Is My Teen Ok? How To Identify Anxiety And Depression In Our Adolescents

Date Aired: Tuesday, October 19, 2021 | 5:00pm to 6:00pm (PST)

Presenter: Baleska Alfaro, LMFT, Mental Health Therapist, CHOC Co-Occurring Clinic

Presenter Bio: Baleska Alfaro is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with CHOC Children’s Co-Occurring clinic and Mental Health Education Program. Baleska earned her Master’s degree in counseling psychology at Argosy University and since then has worked with victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse, with children/teens diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, with individuals diagnosed with co-occurring mental health/medical conditions and with various mental health community partners to impart psychoeducation surrounding salient mental health topics. She is a southern California native and is passionate about providing education about CHOC’s mental health services to our community at large.

Presentation Description: A CHOC Child and Adolescent Mental Health expert will focus on teaching parents, teachers, and school staff how to identify common symptoms exhibited by pre-teens and teens who are struggling with depression and anxiety. The workshop will also focus on providing tips for how parents, teachers, and school staff can help teens and pre-teens manage and reduce anxious distress and depressive symptoms. The presentation will conclude with information on how parents, teachers, and school staff should intervene in high-risk situations (i.e., when a teen is expressing suicidal ideation or engaging in self-harm).