Pattonville partners with Cook Center to provide family resources

The Pattonville School District is partnering with the Cook Center for Human Connection which provides mental health resources to families to support their child. The Cook Center uses ParentGuidance.org to provide free on-demand courses and resources from experts who can help parents address common concerns, improve family relationships and overall support their child's emotional well-being. The content is created by licensed therapists. 

The Cook Center offers three free ways for families to access resources and information: a resource library, mental health series webinars and Ask a Therapist sessions. Families can access a library of resources that offer overview and deep dive videos, key facts, practical tips, related articles and upcoming live events on certain topics. 

Each month, the Cook Center offers a series of webinars developed by licensed therapists. Events are virtual, interactive and designed to help parents support their child. Each session is offered twice a day and many are offered in English and Spanish. Registration for the mental health series can be found here. Topics focus around challenges parents and children may be facing, including anxiety, social media use, school avoidance and bullying, among others. The content is created and led by therapists who provide trusted and specialized courses, professional support and a safe community of parents helping each other.

Also each month, the Cook Center hosts a live Ask a Therapist session which offers an opportunity for parents to engage directly with a licensed family therapist. Attendees can submit questions that are answered by a therapist during the virtual meeting. Participation and questions will remain anonymous. 

Pattonville will share information about the webinars and Ask a Therapist session with families each month. The sessions are all provided by the Cook Center and any individual’s participation will not be shared with Pattonville. Staff are also encouraged to participate in topics they are interested in.

More information about the Cook Center and a detailed schedule of events for November can be found on Pattonville’s community resources website. Monthly schedules and information about Ask a Therapists sessions will be available on the community resources page and will also be shared directly with district families via the Peachjar.

The partnership with the Cook Center is made possible by the Immediate Responsive Services Grant (IRSG) grant from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).