Wilmington Public Schools to hold First Annual Behavioral Health Provider Fair

WILMINGTON, MA - In observance of Mental Health Month which occurs in May of each year, the Wilmington Public Schools is hosting its first ever Behavioral Health Provider Fair on May 12 at Wilmington Middle School.

The Provider Fair will take place between 3-8 p.m. Close to 30 local mental health providers, community organizations, municipal departments, and state agencies will be on hand to provide information and resources to attendees. In addition, there will be 25 different breakout sessions during the course of the event. These 45-minute breakout sessions will allow providers to present in depth information on strategies, tools, and resources to support children, parents, and families who may be struggling with mental health conditions.

Millions of Americans contend with a variety of mental health conditions each year. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 20 percent of children between the ages of 13 and 18 have or will have a serious mental health illness – that’s one out of every five children. Ten percent of children have a behavior or conduct disorder, while eight percent suffer from an anxiety disorder. Fifty percent of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by the age of 14 and 75 percent by the age of 24.

“These compelling statistics only further emphasize the importance of the work that our schools can and should be doing to support the behavioral needs of our students and to promote healthy social and emotional growth and development,” stated Superintendent Mary DeLai.

The concern with respect to addressing the behavioral health needs of students became more pronounced after the administration of last year’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey to Wilmington Middle School and High School students. Those results indicated that 21.2 percent of seventh and eighth graders had seriously considered attempting suicide during their lifetime. At the High School, 11 percent of students in grades 9-11 had seriously considered attempting suicide in the past 12 months. In a recent parent survey issued by the district, nearly one third of parents felt less than confident in their ability to effectively address some of the emotional needs of their children.

A growing desire to ensure that our schools are effectively addressing the behavioral, social, and emotional needs of our students led to the formation of a districtwide Behavioral Health Task Force in November of 2014. This group has been meeting on a regular basis over the past year and a half to plan and implement programs and practices to support students, parents, and families. The Behavioral Health Task Force has created this Behavioral Health Provider Fair, which will hopefully be an annual event, to engage parents, families and students in the discussion of this very important topic.

"It is our hope that parents, families, and older students will come out to support one another, to share their stories, to learn about the resources, tools, and strategies available, and to end the stigma and shame that too often prevents students and families from getting the help they need."