Rebels United

10/02/2026

We often tell young people, “You can do hard things.”
But there's another question worth asking:
“You've already done hard things. What helped you get through them?”
Maybe it was a parent.
A friend.
A coach or teacher.
Their faith in themselves.
Hope that things would get better.
Or simply knowing someone had their back.
Helping young people recognize the strengths and supports they've used before can give them something to draw on when the next challenge comes.
CredibleMind has a quick resource on resilience and bouncing back:
https://partnership4health.crediblemind.com/articles/resilience-in-positive-psychology-how-to-bounce-back
Don't just remind young people that they're resilient. Help them recognize what helps them be resilient.

Getting knocked down isn't the same as staying down.
Challenges are part of life. Resilience is about how we work through them.
CredibleMind's “Resilience in Positive Psychology: How to Bounce Back” explores how we can draw on our strengths and resources—including hope, optimism, and belief in our ability to handle challenges.
https://partnership4health.crediblemind.com/articles/resilience-in-positive-psychology-how-to-bounce-back
Being resilient doesn't mean difficult things don't affect us.
It means we keep finding ways to move forward.
So here's today's Building Everyday Resilience challenge:
Think about something difficult you've made it through before.
What helped you get through it?
A person?
A strength you relied on?
Something you told yourself?
A resource you reached for?
Whatever helped you then may be something you can draw on again.
You already have evidence that you can make it through hard things.
Read the 1-minute article:
https://partnership4health.crediblemind.com/articles/resilience-in-positive-psychology-how-to-bounce-back

10/01/2026

If your child tells you they're being bullied, your first response matters.
It's natural to want to immediately fix the problem. But one of the most important things a parent or caring adult can do first is listen.
Take them seriously. Let them talk. Remind them they did the right thing by telling you. Then help them figure out what comes next.
This short CredibleMind video offers practical tips for parents and caregivers.
You don't need all the answers. You just need to make sure they know you're in their corner.

Would you know what to do if your child told you they were being bullied?
October is National Bullying Prevention Month, and this short CredibleMind video gives parents and caregivers practical tips for supporting a child experiencing bullying:
https://partnership4health.crediblemind.com/videos/bullying-tips-for-parents-and-carers
When a child tells us something is happening, how we respond matters. Listening, taking their concerns seriously, and helping them figure out what to do next can make a difficult situation feel less overwhelming.
You don't need to have all the answers. Start by making sure they know you're listening and they're not facing it alone.
Watch the free video:
https://partnership4health.crediblemind.com/videos/bullying-tips-for-parents-and-carers

09/30/2026

Want to help a young person become more resilient? Start with your relationship with them.
Listen.
Make time for them.
Help them build healthy friendships.
Be someone they know they can turn to when something goes wrong.
Resilience doesn't mean young people won't struggle. We're helping them develop the relationships and skills they can draw on when they do.
CredibleMind's Resilience Guide for Parents and Teachers has practical ideas for helping kids and teens build resilience:
https://partnership4health.crediblemind.com/articles/resilience-guide-for-parents-and-teachers?lang=en-US&utm_campaign=share&utm_source=link
Sometimes building resilience starts simply by being there.

Kids aren't born knowing how to be resilient. We can help them build it.

Resilience doesn't mean kids won't struggle. It means developing skills that can help them adapt when life gets difficult.

The American Psychological Association's Resilience Guide for Parents and Teachers, available through CredibleMind, offers 10 practical ways adults can help children and teens develop those skills. American Psychological Association
https://partnership4health.crediblemind.com/articles/resilience-guide-for-parents-and-teachers?lang=en-US&utm_campaign=share&utm_source=link

One place to start?

Build connection.

Listen. Help kids strengthen friendships. Make time for family connection. Help them know they have people they can turn to.

That's not separate from resilience. It's part of how resilience is built.

09/29/2026

Parents and schools don’t have to be substance-use experts.
When something new starts showing up, accurate information matters. Local public health professionals are available to help schools, families, and community groups understand emerging substance-use issues and how to respond.

09/28/2026

We want young people to be resilient. But resilience starts with the relationships and skills we help them build.
This October, we’re focusing on Building Everyday Resilience—and there’s plenty here for parents, caregivers, teachers, coaches, and other trusted adults, too.
A good place to start?
Take a look at your own resilience.
CredibleMind offers a free Resilience Assessment that can help you reflect on where you are today:
https://partnership4health.crediblemind.com/assessments/resilience-network/page/1
Then throughout October, we’ll share practical ways to keep building.
Because one of the best ways to help young people develop resilience is to keep building it ourselves.

