Today’s teens face numerous challenges to their mental health, and, according to a report
from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly one in five teens surveyed reported experiencing a major depressive episode in the past year.
That report also states that in 2023, nearly a third of U.S. teens received mental health treatment. In Michigan, some of those teens saw practitioners and took part in support groups at
OnPoint, Allegan County's community mental health agency.
Eve Cole, OnPoint's children's services outpatient supervisor, and Savannah Storey, its outpatient therapist for children and adolescents, spoke with
MI Mental Health’s about concerns parents may have about their troubled teens.
Q: What help does the community mental health system offer to teens, and what positive impacts have you seen in your work?
Storey: OnPoint offers individual therapy,
wraparound, home-based therapy, case management, teen groups, youth peer support, mobile crisis care, and walk-in crisis care for teens. We also have parent support, including a trauma class and a Parents Training Management class.
![]()
Eve Cole
Cole: When teens engage in services, they begin to experience more confidence. They begin to feel more connected to others and know that they’re not alone in their struggles. They become more calm and able to implement coping skills for themselves. They start to engage more in relationships, and we also see an increase in positive communication skills. They gain a sense of community and develop more calmness by being able to create their own coping skills for their life.
Teenagers matter. They’re a part of our communities, our families, our friendships. Their feelings and their struggles matter. It’s important that they get to live a happy, healthy, calm, fulfilling life.
Q: What harmful behaviors do you regularly encounter in your teen clients?
![]()
Savannah Storey
Storey: As therapists, we see a wide spectrum of behaviors from teens. Some are more severe than others, but all really should be monitored with the same intensity. On one end of the spectrum, we see serious self-injury behaviors, including cutting, hair pulling, head banging, and physical aggression toward themselves. On the other end of the spectrum, we see some minor behaviors, things like nail biting and picking of old wounds. On occasion, we will see physical aggression towards others, which includes yelling, hitting, and kicking.
Q: How should parents and teachers respond ― and not respond ― to such behaviors?
Storey: It’s really important that we create a safe space for teens to come to us. They’re coming to us for feelings of support, safety, and self-control. When adults go into crisis mode, it can escalate the teen and make them feel shameful or scared of what’s happening. Instead, adults should respond in a calm and safe way. Allow the teens to have open communication without letting our own, personal reactions get in the way. Saying “How can I support you?” instead of “Stop self harming!” is a good way for us to show support instead of instilling shame.
We also need to help troubled teens identify areas of their life they can control. This may look like asking them, “What next steps can we do with you to make you feel comfortable?” From helping them identify triggers and coping skills to locking up dangerous objects and creating a safety plan, we’re really giving them the tools to communicate with us what they need.
![]()
"Teenagers matter. They're a part of our communities, our families, our friendships. Their feelings and their struggles matter." Eve Cole
Q: What resources can parents or teachers use to help troubled teens?
Cole: Behaviors are always a form of communication. It's important to take note of the external environment the teenager is experiencing. Take a mental inventory of life changes, people, places, or things that could be impacting their current mental health, causing what we see as difficult behaviors.
Parents can engage in co-regulation by modeling coping behaviors such as mindfulness,
validation, and
counting and regulating breathing. The teen's body can start to slow down by just that one person in their environment being a calm presence.
Teens, like anyone, want to be heard. Instead of reflecting on our emotions towards the teenager, we can calmly acknowledge what the teen is attempting to say, just validating their feelings back to them.
Storey: That communicates a warm and supportive presence that makes the teen feel, “I can tell you something that's scary to me, and you're going to reciprocate back that I'm safe.”
Q: When should an adult seek professional help for a teenager?
Cole: Seeking professional help is warranted when mental or behavioral health challenges significantly impact daily life, relationships, or a teen's overall wellbeing. This could include experiencing persistent sadness, anxiety, or difficulty coping with stress. Other indicators include significant changes in a teenager’s sleep, appetite, or normal behavior patterns, as well as withdrawing socially or losing interest in things they previously enjoyed.
Seeking support from a mental health professional can help determine the best course of action. Parents can talk to a provider to see if professional help would be appropriate for their child, and then that professional could say, “Yes, I think it's at the point where it's important to engage in therapy.”
Julie J. Riddle is a freelance journalist based in Jackson, Mich. and the editor of Jackson Magazine. She writes about quirkiness, connections, and the transformative power of informed compassion in her blog, withmarshmallows.blogspot.com. Learn more at juliejriddle.com.
Photo of OnPoint by John Grap.
Photos of Eve Cole and Savannah Storie courtesy OnPoint.
Other photos by Cottonbro via Pexels.com.
The MI Mental Health series highlights the opportunities that Michigan's children, teens, and adults of all ages have to find the mental health help they need, when and where they need it. It is made possible with funding from the Community Mental Health Association of Michigan, Center for Health and Research Transformation, LifeWays, Michigan Health and Hospital Association, Northern Lakes Community Mental Health Authority, OnPoint, Sanilac County Community Mental Health, St. Clair County Community Mental Health, Summit Pointe, and Washtenaw County Community Mental Health and Public Safety Preservation Millage.