News
Well-Being Center is Open in Palmdale
Parents Anonymous Inc. hosted a ribbon-cutting Thursday evening to celebrate the grand opening of its new Antelope Valley Well-Being Center, giving families in Palmdale a new resource for support.
The center, at 38345 30th St. East, Suite C-2, will provide free, evidence-based mental health services for parents, children and youth. The goal is to reduce stress and isolation while helping families build on their strengths and improve overall well-being.
“This new Well-Being Center reflects our unwavering commitment to meet parents, children, and youth where they are, with compassion, evidence-based care, and community,” said Dr. Lisa Pion-Berlin, president and CEO of Parents Anonymous. “By expanding into (the) Antelope Valley, we are addressing critical gaps in mental health and prevention services, ensuring that parents and youth feel less alone, more supported and better equipped to thrive.”
CA budget cuts could shut down parent & youth mental health helpline
On this edition of Your Call, we continue our discussions about California’s budget cuts, which could potentially eliminate funding for the Parents Anonymous’ California Parent & Youth Helpline.
In May 2020, Parents Anonymous, an organization that supports parents and their families, launched the hotline in partnership with state leadership as part of an initiative to support parents, children, and youth impacted by COVID. The helpline now operates in over 80 percent of California counties and has helped hundreds of thousands across the state for the last five years.
According to Parents Anonymous, the state legislature proposed $3 million for the organization in this year’s budget proposal, but as of Tuesday, the organization was made aware that Governor Gavin Newsom “redlined” their total budget.
“This comes as a shock as last month the Helpline had a peer-reviewed study published in the Journal of Technology in Human Services, which showed that 85% of callers experienced improved mood and reduced stress within a single call, proving its effectiveness.”
New Peer-Reviewed Study Confirms California Parent & Youth Helpline™ Boosts Parental Mental Health and Reduces Loneliness
A groundbreaking new study confirms what California families have long known: when overwhelmed parents reach out to the California Parent & Youth Helpline®, they leave feeling stronger, calmer, and far less alone.
Published in the Journal of Technology in Human Services, the peer-reviewed research validates the effectiveness of Parents Anonymous, Inc.®‘s Helpline, showing that in under 30 minutes, callers experience significant improvements in mood, engagement, and parenting outlook.
The study, led by Liz Harris, PhD, Faculty Associate at Arizona State University, analyzed 281 Helpline calls made between late 2022 and early 2023. Using a novel approach that combined AI-based sentiment analysis with qualitative methods, the research team found that 85% of parents showed improved mood during the call, an especially meaningful finding in a post-pandemic landscape marked by soaring parental isolation.
“Helplines have existed for decades, but surprisingly, very little research has explored their actual impact,” said Liz Harris, Lead Author and Researcher. “Our study shows that parents’ emotional state measurably improves – an improvement we could see through natural language processing analysis, traditional qualitative content coding and rate of speech.”
Innovative Research, Real Results
The team applied natural language processing technology, specifically BART, to measure how parental sentiment shifted throughout each call. They validated the use of BART for this purpose against qualitative coding done by the authors and by trained parent service users. They found that callers’ language became more positive, their tone more collaborative, and their pace of speech dropped in half, indicating reduced distress.
Key findings include:
- Statistically significant improvement (p<.001) in parental mood and optimism over the course of each call.
- 85% of callers left feeling more emotionally balanced.
- Speech slowed during calls, aligning unconscious vocal cues with the emotional shift measured by AI tools.
- Over 50% of parents expressed intense loneliness and the Helpline directly helped alleviate that isolation.
- Callers responded especially well to counselors who validated their efforts, praised their parenting instincts, and offered tailored resources or emotional support.
“This is the first study to rigorously validate the use of AI-based tools in evaluating emotional change on a helpline,” said Harris. “It’s a big leap forward for how the human services field can measure impact without burdening vulnerable callers with lengthy surveys.”
A Proven Model for Crisis Support
The research underscores the unique value of the Parents Anonymous model, which prioritizes trauma-informed counseling and ensures all Helpline counselors have formal training or degrees in mental health fields.
Now in its fifth year, the Helpline offers free, confidential, 24/7 emotional support in English, Spanish, and over 250+ other languages. With its anniversary approaching on May 9, the service stands as a compelling example of scalable, accessible intervention, especially as child welfare agencies and funders weigh future investments.
“We’ve shown it’s possible to make a meaningful difference in a parent’s mental state in just one call,” said Dr. Lisa Pion-Berlin, CEO & President of Parents Anonymous. “And when you reduce parental stress and loneliness, you improve outcomes for children. That’s the power of this model.”
Parents and youth (up to 25) based in California needing emotional support can call the California Parent & Youth Helpline by calling/texting 1-855-427-2736 or through live chat 24/7 at caparentyouthhelpline.org. Outside of California? Parents and youth can call/text 855-427-2736 or chat online through nationalparentyouthhelpline.org.
Read more on PR Newswire | Read the Press Release
Is Your Toddler Pointing Non-Stop? Why That’s Great News
Squirrel! Balloon! Cookie! When toddlers point, they’re not just saying, ‘Hey, look at this!’—they’re actually showing off some serious smarts.
Even though toddlers can’t form full sentences yet, they’re actually better at communicating than you might realize. A recent study reveals that even at just 18 months old, toddlers can size up what their parents know and use pointing gestures to share information. Intrigued? Let’s dive into the fascinating world of toddler communication.
When toddlers think adults don’t get what they’re saying, they might keep doing the same action over and over. To help with this, Dr. Lisa Pion-Berlin, a parenting expert and CEO of a parenting support group called Parents Anonymous, says parents should take a look at what their child is trying to show them and react to it accordingly. If you seem to get it wrong, try again.
“Toddlers are learning how to communicate, so they may not always express themselves clearly,” she says. “Give them time to respond and show patience while they try to form their thoughts.”
How to Survive the Holidays If There’s a Toxic Person in Your Family, According to 2 Mental Health Experts
In an ideal world, the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s should be full of friends and family, good food and general merriment. In reality, for folks who have toxic family members, the holidays can be rife with tension, stress and general opposite-of-merriment—whether your brother turns everything into a competition (not the fun kind), your mom has not the slightest clue what the word boundaries means or there are always strings attached when it comes to your sister-in-law. If any of those examples ring bells, I’ve got you. I checked in with two mental health pros, Janet Bayramyan, LCSW, and Dr. Lisa Pion-Berlin, ACSW, ACHT, for their tips for keeping it together during this supposed-to-be-festive time of year if it’s inevitable you’ll be dealing with toxic people.
Empowering Parents: Strategies and Support for Managing ADHD with Dr. Lisa Pion Berlin
In this episode of the ADHD Goals podcast, host Laurence talks with Dr. Lisa Pion Berlin, a clinical hypnotherapist, social worker, and CEO of Parents Anonymous. Dr. Lisa discusses her work advocating for parents, children, and youth facing mental health challenges, emphasising the importance of shared leadership and community support. The conversation covers the barriers parents face in getting appropriate ADHD support for their children and the need for effective partnerships between schools and families. Dr. Lisa also shares insights on the role of hypnotherapy in managing ADHD and offers practical advice for parents dealing with multi-generational ADHD diagnoses.