How resilient are you?
Resilience isn't something you either have or you don't. It's something you can build.
This October, we're focusing on Building Everyday Resilience—the skills, habits, and relationships that can help us navigate challenges and keep moving forward.
And we're starting with you.
Take CredibleMind's free Resilience Assessment:
https://partnership4health.crediblemind.com/assessments/resilience-network/page/1
Think of it as a starting point—not a test you pass or fail.
See where you are. Then we'll spend October exploring ways to build from there.
Take the assessment:
https://partnership4health.crediblemind.com/assessments/resilience-network/page/1

09/24/2026

One of the most powerful things we can give young people isn't a life without challenges. It's relationships and support that help them face those challenges.

Parents and other caring adults play an important role in helping kids build confidence, coping skills, and resilience.

This week's resource offers practical ideas you can use to help.

They don't have to face hard things alone.

Resilience can be built.

Children and teens will face challenges. The caring adults around them can help them develop the skills and support they need to get through difficult experiences and keep moving forward.

This free CredibleMind guide offers practical strategies for parents, teachers, and other caring adults:

https://partnership4health.crediblemind.com/articles/resilience-guide-for-parents-and-teachers

As we close out Su***de Prevention Month, it's worth remembering that prevention isn't only about responding to a crisis. It's also about helping young people build strong relationships, coping skills, confidence, and resilience before they need them most.

Help them know they don't have to face hard things alone.

Explore the guide:
https://partnership4health.crediblemind.com/articles/resilience-guide-for-parents-and-teachers

09/23/2026

Want young people to learn how to apologize? Let them hear adults do it.

Parents and other trusted adults aren't going to get every interaction right.

Sometimes we're impatient.

Sometimes we overreact.

Sometimes we say something we wish we hadn't.

Those moments also give us an opportunity to model something important:

“I was wrong. I'm sorry.”

No excuse. No blaming them for our reaction. Just taking responsibility, making an effort to repair, and listening.

CredibleMind's 7-minute video “How to Apologize Effectively – 4 Steps” offers a practical way to think about meaningful apologies:

https://partnership4health.crediblemind.com/videos/how-to-apologize-effectively-4-steps

Young people don't need adults who never make mistakes.

They need adults who show them what to do after one.

Small action. Stronger connection.

A real apology doesn't come with an excuse.

We all get things wrong. What matters is what we do next.

CredibleMind's 7-minute video “How to Apologize Effectively – 4 Steps” shows how a meaningful apology can help repair trust and strengthen relationships.

https://partnership4health.crediblemind.com/videos/how-to-apologize-effectively-4-steps

A meaningful apology goes beyond “I'm sorry.”

Today's Small Actions, Stronger Connections challenge:

Fix one small thing.

Is there a conversation you need to revisit? Something you need to own? An apology you've been putting off?

Skip the “I'm sorry, but…”

Own your part. Then listen.

Strong relationships aren't about never getting it wrong. They're about knowing how to repair when we do.

Small action. Stronger connection.

Watch the 7-minute video:

https://partnership4health.crediblemind.com/videos/how-to-apologize-effectively-4-steps

09/22/2026

**Parents and caring adults: conversations matter.**

Knowing what kratom and 7-OH products can look like is a start. Talking early and calmly, knowing when a young person may need support, and responding without judgment matter too.

Here's the final post in our September kratom education series.

Questions or interested in a presentation? [email protected]

Kratom and 7-OH: Know what to look for. Know how to respond.

For the past several weeks, we've been sharing information about kratom, concentrated 7-OH products, dependence, withdrawal, and changing laws.

So what can you do with that information?

Know the product.
Kratom products can look very different—from powders and capsules to gummies, shots, drink mixes, tablets, and extracts. Traditional leaf products, stronger extracts, and concentrated 7-OH products can also differ substantially in their effects and risks.

Parents: talk early and calmly.
Ask your young person what they've heard about kratom or 7-OH and whether they've seen these products online or in stores. In Minnesota, selling or giving kratom to anyone under 21—and possession by anyone under 21—is illegal.

Know the signs that someone may need support.
Needing more of a substance to get the same effect, using more often than intended, cravings, withdrawal, or using just to feel normal are reasons to reach out for help.

Respond with support, not judgment.
If you're concerned about yourself or someone else, a health care provider, counselor, school nurse, or substance-use professional can help. Sudden withdrawal can be difficult, and medical guidance may be appropriate.

Looking for a place to start?

