This event was held on Wednesday, January 12th, from 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. MT.
It is estimated that one in five youth will suffer from some type of mental health disorder by age 18. Anxiety is one of the most common mental health disorders, affecting 31.9% of youth. According to the American Psychological Association, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected more than 75% of caregivers and have disproportionately affected people of color. This training provided resources to school professionals on identifying anxiety in youth and provided strategies to address worry in youth around transitioning back to school. Resources were also provided to help in the identification and treatment of anxiety disorders. An important emphasis focused on culturally-adaptive anxiety and how to best meet youth needs.
1. Consider the impact of COVID-19 on youth and caregiver mental health.
2. Identify signs of anxiety in students transitioning back to school during COVID-19.
3. Provide practical tips to assessing and addressing anxiety.
4. Distinguish clinical anxiety from worry in youth.
5. Address development and cultural adaptations to anxiety treatment.
Kelsie Okamura, PhD
College of Liberal Arts - Department of Psychology
B.A. in Psychology with Honors - University of Hawai’i at Mānoa
M.A. in Psychology - University of Hawai’i at Mānoa
Ph.D. in Psychology - University of Hawai’i at Mānoa
Dr. Kelsie H. Okamura is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and an Assistant Professor at Hawai’i Pacific University in the Department of Psychology. She received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa and completed her predoctoral internship at I Ola Lāhui Rural Hawai’i Behavioral Health and postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania Center for Mental Health. Dr. Okamura’s research focuses on the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based innovations in youth behavioral health, psychometrics, measurement development, and youth internalizing psychopathology. Her research has been funded by the American Psychological Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. She works closely with the Hawai’i State Department of Health Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division, where she received valuable clinical training and quality improvement initiative experiences. Clinically, she is trained in modular cognitive behavioral therapy, measurement-based care, health psychology, primary care, and specializes in anxiety disorders for youth. She has trained providers in the Departments of Health and Education since 2010 and has taught Psychology courses for the University of Hawai’i at the undergraduate and graduate level. Dr. Okamura is passionate about improving the lives of youth and families suffering from behavioral health disorders by creating innovations to synthesize knowledge. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her three children and playing soccer.
