Charlie Brereton Director at Montana Department of Public Health | LinkedIn
Charlie Brereton Director at Montana Department of Public Health | LinkedIn
The Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) has announced new online resources on ParentingMontana.org. These resources are aimed at parents or those in a parenting role.
The newly added features include podcasts with parenting experts, guidance on teens and marijuana, drug misuse information, and tools covering stress and childhood trauma. According to DPHHS Director Adam Meier, "Parents and those in a parenting role are the most important influence in a child’s life, and we know, for example, that youth who learn about the risks of drug use from their parents are less likely to use them."
Kimberly Koch from DPHHS's Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Division emphasized the importance of early conversations about these issues. She stated, “It is never too early for parents to have meaningful conversations with their children about these important topics. A healthy parent/child relationship begins in infancy and can be cultivated at all ages.”
ParentingMontana.org was developed by DPHHS in collaboration with the Center for Health and Safety Culture at Montana State University. The website aims to enhance parental skills while also building children's social and emotional capabilities. It provides various resources such as videos, audio files, posters, and distributable cards to promote mental, emotional, and behavioral health.
In addition to supporting parents directly, ParentingMontana.org offers resources for community prevention coordinators. These resources help facilitate discussions among parents and engage teachers, healthcare providers, law enforcement officials, and other community liaisons through a coordinator toolkit.
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