Mother comforting her daughter, sitting in the bedroom, hugging

Helping Her

At Girl Scouts, we take the safety and well-being of our girls, volunteers, and council staff to heart. As an organization committed to caring for and building up children and teens, we have provided the resources below to help you navigate, engage with and support our Girl Scouts and their families as needed.

Mental Health Resources PDF

Raising Awesome Girls

When Scary News Shakes Her World

Child-centered Grief and Trauma Support

The National School Crisis Center offers practical tips for supporting youth with conversations—for example,  Talking to Children About Tragedies.
The National Alliance for Children's Grief (NACG) offers  videos and an FAQ section aimed at understanding grief in children and helping caring adults guide them through loss.  Their  Hero Toolkit offers activities for talking about grief with children and teens.
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network supports adults in talking with children about violent events and grief:
Helping Teens with Traumatic Grief: how teens may feel when struggling with the death of someone close and what caregivers can do to help
After a Crisis: how parents can help young children, toddlers, and preschoolers heal after a traumatic event
Coping After Mass Violence: common reactions children and families experience after an event of mass violence and what they can do to take care of themselves
Helping Youth After Mass Violence: common reactions children have, how parents can help them, and self-care tips after a violent event
Guiding Adults in Talking to Children: ways to navigate children’s questions about death, funerals, and memorials
Coping After Violence: tips for supporting teens

Mental Health Crisis Support

Call 911
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org for online emotional support
The Crisis Text Line connects you to a trained crisis counselor for free, 24/7 crisis support via text message: text NAMI to 741741

The  Disaster Distress Helpline is a 24/7 national hotline dedicated to providing immediate crisis counseling (more info at  National Institute of Mental Health): dial 1-800-985-5990 or text  TalkWithUs to 66746 to connect with a trained crisis counselor.

Mental Health Care Services for Families and Troops

National Alliance for Children's Grief (NACG) links to local support groups  and professionals  
SAMHSA's Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357) free, confidential, 24/7 treatment referral and information in English and Spanish
Mental Health America (MHA) links to affiliates across the country and offers resources for finding treatment