For the third consecutive year, Florida Gulf Coast University College of Education and Florida’s Institute of Government host the “Annual Children’s Mental Health Conference” 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2 at the FGCU Cohen Center ballroom to create an alliance between mental health professionals and the community. Problems resulting from mental health disorders in children can include misbehavior, school failure, suicide, school dropout, substance abuse, and more.
This conference will address some of the problems associated with mental health disorders in children and youth, and will provide insight about what the community can do to make a difference in their lives by building stronger linkages, networks, and resources within the community.
Keynote speaker is Ross Szabo, an award-winning speaker, author, consultant, and Peace Corps volunteer. He served as Director of Outreach for the National Mental Health Awareness Campaign for eight years, and is co-author of “Behind Happy Faces: Taking Charge of Your Mental Health.”
Topics include: signs and symptoms, suicide prevention, effective interventions for the classroom; ADHD misdiagnosis, integrated stress relief, and the new DSM-5.
The conference is intended for parents, educators, mental health professionals and university students. General registration is $49, student rate is $25, and $69 with 0.4 CEUs.
To register, visit http://registeriog.fgcu.edu/. Limited scholarships are available at the registration site. For more information call Joanne Hartke at (239) 425-3273.
Event sponsors include FGCU College of Education, Florida Institute of Government, Southwest Florida Community Foundation, and NAMI (National Association of Mental Illness). Local vendors will be available to share community resources to attendees.
For further information contact Joanne Hartke, director for FGCU Florida Institute of Government at (239) 425-3273.