Social Connectedness: A State of Belonging with Linda Hall and Rebecca Murray
Host: Luke Waldo
Experts:
- Rebecca Murray – Executive Director, Wisconsin’s Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board (CANPB)
- Linda Hall – Director, Wisconsin’s Office for Children’s Mental Health (OCMH)
:00-:32 – Rebecca Murray – “When there is stability, financial stability, economic stability in the household, the stress on parents is so much lower that, most of the time, organic social connections happen for them. Right? Because when they are parenting, more than likely, their kids are at school, they’re at childcare, their after-school program, so there are natural settings where they will connect with other parents.”
:33-6:23 – Luke Waldo – Introduction to Social Isolation and Social Connectedness, and Rebecca Murray and Linda Hall.
- Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Social Isolation: The US Surgeon’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community
- Five for Families
- Five Categories of Social Connectedness of Youth
- Family Resource Centers
6:24-9:47 – Rebecca Murray – Social connections are one of five protective factors, which are central to strengthening families and healthy child development.
9:48-9:52 – Luke – Same question for Linda.
9:53-14:49 – Linda Hall – While OCMH’s focus is on children, they know that everything that happens to children happens within the context of family. Using a Collective Impact framework, they asked what would have the greatest impact on children’s mental health; social connectedness was the answer.
14:50-16:11 – Luke – Acknowledging OCMH and CANPB’s work to elevate and integrate the voice of lived experience.
16:12-17:01 - Luke – What does social isolation look like? How does it contribute to the overload of stress on families?
17:02-18:51 – Rebecca – Social isolation can occur in rural and urban settings. It doesn’t discriminate. What’s available to us in our communities?
18:52-20:36 - Linda – Structural issues get in the way. They may not be able to access healthcare to treat their concerns. Data shows that 34% of families in Wisconsin right now can’t manage a “survival” budget, and poverty causes families to become overloaded by stress.
20:37-22:33 – Rebecca – Family Resource Centers can provide some financial supports to families to be able to overcome those challenges. Children watch and learn from their parents, so supporting their parents’ knowledge and development is important. Parent Cafés can provide a more organic approach to this.
22:34-24:06 - Linda – School mental health. 75% of all children who are receiving mental health services get it through their school. We have over 300 schools with a youth-led mental health program.
24:07-25:46 - Luke – What are the underlying root causes of social isolation?
25:47-26:43 - Linda – Trust deficits lead to disengagement with systems like our schools, mental health services, etc. Children then follow their parents’ behavior and become more isolated from those services that might support them.
26:44-28:26 - Rebecca – The Working poor have less time to engage with organic social connections like after-school activities with their children. We also have a cultural norm in this country of not asking for help.
28:27-30:55 - Linda – We need a “before stage 4 mental health system” to support the mental well-being of our children and families before it becomes a crisis.
30:56-31:58 - Rebecca – CANPB funds FAST, which has adapted its program to meet new needs.
31:59-36:56 - Luke – Story about Child Witness and creating safe and supportive spaces through breaking bread with family and friends.
36:57-37:18 - Linda – Social isolation is not a choice.
37:19-37:43 - Rebecca – Social isolation does not discriminate.
37:44-38:54 - Linda – Social isolation vs. loneliness. How people respond to social isolation varies widely depending on what they’ve learned.
38:55-39:41 - Luke – How does social connectedness empower families and reduce the risk of child neglect?
39:42-42:44 - Rebecca –Universal family support. Parent Cafes that are built around Protective Factors. Break bread together, provide child activities, and create an environment where it is parent-led.
42:45-43:46 - Linda – Building parents’ confidence and trust can translate to their support of their children’s needs and services.
43:47-46:29 - Luke – Building trust. How might we strengthen families through the promotion of social connectedness?
46:30-47:31 - Linda – Pandemic-era economic programs kept 52 million people out of poverty, so we can’t ignore the importance of economic stability for social connectedness.
- “Government’s Pandemic Response Turned a Would-Be Poverty Surge Into a Record Poverty Decline” – Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
47:32-48:19 - Luke – Economic stability is another Critical Pathway.
48:20-50:41 - Rebecca – Economic stability leads to organic social connections. Engage parents to understand what they need to be able to participate in their community.
50:42-52:10 - Linda – Unstable housing creates a lot of stress on children and families. Peer support makes a difference in achieving wellness. Paid peer support positions can help with transitions from school to home.
52:11-53:16 - Rebecca – We need to take a hard look at where we invest our tax dollars. Investing in children and families is an investment in our future.
53:17-54:27 - Luke – How do we overcome the barriers that impede social connectedness?
54:28-56:05 - Linda – Governor Evers proposed $280 million for school mental health, but only $10 million was approved by the legislature. We need to invest in our mental health like we do in our physical health.
56:06-57:22 - Rebecca – We are the only developed nation without universal paid family leave. We need to talk about this as an investment.
57:23-1:01:27 - Luke – Our messaging around destigmatization has been successful, which has led to more people normalizing mental healthcare, which has led to greater demands on the system. What makes you optimistic about the future of this work?
1:01:28-1:04:42 - Linda – Supporting adults. How do we increase opportunities to create a sense of belonging for youth through community activities? Trusted peer relationships for teens make the biggest difference and last longest, so we need to build off the skills that they learn from their parents to develop healthy relationships. Young people are openly seeking support, and are telling us what they need.
1:04:43-1:05:52 - Rebecca – Collaborations like this where we come together to leverage each other’s strengths. Family Resource Centers can provide that space for greater collaboration.
1:05:53-1:06:26 - Linda – Social connectedness is a priority.
1:06:27-1:07:06 - Luke – What author or book has shaped your thinking?
1:07:07-1:07:32 - Rebecca – Book recommendations.
- The Parent Trap: How to Stop Overloading Parents and Fix Our Inequality Crisis, Nate Hilger;
- Poverty, by America, Matthew Desmond
1:07:33-1:08:59 - Linda – Book recommendations.
1:09:00-1:10:09 – Closing Thoughts and Gratitude
1:10:10-1:12:13 - Luke - 3 Key Takeaways
1:12:14-1:13:44 – Luke – Closing Credits
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