It Starts Here!

 This FREE program is available to parents to educate them about the early warning signs of mood disorders in teens.

As the Coordinator of Family and Youth Programs, I work with parents every day that are struggling to help their teenagers or young adults to get the help they need for a mood disorder. Many parents recognize now that there were early warnings signs for their child’s illness, but they did not recognize them or know what to do about them. Many parents have thought that their teenager was just having typical mood swings or acting out behaviour. Early intervention in mental illness is a key component in helping a person to have a healthy recovery and to minimize the negative impact that an illness has had on their life, such as dropping out of school, losing relationships or not being able to work. This is why the MDAO has developed the It Starts Here program - to reach out to parents that have teenagers, or soon to be teenagers, in order to educate them about the early warning signs of mood disorders in teens.

It Starts Here is a free 1.5 hour long presentation available to parents and communities across the GTA. Parents that attend will be provided with information on mood disorders in youth and information about how to help their kids if they are struggling. In addition, the audience will have the opportunity to hear a personal story of a parent who has raised a teen with a mood disorder.

If you are part of an organization or community group supporting parents of teens, and you are interested in having It Starts Here available to the parents you serve, please contact Leanne Needham, Coordinator of Family and Youth Programs at MDAO. The program is of no cost to your organization and Leanne will help ensure that the program and speaker are suitable to your audience.

If you are a parent who is interested in telling your story, please contact Leanne Needham to talk about speaker training opportunities.

Leanne Needham, Coordinator of Family and Youth Programs

416-486-8046, ext. 300

leannen@mooddisorders.ca