Nebraska Educational Planning for Systems-Involved Youth Conference

This session will focus on the impact of trauma on escalation, emphasizing the importance of staying in our rational brains while supporting the people in our care. When students or clients experience a crisis and show signs of escalation, it can be challenging to avoid slipping into an emotional state. We will discuss specific strategies designed to help us remain effective during these situations, such as grounding techniques, maintaining a calm demeanor, and using de-escalation tactics. Understanding how trauma influences behavior and learning to manage our responses can significantly improve our ability to support individuals through their crises.

In this session, antisocial behavior in adolescence will be explored. Adolescence is a time of independence-seeking and identity formation that can lead to "rebellious" behaviors. It is also a time when serious mental health problems increase with a corresponding increase in risky behaviors. The presentation will discuss when normal adolescent behaviors cross into mental health problems. Conduct Disorder, Anxiety Disorder, Mood Disorders, and trauma will all be discussed. Different trajectories to antisocial behavior (and related mental health problems) will be discussed, their biological bases explored, and brief summaries of treatment options will be discussed. The presentation will focus on the role of the school system in recognizing and intervening in cases of atypical antisocial behaviors.

The Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Crisis Continuum Toolkit describes the ideal crisis care system as offering someone to talk to, someone to respond, and a safe place to get help. In this session, the presenters will describe the children's crisis continuum available in the Region V geographical area, developed in collaboration with multiple community partners.

About Region V Systems Behavioral Health Authority

As one of Nebraska’s six behavioral health Regions, Region V Systems was originally created by state statute in 1974 as a quasi-governmental entity with the responsibility of coordinating and overseeing the delivery of publicly funded mental health services for the 16 counties making up the Region V Systems geographical area. Two years later, the Nebraska Legislature added responsibility to each of the six Regions for the development and coordination of substance abuse services. In 2004, LB 1083 (the Behavioral Health Services Act) was passed, repealing the original statutes but re-establishing and renaming the Regions as “Behavioral Health Authorities.” These Behavioral Health Authorities make up Nebraska’s public behavioral health system. For more information about Region V Systems, please visit our website at www.region5systems.net.