Youth Well-being in a Digital World: The Role of Schools and Communities
The Mind Inside: Episode Two
Full film available now. This is the second episode in The Mind Inside, a docuseries exploring mental health in public schools.
2019 // 29:58 // Multiple Locations
The correlation between mental health and social media is one of the modern world’s most prominent issues. Today’s public schools are challenged with promoting the healthy use of technology, while simultaneously protecting adolescents from social media’s chilling repercussions.
Sally Nellson Barrett, documentary interviewer and director, introduces her latest piece The Mind Inside: a docuseries exploring adolescent mental health in the digital age. Join for a film screening of the second episode, followed by a thought-provoking discussion on mental health, social media and the responsibilities of our schools and communities.
Co-sponsored by: Global Alliance for Behavioral Health & Social Justice, Nebraska Loves Public Schools, Mental Health Section of APHA, Nebraska Council of School Administrators (NCSA)

Meet the Panelists
Ask questions with our event hashtag on Twitter (#GADocsTalks) or submit them during the discussion through our event portal.
Sharon Hoover, Moderator, is a licensed clinical psychologist and professor of psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She is the co-director of the National Center for School Mental Health and the Director of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network’s Center for Safe Supportive Schools. Sharon is working to create safe, supportive and resilient schools and to improve school-based mental health services.
Caitlin Elsaesser is an assistant professor of social work at the University of Connecticut and a former teacher. She has been working with youth and communities to help youth navigate social media conflict in a digital world.
Brianna Maher is a public health professional. She conducts research at NORC at the University of Chicago on mental health topics including suicide prevention.
Konner Kiesel is a college student at Midland University (NE) and is featured in the film.
Cammie Weland is a teacher at Ralston Public Schools (NE) and a mentor for young people. Cammie is featured in the film.

About the Docuseries
Created by Nebraska Loves Public Schools, The Mind Inside is a three-episode docuseries exploring one of the most pressing and complicated issues in public education today: mental health and social media. Informative and heartbreaking, this episode provides a framework for discussion around empowering a balance of appropriate media use and keeping students in a safe, productive, and positive environment online and in the real world.
Executive Director and film director, Sally Nellson Barrett: “We created The Mind Inside series to explore what students are struggling with today, what social, emotional, and behavioral resources are available, and what schools and their communities are developing as short- and long- term solutions. The topic is complicated and deeply personal and throughout production, I found myself being so much more understanding and empathetic the more I listened to these stories. I hope this film series does the same for you, too.”

Anytime you’re dealing with a population of people, and certainly teenagers, you’re dealing with all sorts of levels of mental health, qualities of mental health. We have an insight into kids’ mental health status and it’s changed a lot, what children share, what they experience, and the challenges as a teacher has changed a lot because of [social media].”
— Beth McGrath, Ralston High School English teacher

Beth McGrath
English Teacher
Ralston High School
With more than 32 years of teaching experience, English teacher Beth McGrath provides first-hand examples of the dynamic change in classroom behavior over time. Her past experiences include interdisciplinary team teaching, alternative education settings, curriculum and technology committees, and cooperating educators for clinical practice.

Cammie Weland
Social Studies Teacher
Ralston High School
With more than a decade in the classroom, social studies teacher Cammie Weland shares how she's experienced a shift in classroom culture. Due to a myriad of societal influences combined with an influx of cell phones and social media, teaching today has changed and she shares the expectations and reality of what teachers are up against.

Dr. Jeff Bostic, MD, EDD
Professor of Child Psychiatry
Georgetown University
Faculty at Georgetown University Hospital, Dr. Bostic provides a national, medical perspective on the issue of brain development and social media, contextualizing what’s happening in the classroom.

Dr. Mark Adler, EDD
Superintendent
Ralston Public Schools
Since the death of his son in 2016, Dr. Adler has spoken with more than 30,000 people about bullying, appropriate use of technology, suicide, and spreading kindness and hope. In the film, he shares the story of Reid, a victim of cyberbullying and the inspiration behind the metro-area schools #BeKind initiative.

Jason Jackson
Social Studies Teacher
Ralston High School
High school social studies teachers Jason Jackson provides his perspective on the classroom today, the pressure technology has placed on the profession, and how teachers’ hopes and interpersonal investment in students has increased in recent years.

Stacy Athow
Director of School Counseling
Ralston High School
With more than 20 years of experience, Athows, Director of Guidance Counseling, shares the complexities of counseling today and the need to increase mental health resources for students. Additionally, she coordinates the High Ability Learner (HAL) program and serves as the College Access Grant Administrator.

