Berkley Schools Emotional Support
& Wellness Resources

The following is an excerpt from a message Superintendent Dennis McDavid sent to the community on June 2, 2020.

Our ideal as a nation, as stated in the Declaration of Independence, is that everyone has a chance to succeed, that everyone is “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights…” When we fall short of that ideal for one citizen we fall short of it for all of us. As a District we will continue to strive toward that “more perfect union.”

We ask our community to join us in continuing to lift and support all of our students and denounce hate and hateful behavior. We will continue to learn, continue to model love for all our students and continue to focus on our implicit bias so we can be better for all our students every day. It is incumbent on all of us to continue to create the community we want for all of our children. 

Below are some resources for you to use in talking with your children and others about racism, diversity and inclusion.

Articles

• American Psychological Association: Resources for Parents, Uplifting Youth Through Healthy Communication About Race
• Teaching Tolerance: Race and Identity
• Race Conscious: Raising Race Conscious Children
• Embrace Race
• How to talk to your children about protests and racism - CNN
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Videos

• Sesame Street: How to be an Upstander Song
• Sesame Street:  Racism Episode Part 1
• Sesame Street: What is Racism
• Sesame Street: Town Hall on Racism-June 2020
• Sesame Street: Power of We
• Talking to kids about racism in the media - Dr. Kira Banks on YouTube

Literature Resources

• Multicultural Book Room
• Black Lives Matter Instructional Library

• Choosing and Using Books to Discuss Racism and Ethnicity

Videos

• How I use Minecraft to help kids with autism (TEDTalk)

Articles

• The Surprising Benefits Your Kids Get from Playing Board Games
• The 14-Day Family Bonding Challenge
• List of 98 Kid-Approved Indoor Activities for Kids on School Break/Closure
• Printable Indoor Family Night Scavenger Hunt Cards
• Self-Critical and Perfectionist Child | Raise Confident Child (How to Help Kids who are too hard on Themselves)
• Will My Child Bounce Back From the Coronavirus Crisis?
• Coping With Social Anxiety During Social Distancing
• Self-Care in the Time of Coronavirus
• Self-Care for Caregivers During Coronavirus
• Self Care for Parents | Coronavirus Resources for Families
• Coronavirus (COVID-19): How to Talk to Your Child (for Parents) - Nemours
• Parental Self-Care — Importance of Caring for Yourself
• K-2: Tips for Supporting Learning at Home
• Grades 3-6: Tips for Supporting Learning at Home
• Grades 7-9: Tips for Supporting Learning at Home
• Grades 10-12: Tips for Supporting Learning at Home
• Anxiety Resources (resources and information on anxiety in children)
• Coronavirus (COVID-19): Calming Anxiety (for Parents) - Nemours KidsHealth

Recommended Book List

30 books to help you talk to your kids about racism

Resources & Toolkits

• Creating Safe Space for GLBTQ Youth: A Toolkit
• Some Considerations When Working with LGBT Students of Color
• LGBTQ+ Bullying: Making Schools Safe for LGBTQ+ Community
• I Think I Might Be.. Resources by Advocates for Youth: These resources are written by LGBTQ young people, and provide answers for young people thinking about their sexual orientation and young people who find that the gender they were assigned at birth does not fit them.
• Creating Safer Spaces for LGBTQ Youth Toolkit: Advocates for Youth
• The Genderbread Person - Printable

