Greater Cincinnati Youth Mental Wellness Summit To Spark Community Discussion On Mental Health Crisis In Children
Beech Acres Parenting Center will combine efforts with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center; the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Center for Integrative Health and Wellness; and the City of Cincinnati for a conversation on the growing mental health crisis for children that was detailed by U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy in his recent advisory, ”Protecting Youth Mental Health.” REGISTER ONLINE HERE The collaboration of local experts will be highlighted by the first Greater Cincinnati Youth Mental Wellness Summit on February 8 (details below). The summit will include direct outreach to local school superintendents and school principals. The ultimate goal of this joint initiative is to spark discussion on the Surgeon General’s message on the mental health crisis in our youth while providing school superintendents and school principals with resources and tips to support their teachers and staff, ultimately promoting the well-being of adults and children alike. The Greater Cincinnati Youth Mental Wellness Summit will include experts from each participating organization engaging with school leaders on specific areas to support their teachers’ and staff’s health and wellbeing. Participants will have the opportunity to experience a few mindfulness and breath techniques to support their own wellbeing and self-care and then will learn three ways to support their teachers and staff during this ongoing crisis. There will be the opportunity for question-and-answer at the end of the Summit. The program will also be recorded and available to the public, clearing the way for school leadership to observe all conversations and access all the information to be shared, even if they cannot attend the event in real-time. “We are thankful to the U.S. Surgeon General for elevating the importance of the mental health of our young people with this advisory,” said Laura Mitchell, president, and CEO of Beech Acres Parenting Center. “The first step toward providing support is to spread the word about where to turn, which is why this collaboration promises to make such a positive impact.” “Over the past several years we have had a growing challenge in meeting the mental health needs of our young people,” said Michael Sorter, MD, director of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Cincinnati Children’s. “Suicide is the second leading cause of death of individuals aged 10 to 24 years. One in 10 children are disabled due to mental illness. The stress of COVID to our young people and families has turned this into a national crisis and emergency. We all need to work together to build the systems to support children and families.” “The Center is honored to be joining these thought leaders in our community to advance and support the well-being of our city’s youth and those who work daily to teach, mentor, and inspire them,” said Sian Cotton, Ph.D., Turner Farm Foundation Chair and director of the U.C. Center for Integrative Health and Wellness. “It’s imperative that we take away any stigma associated with mental health initiatives for adults and youth, and promote mental health as another component of total wellness,” said Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney, vice mayor of the City of Cincinnati. The Greater Cincinnati Youth Mental Wellness Summit will take place at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, February 8, via Zoom. There is no cost to attend, although advance registration is encouraged. School representatives can contact Beech Acres Parenting Center for registration information at (513) 231-6630. Individuals can engage and follow the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #HelpCincyKids. Watch a special Facebook Live featuring Beech Acres Parenting Center President & CEO, Laura Mitchell discussing the Greater Cincinnati Youth Mental Wellness Summit. # # # About Beech Acres: At Beech Acres Parenting Center, we uncover the natural gifts of children by unleashing the power of parents and caregivers. As a contemporary parenting center, BAPC serves over 30,000 people annually through a wide range of services including foster care, kinship care, adoption, behavioral health support in schools, parent coaching and much more. All of our programs are founded in our Natural Strength Parenting™ framework which enables parents to unlock their own potential by building on their unique strengths. For more information, visit www.beechacres.org. About University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Center for Integrative Health and Wellness: The Center’s mission is to improve the health of our local and global community through innovative, internationally-recognized research, education, clinical practice, and community engagement efforts focused on integrative health and wellness. For more information, visit: https://www.med.uc.edu/institutes/integrative/home Media Contact: Peter Osborne 513-729-9517 peter.osborne@keypointpr.com