6th Graders
Millard North Middle School

Freshmen-Seniors
Wilber-Clatonia High School

Juniors-Seniors
Omaha Central High School

Sally Nellson
Director
Since 2011, Sally has interviewed more than 500 people and directed more than 40 films to raise awareness about the high-quality public education in Nebraska. Most recently she has turned her attention to creating longer-form I Love Public Schools films, documentaries focused on the ways societal issues impact public schools and what schools are doing to protect, understand, and empower students to be successful. Prior to this campaign, Sally ran a successful practice providing creative direction and story development for many of the largest banks and investment managers in the country. Sally is a proud graduate of Ashland-Greenwood High School.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-8255 (TALK), is a national network of local call centers that provides 24/7 emotional support to those in suicidal crisis or in emotional distress
Crisis Text Line
Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 counseling via text. To access the Crisis Text Line, text HOME to 741-741. Trained Crisis Text Line counselors support not only suicide risk but any kind of emotional distress including depression, anxiety, at-risk substance use, domestic violence, relationship problems, and issues at school.
YouthLine
YouthLine is a free, confidential, and 24/7 support service for youth. It offers various ways to get in touch; a call line, 1-877-968-8491; a text line, text teen2teen to 839-863; an online chat; and an email, Teen2Teen@LinesforLive.org.
The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project provides 24/7 talk (1-866-488-7386), text (text START to 678-678), and chat lines specifically for LGBTQ+ youth under 25 who are experiencing emotional distress and/or may be thinking of suicide.
Kids Help Phone
Kids Help Phone
Text Services: Text "CONNECT" to 686868 (children and youth)
Youthspace.ca (NEED2 Suicide Prevention, Education & Support)
Youthspace.ca (NEED2 Suicide Prevention, Education & Support)
Youth Chat (6 pm - 12 am PT): www.youthspace.ca
Youth Text (6 pm - 12 am PT): (778) 783-0177
Boys Town Social Media Safety
From guides and emails, parenting tips and access to experts, the Boys Town Social Media Safety resources help address cyber safety for kids and provide actionable steps for families.
Common Sense Media Digital Citizenship Toolkit
Educate students about Internet safety, appropriate online behavior, and cyberbullying. The free Common SenseMedia toolkit provides education for educators and parents alike.
Read More
Reid Adler Memorial Kindness Scholarship / The RA13 Legacy
The RA13 Legacy fund has been established within the Ralston Schools Foundation and is used to fund student scholarships and to provide resources to other projects or activities that promote kindness, service, leadership, and outreach.
START
START helps families use tech with intention with the hope kids grow up captivated by life, not screens.

Beth McGrath
English Teacher
Ralston High School
With more than 32 years of teaching experience, English teacher Beth McGrath provides first-hand examples of the dynamic change in classroom behavior over time. Her past experiences include interdisciplinary team teaching, alternative education settings, curriculum and technology committees, and cooperating educators for clinical practice.

Cammie Weland
Social Studies Teacher
Ralston High School
With more than a decade in the classroom, social studies teacher Cammie Weland shares how she's experienced a shift in classroom culture. Due to a myriad of societal influences combined with an influx of cell phones and social media, teaching today has changed and she shares the expectations and reality of what teachers are up against.

Dr. Jeff Bostic, MD, EDD
Professor of Child Psychiatry
Georgetown University
Faculty at Georgetown University Hospital, Dr. Bostic provides a national, medical perspective on the issue of brain development and social media, contextualizing what’s happening in the classroom.

Dr. Mark Adler, EDD
Superintendent
Ralston Public Schools
Since the death of his son in 2016, Dr. Adler has spoken with more than 30,000 people about bullying, appropriate use of technology, suicide, and spreading kindness and hope. In the film, he shares the story of Reid, a victim of cyberbullying and the inspiration behind the metro-area schools #BeKind initiative.

Jason Jackson
Social Studies Teacher
Ralston High School
High school social studies teachers Jason Jackson provides his perspective on the classroom today, the pressure technology has placed on the profession, and how teachers’ hopes and interpersonal investment in students has increased in recent years.

Stacy Athow
Director of School Counseling
Ralston High School
With more than 20 years of experience, Athows, Director of Guidance Counseling, shares the complexities of counseling today and the need to increase mental health resources for students. Additionally, she coordinates the High Ability Learner (HAL) program and serves as the College Access Grant Administrator.

6th Graders
Millard North Middle School

Freshmen-Seniors
Wilber-Clatonia High School

Juniors-Seniors
Omaha Central High School

Sally Nellson
Director
Since 2011, Sally has interviewed more than 500 people and directed more than 40 films to raise awareness about the high-quality public education in Nebraska. Most recently she has turned her attention to creating longer-form I Love Public Schools films, documentaries focused on the ways societal issues impact public schools and what schools are doing to protect, understand, and empower students to be successful. Prior to this campaign, Sally ran a successful practice providing creative direction and story development for many of the largest banks and investment managers in the country. Sally is a proud graduate of Ashland-Greenwood High School.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-8255 (TALK), is a national network of local call centers that provides 24/7 emotional support to those in suicidal crisis or in emotional distress
Crisis Text Line
Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 counseling via text. To access the Crisis Text Line, text HOME to 741-741. Trained Crisis Text Line counselors support not only suicide risk but any kind of emotional distress including depression, anxiety, at-risk substance use, domestic violence, relationship problems, and issues at school.
YouthLine
YouthLine is a free, confidential, and 24/7 support service for youth. It offers various ways to get in touch; a call line, 1-877-968-8491; a text line, text teen2teen to 839-863; an online chat; and an email, Teen2Teen@LinesforLive.org.
The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project provides 24/7 talk (1-866-488-7386), text (text START to 678-678), and chat lines specifically for LGBTQ+ youth under 25 who are experiencing emotional distress and/or may be thinking of suicide.
Kids Help Phone
Kids Help Phone
Text Services: Text "CONNECT" to 686868 (children and youth)
Youthspace.ca (NEED2 Suicide Prevention, Education & Support)
Youthspace.ca (NEED2 Suicide Prevention, Education & Support)
Youth Chat (6 pm - 12 am PT): www.youthspace.ca
Youth Text (6 pm - 12 am PT): (778) 783-0177
Boys Town Social Media Safety
From guides and emails, parenting tips and access to experts, the Boys Town Social Media Safety resources help address cyber safety for kids and provide actionable steps for families.
Common Sense Media Digital Citizenship Toolkit
Educate students about Internet safety, appropriate online behavior, and cyberbullying. The free Common SenseMedia toolkit provides education for educators and parents alike.
Read More
Reid Adler Memorial Kindness Scholarship / The RA13 Legacy
The RA13 Legacy fund has been established within the Ralston Schools Foundation and is used to fund student scholarships and to provide resources to other projects or activities that promote kindness, service, leadership, and outreach.
START
START helps families use tech with intention with the hope kids grow up captivated by life, not screens.
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