{"id":17189,"date":"2026-05-18T00:52:04","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T00:52:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/2026\/05\/18\/alabama-organizations-spotlight-childrens-mental-health-resources-during-may-wbrc\/"},"modified":"2026-05-18T00:52:04","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T00:52:04","slug":"alabama-organizations-spotlight-childrens-mental-health-resources-during-may-wbrc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/2026\/05\/18\/alabama-organizations-spotlight-childrens-mental-health-resources-during-may-wbrc\/","title":{"rendered":"Alabama organizations spotlight children\u2019s mental health, resources during May – WBRC"},"content":{"rendered":"

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC<\/a>) – Organizations across Alabama are highlighting children\u2019s mental health during Mental Health Awareness Month in May, emphasizing that children\u2019s emotional health is just as important as their physical health.
Nearly 20% of children ages 3 to 17 have mental, emotional and behavioral disorders, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
According to the Alabama Department of Mental Health (ADMH), in 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the Children\u2019s Hospital Association declared a national emergency for children\u2019s mental health. That emergency is still ongoing.
ADMH points to technology as something that greatly impacts children\u2019s mental health. The department based the 2026 Children\u2019s Mental Health Acceptance Week around the theme \u201cBeyond the Screen: Education, Prevention, Connection.\u201d
Too much screen time at a young age can affect thinking skills, language development and emotional well-being, according to a study titled \u201cEffects of Excessive Screen Time on Child Development: An Updated Review and Strategies for Management.\u201d<\/b><\/a>
ADMH says recognizing those impacts is important because early childhood experiences play a large role in how children learn, build relationships and handle challenges.
\u201cOur children deal with some of the same challenges that we deal with as adults, and they are still learning how to deal with those challenges that they may face throughout the rest of their lives,\u201d said Brandy Reeve, vice president of Behavioral Health Services at Children\u2019s of Alabama. \u201cFocusing on it early helps them to develop those tools for how they will cope with things that may come their way as they grow older.\u201d
Device use starts early for many children. By age 2, about 40% have their own tablet, according to \u201c<\/b>Media Use by Kids Zero to Eight,\u201d a study by the Common Sense Census<\/b><\/a>.
By their teenage years, ages 13 to 18, between 88% and 95% have a smartphone.
 The Common Sense Census: Media Use by Kids Zero to Eight (2025) <\/a> by wbrcnews <\/a>
Researcher Jonathan Haidt, in \u201cThe Anxious Generation,\u201d connects the rise in youth anxiety and depression with increased screen use. He points to less in-person interaction, poor sleep, shorter attention spans and addictive patterns as possible reasons.
ADMH says parents and caregivers can take simple steps to support healthy technology habits. ADMH recommends keeping all devices out of bedrooms, which can help children sleep better and reduce overuse.
While excessive screen time can worsen children\u2019s emotional health, mental health can be complex at any age.
ADMH continues to expand access to care for young people. More than 120 school districts and all 19 community mental health centers are part of the School-Based Mental Health Collaboration<\/b><\/a>, serving approximately 12,000 students each year.
The School-Based Mental Health Collaboration\u2019s goal is to ensure that children and adolescents, both general and special education, enrolled in local school systems have access to high-quality mental health prevention, early intervention and treatment services.
ADMH provides the Alabama State Department of Education training, resources and support for school staff, including mental health service coordinators, and assists with programs like the Turnaround Schools Initiative.
ADMH<\/b><\/a> also partners with the Department of Human Resources and the Department of Youth Services through the Our Kids Program. This program helps coordinate care for young people with complex needs.
Youth in the program must receive, or have recently received, services from at least two local agencies, such as a community mental health center, a county Department of Human Resources office or a juvenile court. Teams from these agencies meet in person, review progress and track outcomes to make sure each child is getting the right support.
Children\u2019s of Alabama says it has been a leader in child and adolescent mental health treatment, education and research. Its multidisciplinary team includes psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, nurse practitioners, nurses and expert support staff.
One resource Children\u2019s offers is the Psychiatric Intake Response Center (PIRC)<\/b><\/a>. The free, confidential service links adult callers and community providers to the most appropriate mental health resources for children and teenagers. Therapists at the PIRC are licensed mental health professionals who can quickly assess what\u2019s going on and direct an adult caller to the right resources.
\u201cWe offer education and an opportunity for that person to process what\u2019s going on, ask questions and then clearly understand what the next steps are,\u201d said Cindy Jones, director of the PIRC. \u201cOur goal is to make sure the call is calming for the caller, which helps alleviate any anxiety, frustration or fear he or she may have.\u201d
Jones said the PIRC is constantly updating its database with a list of providers across the state, working to assist everyone it can.
The PIRC is available to families across Alabama seven days a week, year-round, from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. The number to call is 205-638-PIRC (7472). They also advise anyone experiencing a crisis to call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
ADMH also has a provider directory which can be found by clicking or tapping here<\/b><\/a>. There is also a list of Alabama\u2019s Crisis System of Care which can be found by clicking or tapping here<\/b><\/a>.
Get news alerts in the Apple App Store<\/a> and Google Play Store<\/a> or subscribe to our email newsletter here<\/a>.
Copyright 2026 WBRC. All rights reserved.<\/i><\/p>\n

source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – Organizations across Alabama are highlighting children\u2019s mental health during Mental Health Awareness Month in May, emphasizing that children\u2019s emotional health is just as important as their physical health.Nearly 20% of children ages 3 to 17 have mental, emotional and behavioral disorders, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. According to the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17190,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17189","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17189","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17189"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17189\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17190"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17189"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17189"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17189"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}