Mental Health and Young People

Mental Health is an ongoing concern for all people during the pandemic. People are suffering, and it is important that we remember to talk about it. As Youth Workers, it is important to remember we serve young people that are being starved of meaningful connections during this time, and we have an opportunity to provide resources and techniques that might help.

In this episode, the team has a conversation with Dena and Jason Hobbs on mental health with young people, warning signs, ending the stigma, techniques for self-care, and information from their new book When Anxiety Strikes. Listen in for the full conversation.

Dena Douglas Hobbs, M.Div. served as a minister in the United Methodist Church for six years before leaving parish ministry to raise her two young children. She continues to preach, teach groups, and lead retreats and workshops in local congregations. Dena holds a Master of Divinity from Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Georgia. She blogs at denadouglashobbs.com.

Jason B. Hobbs, LCSW, MDiv, is a licensed clinical social worker in an outpatient mental health clinic. He has been in private practice for fifteen years in addition to having worked in hospice and homeless services. Jason also pastored a small United Methodist congregation near Savannah for three years.

Jason has led mindfulness training groups in his practice using Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy. He has been trained in Mindfulness and Cognitive Therapy in addition to other therapeutic modalities. He has also presented continuing education courses for the Georgia Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers Annual Meeting in Atlanta. These workshops were entitled Spiritually Sensitive Clinical Practice: Understanding and Honoring Diverse Religious and Spiritual Traditions and Mindfulness, Psychotherapy, and the Therapist: Knowledge and Practice for Clients and Clinicians and Integrating Spiritual Disciplines into Direct Practice. Jason holds a Master of Social Work degree from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Master of Divinity degree from Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond.

Their new book When Anxiety Strikes is now available from all major and most local retailers.