NAMI Eastside hosts conference on children and mental illness

The statistics from the National Alliance on Mental Illness are frightening: one in 10 children live with a serious mental or emotional disorder; fewer than half of children with a diagnosable mental disorder receive mental health services; suicide is the third leading cause of death for people ages 10 to 24. Mental illness in children is often mistaken for a behavioral problem. Recognizing the difference is critical; the sooner the problem is identified, the sooner your child can get help. NAMI Eastside, the East King County affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is hosting a free children’s conference, “Youth in Crisis” to help educate families, educators and clinicians about the symptoms of mental illness, Saturday, March 9, at Northshore Baptist Church, 10301 N.E. 145th in Kirkland.

February 20, 2013 6:52 pm

The statistics from the National Alliance on Mental Illness are frightening: one in 10 children live with a serious mental or emotional disorder; fewer than half of children with a diagnosable mental disorder receive mental health services; suicide is the third leading cause of death for people ages 10 to 24.

Mental illness in children is often mistaken for a behavioral problem. Recognizing the difference is critical; the sooner the problem is identified, the sooner your child can get help.

NAMI Eastside, the East King County affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is hosting a free children’s conference, “Youth in Crisis” to help educate families, educators and clinicians about the symptoms of mental illness, Saturday, March 9, at Northshore Baptist Church, 10301 N.E. 145th in Kirkland.

The conference will start with an address from Dan Reidenberg, PsyD, Director of SAVE (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education). Dr. Reidenberg also serves as Managing Director of the National Council for Suicide Prevention and is the U.S. representative to the International Association for Suicide Prevention. He is on the steering committees of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and the Suicide Prevention Resource Center. He is also the Chair of the American Psychotherapy Association Advisory Board and the Chair of the Certified Relationship Specialists Board.

Throughout the day, several interactive workshops will be offered. Topics include: suicide prevention; eating disorders mood, anxiety and psychotic disorders; special mental health needs; community mental health support services; legal and educational issues related to mental illness and co-occurring conditions. A Town Hall forum on mental illness in families, is also scheduled.

Complimentary continental breakfast and a light lunch are provided.

The conference is sponsored by Fairfax Hospital, Aspen Education, Kokesh Financial Strategies, Tom Carter MD, The Catering Company, Northwest Behavioral Healthcare Services, Lakeside Milam, the Moore Center, and Northshore Baptist Church in Kirkland. Registration forms are available at the NAMI Eastside website, www.nami-eastside.org, or at the office at the Together Center, 16315 NE 87th St., B-3, in Redmond. For more information call (425) 885-6264 or info@nami-eastside.org.  NAMI Eastside is a 501©(3) nonprofit, offering support, education, and advocacy for individuals with a mental illness and their families. All programs are free.