Dr. Carlin Barnes and Dr. Marketa Wills - two Harvard-trained psychiatrists – are the co-founders of Healthy Mind MDs, LLC – a wellness enterprise whose sole mission is to improve the emotional and mental well-being of all Americans. They recently co-authored the groundbreaking book “Understanding Mental Illness: A Comprehensive Guide to Mental Health Disorders for Family for Family and Friends” which explains mental illness in an easy-to-understand, conversational way for the masses.
Some schools and institutions of higher learning will continue distance learning curriculums; others will welcome students back to classrooms and campuses with the implementation of new safety measures. While both models have their own set of challenges, many parents have very legitimate concerns and worry about their child’s health and safety in a traditional classroom setting in the midst of this pandemic.
I had a chance to email them to learn more.
How can parents help their children process the guilt and confusion that may come from missed experiences at the end of this school year?
Whether deciding how best to proceed with summer programs or school in the fall, here are some helpful tips to consider.
Carlin Barnes, MD, is a board-certified psychiatrist and behavioral health medical director at a Fortune 500 managed care company. For the past eighteen years, she has practiced child, adolescent, and adult psychiatry—she has a thriving, diverse, boutique private practice with patient clientele ranging from working adults to urban children and adolescents. She trained in the specialty of psychiatry at programs affiliated with both Harvard University and Emory University Schools of Medicine and attended Texas A&M University College of Medicine, where she received a Doctor of Medicine degree. Dr. Barnes is a member of several professional organizations including the National Medical Association, the Black Psychiatrists of America, and the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. She is originally from Hillside, New Jersey, and currently resides in Houston, Texas, where she lives with her son.
Marketa Wills, MD, is a board-certified psychiatrist with a master’s in business administration from the Wharton School of Business and serves as a physician executive at a Fortune 500 health insurance company. She has cared for severely mentally ill patients in inpatient, outpatient, and emergency room clinical settings. As treatment team leader and medical director, she effectively collaborated with other mental health professionals to ensure that patients with a variety of ailments—ranging from schizophrenia to postpartum depression to substance abuse—were able to live as productively as possible. Dr. Wills earned her medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and completed a residency in adult psychiatry at Harvard’s Massachusetts General Hospital/McLean Hospital program. In her last year of the program, she served as chief resident. She has received numerous accolades and awards highlighting her clinical and community achievements. Originally from Dayton, Ohio, she currently resides in sunny Tampa, Florida. Her passions include travel, community service and the arts.
How can parents help their children process the guilt and confusion that may come from missed experiences at the end of this school year?
- Help children find accurate and up to date kid-friendly information regarding the coronavirus pandemic to ensure that they understand basics, including the importance of social distancing. There are lots of age-appropriate resources on YouTube that explain COVID-19. Print out Fact Sheets from the CDC or WHO.
- Acknowledge that this is a difficult time for everyone. It's normal to feel guilt and confusion under such trying and unusual circumstances.
- Suggest that they keep in touch with friends via FaceTime, Zoom, Skype, etc. and celebrate the special occasion virtually.
- Remind children that things won’t stay like this forever. Some end of the school year experiences and celebrations have been rescheduled for later this summer. The coronavirus pandemic will end and life will go back a new normal.
Whether deciding how best to proceed with summer programs or school in the fall, here are some helpful tips to consider.
- Stay in the know regarding up-to-date announcements and plans for your child’s school. Regularly monitor communications from your child’s school regarding upcoming plans for the new school year (and summer class programs). Many schools and universities are making decisions as they receive up-to-date information from scientists, epidemiologists, and educators.
- Assess your own feelings about your child’s return to school or attending a summer program. Many parents have a knee-jerk and immediate response to have their student continue to shelter in place until there is a vaccine for the novel coronavirus, or there are effective therapeutics, or things just feel less crisis-ridden. Others feel ready to send their students back into society in a socially distanced way. These are all very valid responses to the current situation at hand. While health and safety issues are extremely important it is also important to consider other factors such as safety measures which will be implemented, the quality of the educational experience offered with distance learning curriculums, and the diminished socialization (and potential resultant social isolation) in the absence of the traditional school setting and its impact on your child.
- Determine if your child is ready to go back to school. If your student is mature enough to weigh in on this matter, explore his thoughts. Many students not only report that they miss the regular, daily contact with friends and teachers but they also much prefer the traditional learning models. Overwhelmingly, most students express that they want to return to school campuses. For those students who are have concerns about returning to campus, explore their concerns. If there is a concern for significant anxiety, seek professional help.
- Come up with a plan B. Discuss a plan and also a back-up plan. If you decide to send your child back to class, what will be the plan if school doors unexpectedly close again in the fall? If you decide to keep your child home and assist with distance learning assignments and you are required to return to the office in the fall, who will be available during the school day to assist your student with distance learning? Having a couple of well-thought out plans can help to reduce anxiety and worry.
- Be informed regarding your student’s rights. Review your state and federal guidelines and laws regarding absenteeism and a failure to attend school in the midst of a pandemic. Should your child not return to school if its re-opens, is continued distance learning permissible? Are extenuating circumstances required? Is home-based instruction an option? These are important questions to consider prior to the start of the new school year.
- Create an open and supportive environment where children know they can ask questions.
- Answer questions honestly and in an age- appropriate manner.
- Help children find accurate and up to date information regarding the coronavirus pandemic to ensure that they understand the importance of social distancing. Print out Fact Sheets from the CDC or WHO.
- Children who are preoccupied with excessive concerns about the coronavirus pandemic should be evaluated by a mental health professional. Signs of clinical anxiety may include: problems with sleep, excessive worrying, inability to control worrying, nightmares, excessive fears, and reluctance to leave parents or go to school. If you are concerned that your child is experiencing these symptoms, consult with a pediatrician or trained mental health professional.
- Use age-appropriate resources such as the CNN/Sesame Street Town Hall or the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry’s Resources for Helping Kids and Parents Cope Amidst COVID-19.
- Manage your anxieties--Practice self-care (mindfulness, meditation, yoga, exercise, adequate sleep) . It is important to realize the difference between normal worry and valid concerns and anxiety that is problematic. How you manage your anxiety impacts the emotional health and wellness of your child.
Marketa Wills, MD, is a board-certified psychiatrist with a master’s in business administration from the Wharton School of Business and serves as a physician executive at a Fortune 500 health insurance company. She has cared for severely mentally ill patients in inpatient, outpatient, and emergency room clinical settings. As treatment team leader and medical director, she effectively collaborated with other mental health professionals to ensure that patients with a variety of ailments—ranging from schizophrenia to postpartum depression to substance abuse—were able to live as productively as possible. Dr. Wills earned her medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and completed a residency in adult psychiatry at Harvard’s Massachusetts General Hospital/McLean Hospital program. In her last year of the program, she served as chief resident. She has received numerous accolades and awards highlighting her clinical and community achievements. Originally from Dayton, Ohio, she currently resides in sunny Tampa, Florida. Her passions include travel, community service and the arts.
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