ORLANDO, Fla. – As backpacks are packed and classrooms fill up, mental health experts say parents should also prepare for something less visible: the emotional challenges that often come with returning to school
To help families navigate the transition, the Mental Health Association of Central Florida has released a free, 20-page Back-to-School Mental Health and Wellness Guide
The guide is packed with practical tools, conversation starters, planning tips and even games designed to help parents support their children’s emotional well-being
“There’s a lot of unknown for a child going to school for the first time or moving into another grade or another school,” said Lisseth Russa, MHA’s VP of Operations
Russa and the team of licensed, clinical professionals with MHA say they understand many parents don’t have the time to sit for family dinners and talk, nor do they have many chances to make meaningful observations of changes in their kids’ behavior
And there’s a wide range of reasons Russa highlights that create the distance between guardians and children, including the economy, forcing many parents to work multiple jobs, forfeiting quality time; or she adds that for others, immigration concerns can prevent families from seeking mental wellness help for their kids
Whatever the reason may be, licensed therapists, clinicians and other mental health professionals warn that change in routine and lack of preparation are driving factors for mental health fatigue
Worries about new teachers, or increased schoolwork load, and social pressures – all according to experts – can be exacerbated by access to social media and, more recently, artificial intelligence
MHA creates a back-to-school guide each year, carefully designing and updating it with a team of licensed professionals and parents to get ahead of the aforementioned factors
The 2026 guide tackles the entire family, ensuring parents know what paperwork to have filled out ahead of the first day, to word searches of key phrases related to ‘mental health’ as a way to gamify the experience and keep youth interested
The hope is that this guide will prevent any lingering mental health issues from snowballing and offer a place for families to not only broach conversations, but get ahead of confusing or stressful preparations that can lead to overwhelm and even depression
Here’s what’s included in the back-to-school guide:
- Back-to-school checklist for parents
- Mental wellness habits
- Warning signs of depression
- Tips for tackling homework
- Homework planning guide
- Braving the unknown
- Anti-bullying word search
- Anti-bullying support groups
- Cyber bullying
- Vaping
- Lunchbox affirmations
- Local mental health resources
The Back to School Guide is one of many re
Their MHACF Outlook Clinic is one of their most widely used tools, offering free, outpatient mental health care for uninsured and underinsured families experiencing symptoms of mental health disorders
“We don’t answer the phone; we answer the call, said Russa, who explained that even if people don’t need their services or may be ineligible, their clinical interns will point them in the right direction and work with them to explain their coverage
For more details on MHACF’s back-to-school material, click here
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