Parent & Caregiver’s Mental Health

Effective parenting happens with right information, commitment and support. SETA Head Start offers a variety of group and individual opportunities to parents.

Parenting Workshops — Mental Health Support Staff provide a variety of workshops that relate to effective parenting. Popular topics include positive discipline techniques and promoting self-esteem in children.

Mental Health Issues — Information materials and workshops on depression, domestic violence awareness and prevention, pervasive developmental disorders and other topics that are of interest to parents are provided at our centers.

Child Abuse Prevention — Program activities include parent workshops and distribution of informational materials such as bookmarks, posters and buttons that bear tips of how to promote child health and safety and positive ways to communicate with children.

Use of Aromatherapy in Stress Management — This has become a favorite among parents. Fun and educational, parents get introduced to essential oils and how they can be used to make bath salts, lotion and environmental-friendly household cleaning products. Managing stress is taking special time to pamper ourselves and to discover use of natural products for health and beauty.

Memory Books as a Therapeutic Tool — This special project started at one site but the scrapbook fever has quickly spread out! Facilitated by a Social Worker and Family Services Worker, the activity has a goal of providing families an opportunity to come together, bring family pictures and talk about relevant themes and life experiences. The end product is a memory album, and the expressive process is therapeutic to participants.

Support Group for Families with ADHD-diagnosed Children — In the planning stage is this support group for some of our Head Start families whose children have been diagnosed as having ADHD. Updates will be posted at this site.

Individual Consultations — Parents can talk to the Social Workers anytime. Whether at a site visit or with a phone call, mental health support staff is available. Our Social Workers’ phone numbers are posted at the centers.