Social/Emotional Health Resources

Message from Youth Eastside Services

Dear ICS Parents,

My name is Mina Kirilov and I am a Behavioral Health Support Specialist from Youth Eastside Services (YES), who will be working at ICS this year. This is my first year at the school and I look forward to working with and supporting your students! Detailed information on how to set up an appointment is listed at the end of this letter.

I have earned my Master’s degree in Counseling from Seattle University and I’m currently working towards a Chemical Dependency Professional certificate at the same school. I have a variety of experience working with children and adolescents, as well as their families in the community, schools and in an agency setting. In my work I use a collaborative approach, and focus on student strengths and increasing their emotional awareness and capacity for solving the challenges they encounter.

Some of the topics that I address include (but are not limited to):

School-related stress and transition/adjustment issues
Learning challenges, such as coping with ADHD, etc.
Relationship difficulties including peer, parent and other family challenges
Depression and anxiety
Suicidal thoughts and self-harming behaviors
Substance use and being affected by others’ substance use
Behavioral and conduct problems
Gender Identity
Abuse and trauma

Services I provide
The services I provide are informed by evidence-based practices that have been shown to be effective when working to address issues with adolescents and their families. In the sessions I rely on Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Trauma-informed therapy. Treatment can be from one session to ongoing therapy over several months. I also strongly believe in prevention, so I offer classroom presentations on issues such as suicide risk awareness and prevention, as well as substance use and vaping prevention. If the need arises I can also lead groups on other topics such as life-skills, coping with loss/grief, etc.

I am available to work with parents, guardians, and other family members to provide parent education and support strategies, assist in resolving conflict, and help formulate ways to provide an environment where their child can succeed personally and academically.

Setting up an appointment
I am at ICS on Tuesdays and Fridays and my office is located in the Student Services Hall, room 120. Students can confidentially sign up to see me for a scheduled appointment at school by filling a request form, located outside my office. I also accept referrals from teachers, school administrators and parents.

In addition, YES provides one-on-one, family and group counseling in our three eastside locations (Kirkland, Bellevue, Redmond) for those students and families, who prefer agency-based services. For more information you can refer to our website at http://www.youtheastsideservices.org/ or call 425-474-4937.

I am looking forward to being a part of the ICS team and learning about the unique and individualized approach ICS provides to its students and helping play a role in promoting the health and well-being of the students throughout the school year. Please, feel free to contact me by email, or phone if you have any questions, or would like additional information.

Sincerely,

Mina Kirilov, MAED Counseling
Behavioral Health Support Specialist
Youth Eastside Services
425-747-4937 x 2790 at YES
LWSD Phone ext.: 54338 (Call any LWSD school and ask for me at that ext.)

Healthy Well-Being Resources

General Health Resources

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/13-things-mentally-strong-people-dont.html Try out some of these techniques

ReachOut: ReachOut is run by the Inspire USA Foundation, a non-profit organization. Its mission is to help young people lead happier lives. http://www.inspireusafoundation.org/

Washington School-Based Health Alliance: School-based health centers are emerging in Washington State and across the country as an effective way to deliver consistent, high-quality primary health care and mental health services to children and adolescents. http://schoolhealthcare.org/

Frontiers of Innovation is an initiative “committed to driving transformative change for young children whose needs are currently not being met. Adverse experiences can derail children’s healthy development, creative learning, behavior, and health challenges …” http://developingchild.harvard.edu/activities/frontiers_of_innovation/

Suicide Prevention and Resources

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Survivor Outreach Program http://www.afsp.org/coping-with-suicide-loss/find-support/survivor-outreach-program

Grief

https://grievingstudents.org/ Grief resource for parents, school officials, and students

Youth Empowerment

http://www.amightygirl.com/ Resources to empower GIRLS

http://www.additudemag.com/resource-center/school-accommodations.html Strategies and support for ADHD and LD

Study Smarter

http://www.vox.com/2014/6/24/5824192/study-smarter-learn-better-8-tips-from-memory-researchers Study Smarter

http://mindsetonline.com/ Mindset is a simple idea discovered by world-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck in decades of research on achievement and success—a simple idea that makes all the difference.

Creative College Options

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2014/10/29/7-countries-where-americans-can-study-at-universities-in-english-for-free-or-almost-free/ Go to college outside the USA…for free!

Do Good, Be Good: Make a Difference

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CwCvpEMEJU Teaching empathy and caring for others

http://www.kansascity.com/entertainment/ent-columns-blogs/stargazing/article12496232.html Coolest senior prank ever

http://lrinspire.com/2014/06/19/teen-scientist-harnesses-sun-power-to-help-navajo-community/ Inspirational Science Ideas!

Coping with Anxiety

http://www.buzzfeed.com/ariannarebolini/amazing-apps-for-anyone-living-with-anxiety#.ue5WykgPV 14 Apps for Anyone Living with Anxiety

http://www.schoolcounselingfiles.com/activities-for-anxious-kids.html Get some ideas for taking care of yourself and staying anxiety free.

http://www.childmind.org/en/posts/articles/mood-di... Girls and Anxiety

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-17106/how-to-change-your-attitude-when-you-cant-change-your-situation.html How to Change Your Attitude When You Can’t Change Your Situation

For Parents