Explain youth anxiety treatment and school return plan to parents — CASC communication station

Open. Name role and time; ask priorities (medication fear, guilt, school pressure). [2]

Explain diagnosis. “This is separation anxiety — a treatable anxiety condition where the brain’s alarm about being away from you is too loud. Missing school is a behaviour that grows when avoidance makes the alarm quieter short-term. It is not simply bad parenting.” [2][4]

CBT. “The main treatment is guided practice facing small steps of separation and school, with coping skills — not flooding him all at once. Your role is coach: less last-minute cancellation, more planned steps we agree together.” Evidence supports CBT for youth anxiety.[5][2]

Medication. “If anxiety stays high or school remains blocked, a medicine from the SSRI group such as sertraline can help the alarm system settle. A large study (CAMS) found that therapy plus sertraline helped the most young people get much better compared with either alone or placebo. We start low, go slow, and review early.” Example start discussed with team: low daily oral sertraline with titration.[1][2]

Safety monitoring. “A small number of young people can feel more agitated or have new thoughts of self-harm when antidepressants are started. That is uncommon but important — we watch closely in the first weeks and after dose changes, and you contact us urgently if mood or safety changes.” [3]

School plan. “We liaise with school for graded return — short visits, then partial days, then full days — while treating anxiety. Long-term home schooling without a plan often strengthens avoidance.” [4][2]

Close. Summarise, teach-back, crisis contacts, next CBT session and medication review date if started. [2]