Parenting Mercer Island is brought to you by Mercer Island Youth and Family Services (MIYFS), a department within the City of Mercer Island, with funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
MIYFS is dedicated to helping Islanders grow, thrive and contribute to the community. Residents of Mercer Island are eligible for a variety of services from MIYFS including school-based counseling, community-based counseling, family assistance, senior assistance, and food security. Questions or concerns about mental health and/or substance use and requests for counseling can be directed to the confidential MIYFS Voicemail Line at (206) 275-7657.
Learn more about MIYFS and the Mercer Island Healthy Youth Initiative (HYI) or contact us at ParentingMI@mercerisland.gov
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org
King County 211 connects residents in King County to the help they need, including housing assistance, help with financial needs, food bank locations and more.
If you are concerned about a youth or adult who may be considering suicide, you can help. The UW Forefront Suicide Prevention LEARN program, provides information and skills to help you recognize when someone may be at risk for suicide and how to connect them with immediate help. LEARN is an acronym for five steps: LOOK for Signs, EMPATHIZE and Listen, ASK Directly About Suicide, REDUCE the Dangers, and NEXT STEPS.
Knowing how to recognize signs of suicide could help save someone’s life. Just like first aid and CPR, this is valuable knowledge for everyone to have in their toolkit to support a healthy family and community. For more information about the UW Forefront LEARN training and to access resources, visit https://intheforefront.org/learn-saves-lives/.
The Talk. They Hear You. campaign aims to reduce underage drinking and other substance use among youths under the age of 21 by providing parents and caregivers with information and resources they need to address these issues with their children early and often. Learn how to talk to your children about substances and how to answer the tough questions. The Talk. They Hear You. Campaign is supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Island Space is a movement that promotes healthy lifestyles for teens in Mercer Island. The Island Space campaign is focused on: Improving student mental health, decreasing substance use as a coping mechanism, and providing teens information about healthy ways to deal with stress and the pressure to succeed.
Island Space is supported by the Mercer Island Healthy Youth Initiative.
Take Five MI is a personalized online tool that allows teens to reflect on how they are feeling and how they tend to cope. The tool also shares statistics about what other high school students are experiencing. The anonymous tool is personalized based on information provided by the individual and offers tips and strategies to help cope with stress.
TakeFiveMI.org is sponsored by the Mercer Island Healthy Youth Initiative.
The Focus On campaign educates teens about the risks and consequences of underage alcohol use. The Focus On campaign is supported by the Washington Healthy Youth Coalition, a partnership of several Washington state agencies and organizations who are united in preventing underage use of alcohol and marijuana.
The Choose You campaign encourages teens to focus on the things that matter most and avoid vapes. The campaign addresses how nicotine in vapes impacts mental and physical health, offers healthy ways to cope with stress, and provides resources that are proven to help teens quit vapes. The Choose You campaign is supported by the Washington State Department of Health.
It is a myth that all teens “experiment” with substance use. More than ever young people are making ONE CHOICE to not use any substances. Learn how the developing adolescent brain is uniquely vulnerable to substance use and gather prevention resources for parents. The One Choice Prevention website is managed by the Institute for Behavior and Health, Inc., a non-profit organization that works to reduce illegal drug use and improve prevention and treatment.
The University of Washington’s ADAI mission is to advance research, policy, and practice in order to improve the lives of individuals and communities affected by alcohol and drug use and addiction. Visit the Education and Prevention page for helpful resources.
