or chronic affect on their daily functioning (ie, at home, at school, in relationships), it may be time to seek help.  These behaviors and changes may include:

• Change in sleep patterns
• Withdrawal/isolation
• Lack of interest in usual activities
• School avoidance/change in academic performance
• Change in personal hygiene
• Drastic changes in mood, behavior and/or personality
• Risky behavior
• Changes in weight

Start by reaching out to your family doctor.  Family doctors can provide helpful input and offer referrals for follow up care if necessary.

A lot of mental health supports are driven by your insurance coverage/provider.  If you do not have insurance, you can start with Network 180 for Kent County or The Right Door for Ionia County and they will help guide the next steps.

If you do not have insurance coverage, you can reach out to specific mental health providers or check Psychology Today to find a counselor that works for you. Your school mental health team can also provide support to find outside resources.

Websites & Videos

• Virtual Calming Room 
• Cosmic Kids Yoga 
• Mindfulness 54321 
• Child Anxiety Network
• Conscious Discipline
• Worry Wise Kids
• Susan Kaiser Greenland
• Psych Central (deep breathing techniques)

Apps

• Calm App 
• Breathe 2 Relax
• Breathe, Think, Do Sesame Street 
• Headspace: Guided Meditation and Mindfulness
• Stop, Breathe, and Think Kids
• Breathing Bubbles
• Smiling Mind

Books for kids

• Sometimes I'm Anxious by Poppy O'Neill
• What-to-Do Guides for Kids by Dawn Huebner
• Please Explain "Anxiety" to me by Laurie and Jordan Zelinger
• A Boy and a Bear: The Children's Relaxation Book by Lori Lite
• Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes
• When My Worries Get Too Big by Kari Dunn Buron 
• Wilma Jean the Worry Machine by Julia Cook
• Taming your Dragons by Marsha Bleknap

Books for adults

• Skills for Big Feelings: A Guide to Teaching Kids Relaxation, Regulation, and Coping Techniques by Casey O'Brien Martin 
• The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson 
• The Opposite of Worry: The Playful Parenting Approach to Childhood Anxieties and Fears by Lawrence J. Cohen
• Anxious Kids, Anxious Child by Ronald Rapee
• The Worried Child by Paul Foxman 
• Why Smart Kids Worry: And What Parents Can Do to Help by Allison Edwards

Kent County Resource Guide
Network 180 Access Center for Kent County (open 24/7)
Pine Rest Central Access (open 24/7) - Mental Health Crisis
Forest View Hospital - Eating disorders inpatient care, crisis inpatient care, related outpatient therapy
YWCA of West Michigan - Domestic abuse support/counseling, sexual abuse counseling

Gilda's Club-  free cancer support community of children, family, and friends. Offers education and support for those on any kind of cancer journey. Located at 314 S. Hudson, Lowell, Michigan.  (616) 453-8300

Ele's Place - free healing center for grieving children, teens, young adults, and their families. Located at 2000 Michigan St NE, Grand Rapids, Michigan. (616) 301-1605

Grief by Developmental Stages- understanding, behaviors, and needs by age.

What's Your Grief- articles, websites, and resources for all ages.

Children's Books on Grief and Loss - 25 books to foster conversation and healing.

Alpha Care Resources - Parenting and pregnancy resources to provide support within the Lowell Community

Cherry Health - High-quality health care to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay

Kent County Health Department

Planned Parenthood - Nonprofit delivering vital health care

Catholic Charities of West Michigan - Individual and family counseling, substance use Treatment, pregnancy resources

Bethany Christian Services - Individual and family counseling, pregnancy resources

Arbor Circle - Counseling services, early childhood services, and resources for homeless youth.

The Barn for Equine Learning - Equine-assisted individual counseling services. 

Bethany Christian Services - Individual and family counseling, pregnancy resources.

Catholic Charities of West Michigan - Individual and family counseling, substance use treatment, pregnancy resources.

Childhood Behavior Consulting Services- Outpatient therapy ages 5 - adult, in-office and telehealth options available. Specialty areas: navigating special education processes, developing home systems for behavior modification, anxiety, grief & loss, family adjustment, communication and self-esteem.

D.A. Blodgett - St. John's - Individual and family counseling, in-home counseling services.

Family Outreach Center -Individual counseling and in-home counseling services.

Four Health Family Resource Center of Saranac - Individual and family counseling services

Joe Martino Counseling - Individual, family, and group counseling.

Leadlight Counseling - Individual, couples, family, child, and adolescent counseling and therapy services. 

Lifeologie Institute - Individual, couples, child & adolescent, and family therapy. 

Pine Rest - Outpatient therapy, diagnostic testing, psychiatry and medication management.

Psychology Associates - Individual counseling, group therapy. 

Psychology Today - find a local therapis

YWCA of West Michigan - Domestic abuse support/counseling, sexual abuse counseling