Traverse City counselors urge parents to watch teen mental health signs

Teen mental health problems are showing up in Grand Traverse County long before a crisis reaches a hospital door, and local counselors say parents need to notice the shifts early. National data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show adolescent mental health has been worsening for years, with about 1 in 3 U.S. high school students reporting poor mental health indicators in recent surveys.

That makes the warning signs more than a family concern. In Traverse City, counselor Joe Hall of Mental Wellness Counseling said parents and educators need to know help exists and pay attention when a teen’s behavior changes in ways that do not match that child’s usual personality. Hall also said conversations should be direct and free of judgment, especially when a teenager is juggling school pressure, identity, friendships and the move toward adulthood all at once.

Mental Wellness Counseling serves Northern Michigan and works across the lifespan. It has two Traverse City offices: 1844 Oak Hollow Dr., Suite B, and 525 W 14th St., Suite D. The practice works directly with young people, a reminder that families do not have to wait for a severe breakdown before seeking help.

For students whose struggles are affecting classwork or attendance, Traverse City Area Public Schools points families to its Student Health Center, which offers crisis intervention, referrals for specialty services, substance use counseling and education, and mental health counseling and referrals. TCAPS also partners with the Grand Traverse County Health Department on E3 Health, which provides on-site mental health services at TC West Senior High School and TC Central High School.

When a situation has moved beyond routine counseling, the region now has a dedicated crisis option. Munson Healthcare and Northern Lakes Community Mental Health opened the Grand Traverse Mental Health Crisis and Access Center on Jan. 5, 2025, at 410 Brook St. in Traverse City. Northern Lakes says the center provides 24/7/365 crisis intervention, stabilization services and support, and is meant to be a starting point for people in crisis regardless of ability to pay.

National guidance from the National Institute of Mental Health and the CDC emphasizes the same basic tools families hear from local counselors: strong relationships, close attention to warning signs and healthy coping habits that a teen actually enjoys. In Grand Traverse County, that can mean using school-based services, community mental health programs, Boys & Girls Clubs and the state’s free and low-cost mental health resources before a problem deepens into an emergency.