Breaking Barriers to Kids' Mental Health Care: A Nonprofit Leader's Guide for Parents

The Teaching Journeys Podcast | Episode with Janelle Miller Moravek

Why is your involvement in your child's therapy more important than you think — and what's stopping parents from showing up?

In this eye-opening episode, host Dave Roberts sits down with return guest Janelle Miller Moravek, Executive Director of Youth and Family Counseling (YFC) in Lake County, Illinois. Janelle brings nearly two decades of nonprofit leadership and mental health advocacy to a conversation every parent, educator, and clinician needs to hear.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why parent participation in children's therapy is essential — and how it works in practice
• The real reasons parents don't consistently attend sessions (hint: it's not always their fault)
• How clinician countertransference and imposter syndrome affect treatment outcomes
• Why YFC is seeing a surge in service requests for children ages 6–11
• How anxiety, trauma, and community stressors are showing up in young children's behavior
• The role of generational trauma and family secrets in resisting mental health support
• YFC's new Atlas care navigation tool — a free resource to help families understand and access mental health services
• How to navigate paperwork, insurance, and system barriers to getting your child the help they need

Whether you're a parent navigating your child's mental health journey, a school counselor, a clinician working with youth, or a nonprofit professional, this conversation offers practical insight and compassionate guidance.

Janelle's Bio and Contact Information

Janelle Miller Moravek is a nonprofit leader & mental health advocate. She has led Youth & Family Counseling as Executive Director since 2009, driving its growth and impact across Lake County, Illinois. With a deep commitment to increasing access to mental health services, she oversees strategy, programming, and operations while fostering strong partnerships throughout the community. Janelle plays a key leadership role in the region, serving on the board of the Lake County Alliance for Human Services and co-chairing the Lake County Behavioral Health Action Team. Her prior experience includes development roles at Carmel Catholic High School and Barat College. She holds a BA in French Studies from Wesleyan University and lives in Libertyville with her husband and three children.

Connect with Janelle

Website: CounselingForAll.org/

LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/janelle-miller-moravek-903a815b/

Janelle’s profile: accessspeakers.biz/speaker/janelle-miller-moravek-nonprofit-leader-mental-health-advocate/

Call to Action for Listeners:

Connect with Janelle on LinkedIn—she’d love to hear from you! Be sure to mention you found her through this show! Linkedin.com/in/janelle-miller-moravek-903a815b/

Links to our first episode:

https://rss.com/podcasts/theteachingjourneys/2607777/ Once in, hit Listen On button to find Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-b1gvHq7aLw

To connect with Dave, go to davidrobertsmsw.com Follow the podcast on YouTube, Apple, Spotify and other podcast platforms