BOOST Child and Family Services www.kidsboost.com

05/28/2024

Introducing our newest team therapist, Jared Mehl!

Jared is a licensed clinical social worker who is passionate about working with adolescents, adults, couples, and families who are navigating the journey of life. Jared has focused on parent/child dynamics, overcoming adversity, and life and employment transitions. Jared is formally trained in Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and approaches clients from a variety of modalities such as attachment theory, strength-based perspective, and visualization to address most mental health challenges. Jared earned a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Delaware, where he played Division One lacrosse. He then worked in finance for 25 years before earning a Masters in Clinical Social Work from Sacred Heart University.

Jared is a founding member of the board of advisors of The Friendship Circle of Fairfield County, an organization that provides inclusive social programs for individuals with special needs, fostering friendships and support within the teen community. He is an outdoor enthusiast, a youth lacrosse coach, and enjoys playing tennis in his free time. Jared has lived in Fairfield County for over two decades with his wife and five children.

To learn more about our counseling services or to sign-up for a complimentary consultation, fill out the contact form on our website at www.kidsboost.com or call us at 203-557-8444.

04/20/2024

Happy Spring from the Boost! And Boost!U Teams! As we transition into spring and summer, our clinicians will have extended hours of availability, including weekends, to support you and your family.

To discover more about any of our service offerings, please visit us at www.kidsboost.com, call 203-557-8444, or email at [email protected].

02/27/2024

We are delighted to introduce our newest coach, Rhodie Lorenz!

Rhodie’s core mission is to empower people. She has been leading individuals to find greater potential through teaching, training, and coaching throughout her career. She co-founded JoyRide, a cycling and fitness community, in 2011. She holds a BA from Georgetown University, a Master’s in Education from Stanford University, and most recently received her Executive Certificate in Leadership Coaching from Georgetown’s Institute for Transformational Leadership. She coaches emerging adults and adult professionals seeking to up their game and create more meaning and impact through their work.

Visit our website to learn more about our coaching services or to sign-up for a complimentary consultation!

01/10/2024

The Boost! and Boost!U teams are here to support you and your family in this new year. Through our comprehensive therapy and coaching services - tailored specifically for children, adults, families, and college students - we are dedicated to help give you a "boost" in 2024!

11/19/2023

November 19, 2023 5:00 PM UPDATE:

The Westport Police Detective Bureau worked this case throughout the day on Sunday, following numerous tips that lead to New York City. Through the use of Law Enforcement sharing and social media platforms, The Westport Police Department was able to track Maxwell Yeater to a New York City Library in the vicinity of Grand Central Station. Our Detectives ultimately reunited Maxwell with his family at approximately 5:00 PM. Westport Police want to thank the Public, our Law Enforcement Partners and the Media in assisting us to reunite this family.

UPDATE 11/19/23:

Westport Police conducted an exhaustive search of Newman’s Preservatory Trail on November 18th, 2023. We searched the trails on foot, utilized area K-9’s, and called in DRONE operators to search by air; all with negative results. During the course of the investigation, we were contacted by a friend of Maxwell who stated he had received a call from Maxwell and provided us with the phone number from where the call was placed. We investigated that phone number and discovered that the phone number was associated with WI-FI calling kiosks located in New York City, as such we believe Maxwell has made his way to New York City. Westport Police Detective Bureau are actively working this case and we ask anyone with information on the whereabouts of Maxwell Yeater to contact the Westport Police Department. We are also reaching out directly to Maxwell and ask him to contact his family or local Law Enforcement.

On November 18, 2023, at approximately 3:30pm Westport Police responded to a report of a missing 15-year-old juvenile from the Newman’s Preservatory Trail off 307-309 Bayberry Lane. Maxwell David Yeater DOB 9/21/2008.

Maxwell is a Caucasian male, approximately 5’7” tall, 125 pounds, with long brown surfer style haircut. Last seen wearing navy blue shorts and a navy-blue sweatshirt

Maxwell has been entered as a Missing Person.

Anyone with information that can help locate Maxwell is urged to call the Westport Police Department at 203-341-6000. Please help by sharing this post!

03/06/2023

Please visit this important post by Child Mind Institute (https://www.instagram.com/reel/CpTIETapWJ-/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link) to see Dr. Jamie Howard, a senior clinical psychologist at the Child Mind Institute, appear on CBS Mornings to discuss the youth mental health crisis and offer tips for parents to engage in open dialogue with their teenagers about mental health and social media.

12/31/2022

Happy New Year from the Boost! team. We wish you all a safe and joyful 2023!

01/08/2022

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/04/briefing/american-children-crisis-pandemic.html

In this NYT newsletter by David Leonhardt, the toll of the pandemic on children and teen mental health is highlighted:

"Many children and teenagers are experiencing mental health problems, aggravated by the isolation and disruption of the pandemic. Three medical groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, recently declared a national state of emergency in children’s mental health. They cited “dramatic increases in emergency department visits for all mental health emergencies.”

Su***de attempts have risen, slightly among adolescent boys and sharply among adolescent girls. The number of E.R. visits for suspected su***de attempts by 12- to 17-year-old girls rose by 51 percent from early 2019 to early 2021, according to the C.D.C."

Read this piece in the New York Times to learn more about the pandemic's toll on adolescents.

For the past two years, Americans have accepted more harm to children in exchange for less harm to adults.

12/02/2021