Exit Plan - by Kathleen MacKenzie (Hardcover)

About the Book

Exit Plan explains the factors that contribute to the youth mental health crisis and offers practical strategies to help children recover resilience.

Book Synopsis

In homes across the country, parents are watching a disturbing pattern unfold: kids who can't fall asleep, can't wake up, can't focus, and can't regulate emotions the way they used to. In schools, it shows up as distraction, absenteeism, escalating behavior issues, and burnout, not just in students, but in the adults trying to help them. And even as programs and spending expand, many communities aren't seeing meaningful relief.

Exit Plan: Mapping a Way Out of the Youth Mental Health Crisis written by clinical social worker and educator Dr. Kathleen Mackenzie, LICSW, CIMHP is a compassionate, step-by-step guide for the adults who care for kids. It's for parents who feel trapped between protecting their child and fearing social fallout; for educators who need strategies that work within real school constraints; and for legislators and policymakers who want a clear blueprint for where to focus time and resources.

You'll get a practical framework for what's changed, tools you can use immediately, and a roadmap for recovery, from resetting homes and stabilizing classrooms to policy solutions that better protect kids' wellbeing.

In this book you will discover:

- How smartphones, screen time, and sleep loss contribute to mood, behavior, learning, and attention problems

- How to set limits that reduce conflict while rebuilding trust and connection

- How to help kids reclaim sleep, motivation, and emotional steadiness

- Language and frameworks that align staff, families, and students

- Policy changes that can better protect kids

- How to shift culture without turning adults into the "tech police"

Review Quotes

"A veteran clinician, Dr. Kathleen Mackenzie reveals how rapidly accelerating digital pressures are eroding the well-being of our youth. Exit Plan offers a clear roadmap for families, schools, and policymakers to step in together and safeguard the next generation."

Cathy Rutkowski, LICSW

Co-Executive Director at the Children's Advocacy Center of Bristol County

"A must-read for anyone invested in kids' well-being. Dr. Mackenzie delivers honest observations, practical insight and a hopeful vision for youth mental health."

Cara Bean

Author of Here I Am, I Am Me: An Illustrated Guide to Mental Health

"Exit Plan is a deeply insightful examination of the youth mental health crisis and the cultural forces shaping it...This book is both a wake-up call and a message of hope-reminding us that meaningful change is possible when we address root causes with clarity and compassion."

Darcy H. Lee

Executive Director, Samaritans Southcoast

To people who value children...this book is required reading. Exit Plan is an amazing piece of work...Get a copy, read this book. Your child and you will both benefit. Do it now! We can't afford to wait.

Barbara Braun Kaplan, MSW, LICSW

Author of Gertrude & Gustave and Drizzly Bear's Magnificent Discovery

"From a seasoned pro who has worked on the front lines of youth mental health, Dr. Mackenzie offers step-by-step solutions for parents on how to "protect the night," to set kids up for success in life. For educators, there is a plan for healthy technology use in school. For legislators, a proposal to protect our youth throughout their development. This book reveals how we as a species can better manage technology and better regulate our nervous systems in a society that is "manufacturing distress."

Annie Rachele Lanzillotto

Author of L is for Lion