The Community Alliance 4 Youth Success is hosting a town hall meeting for parents about Youth Mental Health and Wellness. The town hall is free to the public and will be held on Tuesday, October 4, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., at the MidMichigan Medical Center’s Towsley Auditorium. This event coincides with Mental Health Awareness Week, which is the first full week of October.

The town hall was prompted by findings of the 2016 Midland County Youth Study conducted by The Legacy Center, which indicated an increase in risk-taking behaviors of depression, suicide attempts and eating disorders among 6th – 12th graders. In the same study, students also reported decreases in Developmental Assets related to Positive Identity, including personal power, self-esteem, sense of purpose, and positive view of personal future.

Panelists for the town hall include Sharon Mudd, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, University of Michigan Depression Center; Kim Sumerix, Youth Services Coordinator/Outpatient Therapist, Family and Children’s Services; and Jackie Warner, Youth Intervention Specialist, Community Mental Health for Central Michigan and 42nd Circuit Court, Family Division.

“Our goal is to give parents the knowledge and tools they need to support their children, identify problems early on and find the resources they need right here in our community,” says Jennifer Heronema, President and Chief Executive of The Legacy Center.

About Community Alliance 4 Youth Success
The Community Alliance 4 Youth Success, an affiliate of The Legacy Center, is a group of local community leaders who are focused on preventing teen substance abuse. Preventing alcohol, marijuana and other drug use is no easy task, but the coalition has demonstrated that when all sectors of the community come together, social change happens. For more information, visit the coalition website at www.tlc4cs.org.