Speak Our Minds

Breaking the Silence: Changing the Narrative on Youth Mental Health

Too often, stigma keeps families from seeking mental health support for their children until a crisis forces action. At the same time, insurers and policymakers have sometimes viewed mental health as a “black hole” for resources — questioning whether meaningful progress is even possible. In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Bob Batterson of Children’s Mercy Kansas City to explore how that narrative is shifting. Hear how their team is confronting stigma head-on, demonstrating measurable impact, and building a model of care that proves early, effective intervention is not only possible — it’s transformative.

The Waitlist Wake-Up Call: Why Early Intervention Can’t Wait

In this week's episode we talk with Brooke Briscoe at Children's Wisconsin about how the pandemic dramatically intensified youth mental health needs while simultaneously disrupting access to care, leading to longer waitlists and more young people reaching crisis before receiving support. In this six-minute conversation, we explore how identifying and addressing concerns early, we can improve outcomes, reduce the need for high-acuity services, and ultimately eliminate the bottlenecks that create waitlists in the first place.

Keeping Kids Where Kids Belong

In this 6-minute episode, national psychiatric leader Dr Justine Larson with National Children's Hospital in Washington D.C., makes the case for a simple but powerful shift in youth mental health care: bring care to kids, instead of pulling kids out of their lives to get care. From schools and primary care settings to community spaces families already trust, this conversation explores why meeting kids where they are leads to earlier support, better outcomes, and stronger communities—and why our systems must catch up to what kids actually need.

The Missing Link: Why Care Guides and Coordination Change Everything

Families navigating the youth mental health system often describe it as overwhelming, fragmented, and impossible to decipher — especially in moments of crisis. In this short, high-impact conversation, Dr. Micaela Thordarson explains why care guides and strong care coordination may be the closest thing we have to a “magic wand” in youth mental health care.

Around the Table: Why Talking Openly About Youth Mental Health Matters More Than Ever

In this brief but powerful conversation, we sit down with Dr. Martine Lamy from Cincinnati Children's, the nation’s largest hospital based pediatric mental health provider to explore a quiet but profound shift in youth mental health: families are finally talking — openly, honestly, and without shame. From dinner table conversations to everyday check-ins, discussing mental health with young people is becoming more normalized, and that change is saving lives. Dr. Lamy explains why these moments of openness matter so deeply, how they help youth name their struggles earlier, and why family dialogue is one of the strongest protective factors we have. This episode highlights how cultural change — not just clinical care — is reshaping the youth mental health landscape and why creating space for these conversations at home is just as critical as any treatment plan.