Organizations to Support LGBTQ Youth

• CenterLink Founded with the mission to build sustainable LGBTQ community centers, this organization now has over 200 locations in 46 states and five countries. Aside from strengthening local LGBTQ communities, the organization also provides networking, technical assistance and training, and capacity building services.
• GLAAD With a national focus on leading conversations about equality for the LGBTQ community and informing the media narrative, this organization works with news and entertainment media of all formats and communications and digital strategy outlets to ensure the public is provided with powerful stories about the LGBTQ community that advocates for greater equality.
• Gay & Lesbian International Sport Association With an international reach, GLISA brings together international sports federations, human rights organizations, associations representing sport teams, clubs from major regions, and other stakeholders to facilitate partnerships for building bridges between sports and the LGBTQ community.
• Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network GLSEN’s mission is simple: to ensure every member of school communities feel respected, regardless of their sexual orientation. This is accomplished through educating teachers, students and the public about the common pressures faced by LGBTQ students and working to remove barriers to success.
• Get Equal GE focuses on equipping the LGBTQ community and their allies to fight against inequalities and to push for progressive change. Whether organizing direct action efforts, hosting local community meetings, training members in tactics of direct action or providing professional consulting, the organization is committed to continuously fighting for equality.
• Human Rights Campaign HRC is the largest organization fighting for the civil rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans. The organization currently has over 1.5 million members, all focused on making true equality for all possible. The organization has a number of research publications outlining equality indexes on areas such as healthcare, employers, states and corporations.
• Matthew Shepard Foundation By erasing hate and building compassionate and accepting communities, the Matthew Shepard Foundation hopes to empower LGBTQ individuals to challenge and address discriminatory behavior in their schools, neighborhoods and homes.
• National Center for Transgender Equality Identifying as America’s premier social justice advocacy organization for transgender individuals, NCTE works at the federal, state and local levels to leverage political capital and change laws encouraging discriminatory behavior. The organization has a particularly helpful “Know Your Rights” section of their website with information on housing, healthcare, employment, and more.
• National Gay & Lesbian Task Force Since 1973, NGLTF has focused on building the political capital of the LGBTQ community through activist training, advancing pro-LGBT legislation and raising the profile of LGBTQ interests and causes. The organization is also an excellent resource for learning about the beliefs and platforms of those running for public office in regards to LGBTQ interests.
• PFLAG Through support, education and advocacy efforts, PFLAG seeks to unite the LGBTQ community with friends, families and allies. By doing so, the organization hopes to further equality efforts and lessen discriminatory practices. Currently, there are more than 350 chapters and over 200,000 members.
• TransYouth Family Allies TYFA is focused on supporting children and families to create support systems offering encouragement and acceptance regardless of sexual orientation. Main areas of work include educating the public about discrimination, working to eliminate oppression and violence, and forming alliances to ensure support services are in place for LGBTQ individuals. The organization has a number of outreach initiatives and resources to accomplish this mission.
• The Attic Youth Center This Philadelphia-based organization is an excellent example of how LGBTQ youth centers can empower and inspire local teens that identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning. Some of the services offered include life skills, mental health counseling, supportive programs, community engagement, and social activities. AYC also provides a number of resources at both the local and national level.
• Genders & Sexualities Alliance GSAs are student run clubs operating in both high school and middle schools that provide support, socialization, and activism activities for LGBTQ youth. The overarching goal is to fight against homophobia and transphobia; providing leadership and activist training for group members and encouraging them to advocate for nondiscriminatory policies and greater equality accomplishes this.
• International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Youth and Student Organization IGLYO is an internationally focused advocacy and activism organization focused on representing the interests of LGBTQ youth. To accomplish this mission, the organization hosts conferences, provides educational materials, and offers the general public many opportunities to get involved.
• It Gets Better Project The mission of the IGB Project is to give LGBT youth across the world hope that things do get better. In response to raised incidents of students committing suicide after being bullied in school, syndicated columnist Dan Savage created the organization to provide both inspiration and resources, including pledges and educational videos.
• The Trevor Project With suicide rates noticeably higher among LGBTQ youth than their straight peers, the mission of The Trevor Project is incredibly important. By providing a 24/7-crisis intervention service, online community, and educational programs, the organization seeks to be both life saving and life-affirming.
• YouthPride Since 2009, this organization has prevented 151 LGBTQ youth suicides through innovative programming and excellent resources. Whether offering daily after school activities or support and discussion groups, the Atlanta-based organization engages youth and empowers them to advocate for themselves. The organization also provides counseling and free HIV testing.
• Affirmations in Ferndale, MI. Affirmations LGBTQ+ community center has been the hub for southeast Michigan LGBTQ+ communities and it’s allies for the last 30 years. It provides a welcoming space where people of all sexual orientations, gender identities & expressions, and cultures can learn, grow, socialize and access the vital support they need.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been difficult for everyone, especially children who have had their normal routines, stability and resources changed and/or reduced. The resources below are availble to help parents and guardians talk to their children about the global pandemic.

• Coronavirus Disease 2019 | COVID-19 (health orders, dashboard, case map, testing locations, translated resources, etc.)
• FEMA Funeral Reimbursement Program - reimbursing for funeral costs related to COVID-19 death
• K-12 Education Toolkit - Oakland County
• CDC: Talking to Children about Coronavirus
• PBS (Daniel Tiger): How to Talk to your Kids about Coronavirus
• Child Mind Institute: Talking to Kids About the Coronavirus Crisis
• Social Narrative: Staying Safe from the Virus
• Social Narrative: Learning from Home
• Social Narrative: Video-Learning Etiquette
• When Virona the Corona came to Town
•  A Little Spot Wears a Mask By Diane Alber
• Coping During COVID: How to Support LBGTQ+ Youth
• All Children - All Families:  COVID-19 & LGBTQ Clients

Below are some resources to keep your child safe online:

• 5 ways to help keep your child’s online experiences positive and safe
• US Department of Justice: Keeping children safe online
• 10 Apps for Parents to Monitor Kids' Mobile Use - Family Education

Below are three apps to monitor your child’s digital world:

• T-Mobile Digits (Free) – Monitor your child’s text messages
• Google Family Link (Free) – Set limits on your child’s digital world
• Bark.us (Cost) – Professional dashboard to manage your child’s world digital world