CredibleMind offers a free video, Understanding Substance Abuse and Seeking Help, along with additional resources about substance use and wellbeing:

https://partnership4health.crediblemind.com/videos/understanding-substance-abuse-and-seeking-help

Asking for help is a responsible step toward better wellbeing.

Know when it's an emergency.
Call 911 for trouble breathing, seizure, collapse, or if someone cannot be awakened. For suspected poisoning, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.

This is the final post in our four-part September kratom education series, developed following discussions with the Clay and Becker County Boards of Commissioners and their direction to continue public education about kratom.

Education doesn't end with this series.

For questions about kratom or 7-OH, educational materials, or to arrange a presentation for your organization, school, or community, contact:

Jason McCoy, Community Prevention Manager
[email protected]

09/21/2026

Catch a young person doing something right today. Then tell them you noticed.

Adults spend a lot of time correcting young people.

Don't forget to notice the good stuff, too.

Maybe they helped someone without being asked.

Showed patience with a younger sibling.

Worked hard at something that didn't come easily.

Included someone who was being left out.

Or simply handled a difficult situation better than they might have before.

CredibleMind has a great reminder about the power of recognition and gratitude:

https://partnership4health.crediblemind.com/articles/the-benefits-of-showing-gratitude-in-the-workplace

Today's challenge for parents, teachers, coaches, and other trusted adults:

Notice one good thing a young person does—and say it out loud.

Be specific.

“I noticed how you helped them.”

“I saw how hard you worked on that.”

“I noticed how you handled that situation.”

Young people hear plenty about what they need to do differently.

Make sure they hear when we notice what they're doing well, too.

Small action. Stronger connection.

Tell a coworker you noticed.

We notice good things people do at work all the time.

We just don't always say them out loud.

Someone steps in to help.

Handles a difficult situation well.

Takes care of something nobody else wanted to do.

Makes a teammate's day a little easier.

CredibleMind's “The Benefits of Showing Gratitude in the Workplace” makes a simple point: expressing gratitude costs nothing and takes very little time.

https://partnership4health.crediblemind.com/articles/the-benefits-of-showing-gratitude-in-the-workplace

So let's start the workweek with one small action:

Notice something good a coworker does—and tell them you noticed.

Be specific.

“I noticed you stayed late to get that finished.”

“Thanks for stepping in when things got busy.”

“You handled that really well.”

“I appreciate how you always make time to help.”

It doesn't need to come from a supervisor.

It doesn't need to be formal recognition.

And it definitely doesn't need to wait for someone's annual review.

Sometimes people just need to know that someone sees the work they're doing.

Tell someone you noticed.

Small action. Stronger connection.

Read “The Benefits of Showing Gratitude in the Workplace” on CredibleMind:

https://partnership4health.crediblemind.com/articles/the-benefits-of-showing-gratitude-in-the-workplace

09/18/2026

Parents: When was the last time your teen saw you make time for a friend?

We talk a lot about helping young people build healthy relationships. One way we can do that is by showing them that friendships are worth maintaining.

Call the friend you haven’t talked to lately.

Invite someone for coffee.

Take a walk together.

Let your kids see that staying connected takes a little intention—even for adults.

And maybe ask them:

“Is there a friend you haven't talked to lately?”

Then encourage them to reach out, too.

Healthy friendships and social support matter at every age.

Explore CredibleMind’s Friendships & Social Support resources:

https://partnership4health.crediblemind.com/topics/friendships

Small action. Stronger connection.

Call your friend today.

Not tomorrow.

Not when things slow down.

Today.

Maybe it's the friend you haven't talked to in a few weeks.

The former coworker you keep saying you should catch up with.

The neighbor you haven't seen lately.

Or the person who occasionally crosses your mind and makes you wonder:

I wonder how they're doing?

Healthy friendships and social support are an important part of our wellbeing. CredibleMind's Friendships & Social Support topic brings together resources for building connection, strengthening friendships, and creating a healthier social support network.

https://partnership4health.crediblemind.com/topics/friendships

As we wrap up another week of Small Actions, Stronger Connections, here's your weekend challenge:

Think of one person you've been meaning to reconnect with.

Then don't just think about them.

Send the text.

Make the call.

Invite them for coffee.

Ask if they'd like to take a walk.

You don't need a special reason to reach out.

“Hey, I was thinking about you. How are you doing?” is enough.

Friendships don't always need grand gestures.

Sometimes they just need someone to make the first move.

Today, be that person.

Small action. Stronger connection.

Explore Friendships & Social Support on CredibleMind:

https://partnership4health.crediblemind.com/topics/friendships