Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute

08/06/2025

Parents and caregivers play a critical role in helping their grieving children adapt to a “new normal” after the death of a loved one. This can be incredibly challenging, especially when the adults themselves are grappling with their own grief.

Join us throughout the month of August for “Growing Through Grief,” a free, 75-minute educational workshop sponsored by Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, where we explain what grief can look like in youth of different ages, common bereavement-related challenges that children and adolescents experience, and practical tools for caregivers to help support children in the aftermath of a death.

Register at the link below to join one of the available English OR Spanish sessions.

https://bit.ly/4fuEAXc

08/04/2025

The devastating Texas floods over the Fourth of July holiday served as a tragic reminder that natural disasters can strike at any time. With the heartbreaking loss of life and widespread destruction, these events can inflict and on families and first responders that can last for years.

In our latest episode of Kasich & Keller, John Kasich and Andy Keller interview the Meadows Institute’s Julie Kaplow and B.J. Wagner about their ongoing work to help people who are experiencing trauma and grief after the Central Texas floods, sharing proven, practical steps that all of us can take to support our own loved ones and friends.

Watch the full episode here: https://bit.ly/3UIMdj2

07/22/2025

Processing a natural disaster like the deadly Central Texas floods can be difficult, especially for children, so Dr. Julie Kaplow has created a tool known as “The Six S’s” to help parents and caregivers support their children and help them to cope. Read and share it via Psychology Today.

View the guide:

It can be hard for parents to know the best way to discuss traumatic events with their children. These tips can help guide the conversation in a way that meets your child's needs.

07/21/2025

Thank you to everyone who joined our recent webinar with The Hackett Center for Mental Health, How to Support Children and Families After the Central Texas Floods, presented with support from the New York Life Foundation.

We are grateful to Dr. Julie Kaplow for sharing compassionate, practical strategies to support children and families in the aftermath of the devastating Central Texas floods, and for the thoughtful questions and reflections participants shared throughout the session.

If you missed our live webinar on Friday, a full recording is now available to watch here: https://bit.ly/4lNLYiU

The devastating flooding in Central Texas will have a lasting impact on families and communities across Texas. As recovery continues after this tragic event, the mental health needs of the people affected will become increasingly important — especially children experiencing trauma and grief. This ...

07/17/2025

Space is limited! Reminder to register for our free webinar on supporting children and family in the aftermath of the devastating Central Texas floods. Register now and join us, The Hackett Center for Mental Health, and The New York Life Foundation this Friday, July 18 at 10:00AM CT for an important and timely conversation about hope, healing, and resiliency.

Reserve your spot today:

The devastating flooding in Central Texas will have a lasting impact on families and communities across Texas. As recovery continues after this tragic event, the mental health needs of the people affected will become increasingly important — especially children experiencing trauma and grief. To he...

07/16/2025

Join us Tuesday, July 22, 2-3 p.m. CT, for The Power of Primary Care Champions in Collaborative Care, the first session in a new online conversation series. We’re hosting this free series — focused on how integrated behavioral health solutions are shaping the future of mental health care — with our partners at the National Council for Mental Wellbeing.

Featuring national experts from Northwestern Medicine (Christine Amstadt, DO, Katie Doyle and Garrett Raubolt, LCSW) and West Health (Jon Zifferblatt, MD), this session will explore how to build trust and engagement with primary care doctors to better serve people with mental health needs.

Register today:
https://bit.ly/4nU7MdM

This virtual session is supported by the Center of Excellence for Integrated Health Solutions, funded by a grant award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. If you have questions about these sessions, please contact Integration@TheNationalCouncil.org.

07/14/2025

The devastating flooding in Central Texas will have a lasting impact on families and communities across Texas. As recovery continues after this tragic event, the mental health needs of the people affected will become increasingly important — especially children experiencing and .

To help support those needs, the Meadows Institute and The Hackett Center for Mental Health, in partnership with the New York Life Foundation, invite you to join us for a free webinar this Friday, July 18, at 10:00AM CT about supporting your children and family after the Central Texas floods.

Featuring the expert insights of Julie Kaplow, PhD, ABPP, Executive Director, Trauma and Grief Center at The Hackett Center for Mental Health and Executive Vice President for Trauma and Grief Programs and Policy at the Meadows Institute, register now to join us live on Friday for an important conversation about hope, healing, and resiliency.

https://bit.ly/4lsldjD

The devastating flooding in Central Texas will have a lasting impact on families and communities across Texas. As recovery continues after this tragic event, the mental health needs of the people affected will become increasingly important — especially children experiencing trauma and grief. To he...

07/09/2025

Amanda Mathias is the Executive Director of Meadows Institute Panhandle, a 7th (!!) generation Texan, and one of those come back stories we all love after she told her husband on their porch in San Antonio one day that she “just needs to go home.” Amanda works on the critical issue of rural mental health care and the systems that affect, support, and hinder access to quality care. Her story is one of care and thoughtfulness - and the ever present Panhandle grit and hope.

🎧: Listen to Hey Amarillo in your favorite podcast app or the link below.
https://sites.libsyn.com/107079/amanda-mathias.

07/07/2025

The entire Meadows Institute family is grieving with Texas and the country after the devastating flooding and tragic loss of life in the Hill Country. The scope of the disaster is beyond comprehension, and we offer our support to the families who are affected by this terrible event.

Processing a disaster on this scale can be difficult, especially for children, so Julie Kaplow, the Executive Vice President for Trauma & Grief Programs and Policy and the Executive Director of the Trauma and Grief Center at The Hackett Center for Mental Health, has created a guide known as “The Six S’s” to help parents and caregivers support their children and help them to cope. We welcome you to use and share this resource.

View the guide:https://mmhpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TAG_HelpingChildrenAfterNaturalDisaster_Handout_2025.pdf

07/04/2025

From all of us at the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, Happy !

06/27/2025

Approximately two thirds of U.S. youth will experience at least one traumatic event before they turn 16. Trauma can leave a lasting impact and result in a range of mental and behavioral health issues, including Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. In recognition of PTSD Awareness Day today, we’re sharing resources from our Trauma and Grief Center about how to recognize PTSD in youth, and which evidence-based treatments are available.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3I3L2ro

In recognition of PTSD Awareness Day, the Trauma and Grief Center is sharing information about PTSD in children and adolescents. The early identification and timely treatment of PTSD in children can help to eliminate long-term suffering and prevent the intergenerational transmission of trauma. The i...

06/25/2025

Located in El Paso, Texas, our Paso del Norte Center is transforming mental health care — not just locally, but across state and national borders. Led by Executive Director Enrique Mata and made possible through support from the Paso del Norte Health Foundation, this Meadows Institute regional center is expanding access to quality mental health care by fostering cross-border collaboration, empowering local schools, and driving data-informed change.

Learn more about our Paso del Norte Center in a new interview with Mata on our website: https://bit.ly/3TE5stE

A Conversation with Enrique Mata, Executive Director of the Meadows Institute’s Paso del Norte Center By Rebecca Tharp | June 6, 2025 Enrique Mata, executive director of the Paso del Norte Center at the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute In 2021, the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute open...