As we recognize Children's Mental Health Awareness Month, we're reminded
that children’s mental health often starts in everyday moments and connections with grown-ups.
Driven by parent questions from Baltimore County Public Schools, our conversation series, Step Inside Your Child’s Mind, explores the executive functions that drive everyday childhood behaviors.
Parents asked questions like:
How does working memory impact my child’s learning, and are there exercises or activities we can do at home to help practice those skills?
How should parents respond in the moment when a child is having a meltdown or emotional outburst?
How do I manage peer pressure, especially when my child's friends have access to smartphones, yet I feel it's not the right age for my child?
In our latest conversation, BrainFutures' Youth Executive Function Project Director, Jessica Rose-Malm, talks with Dr. Robert Keder, Ambassador of the American Academy of Pediatrics Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health, and Developmental Pediatrician for Connecticut Children’s, to explore practical strategies for navigating screens and digital technology. Together, they discuss healthy screen habits, family conversation starters, and realistic ways parents can support children in today’s digital world.
In Baltimore County Title I Schools, BrainFutures is implementing the ACTIVATE™ cognitive training program alongside physical activities designed to strengthen working memory, attention, and self-control.
This month, BrainFutures and Bruce Wexler, MD, Founder of ACTIVATE™, are leading a professional development workshop for school counselors, psychologists, social workers, and other educators to enhance school-based strategies to support youth executive function.
We’re also connecting Baltimore County parents to local resources and national tools with a downloadable guide highlighting where they can turn for help with child behaviors and learning.
The future of mental health depends on strong partnerships and passionate people, and we’re lucky to have one of those people join our team recently. We’re excited to welcome our new Senior Program Manager, K.K. Parker, who goes by Parker. She’ll focus on key programs, partnerships, and communications.
Parker brings a strong background in both science and purpose. She has a Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she developed a clinical trial protocol for MDMA-assisted tactile/affective therapy for PTSD in sexual violence survivors.
“I’ve always been interested in getting medicine and care to those most in need and unable to access help. That’s why I’m excited to be with BrainFutures. While research is key, access to the best treatments and care can change the course of someone’s entire life. That’s what drives my passion for this work.”
Parker on the Arkansas River in Colorado.
Parker’s commitment to expanding access to care has taken her to Central America and Kenya.
From international service projects to Colorado’s bike trails, Parker brings a perspective grounded in reciprocity and action toward tangible solutions for real impact on people’s lives.
As researchers continue exploring new ways to support brain health, strengthen executive function, and treat behavioral health conditions, several emerging studies are worth reading.
Treating ADHD and Working Memory with iTBS A clinical trial examined the use of intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS), a form of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and improve working memory, a key executive function in young people. The most notable effects were observed on co-occurring symptoms like working memory, depression, anxiety, and anger.
Senior Director, Jazz Glastra, got an inside look at two recent psychedelic studies focused on smoking cessation and cocaine use disorder, two conditions that remain difficult to treat. Read her interviews with researchers deeply involved in these studies.
Urgency Without Compromise A new Think Bigger Do Good paper, co-authored by Tyler Norris, MDiv, CEO of the Alliance for Mental Health, Mindful Philanthropy, and Rachel Yehuda, PhD, The Parsons Research Center for Psychedelic Healing at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, explores how psychedelic therapies can advance responsibly without compromising safety or equitable access.
Our team is inspired by the mental health innovation that shone brightly at the National Council for Mental Wellbeing’s NatCon conference and is committed to preparing the systems as we move from innovation to implementation.
Executive Director, Sarah Norman, MPP, discussed workforce readiness and shared BrainFutures’ work developing interdisciplinary core competencies for psychedelic therapy care teams during a panel discussion with Carlene MacMillan, MD, FCTMSS, DFAACAP, Chief Product Officer & Co-Founder of Radial, and Lucia Huang, MBA, Co-Founder and CEO of Osmind.
Senior Director Jazz Glastra, joined Leith States, MD, MPH, MBA, FACPM, SVP of Strategic Military Initiatives, and Josh Hardman, Founder & Editor of Psychedelic Alpha to discuss what recent federal actions could mean for the future of patient care and delivery.
Read BrainFutures’ five priorities to help turn this momentum into meaningful, accessible, and scalable care.
“We’re reaching kids at such a young age, helping them with metacognition, thinking about their choices, and thinking about how they’re learning. That will set them up for success and help them become lifelong learners.”
- Anna Gaskill ACTIVATE™ Leader and MTSS Resource Teacher
