NAMI Bucks to hold free youth mental health workshop

TREVOSE, Pa. – Many people advocate that silence is violence, so one Bucks County organization is speaking loudly and clearly about the mental health crisis in our country, particularly the devastating toll it’s having on our youth as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “more than 4 in 10 (42%) students felt persistently sad or hopeless and nearly one-third (29%) experienced poor mental health” in 2021. Most worrisome, “more than 1 in 5 (22%) students seriously considered attempting suicide and 1 in 10 (10%) attempted suicide” in that same year.

Aware of such troubling numbers, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Bucks County PA is holding a comprehensive mental health workshop this month for youth ages 11-17 to inform and educate residents in Bucks County and the surrounding areas about the longstanding crisis.

Hosted by the Linconia Community Center (LCC), the event, titled “NAMI Ending The Silence,” will be held from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16 at Linconia Tabernacle Christian Center, located at 2460 Paris Ave. in Trevose, Pa., 19053.

During the event, youth will learn the warning signs of mental health conditions and what necessary steps to take if they or a loved one is struggling with an illness. Speakers will be on hand to discuss how mental health issues not only impact the individuals who are suffering, but also how they affect their family and friends as well as the community.

Presenters will also share their personal journeys to recovery while living with a mental health condition. Through dialogue, event organizers are aiming to grow the movement to finally overcome the stigma surrounding mental disorders.

Admission is free and, while the workshop targets youth ages 11-17, all ages are welcomed. A light lunch will be provided for attendees. So to make full accommodations for everyone, organizers are asking guests to pre-register by Saturday, Sept. 9. To sign up and for more details or information about the event, please contact LCC President Martisa Lovelace at linconiacommunitycenter@gmail.com.

If you are or know of anyone in a mental health crisis, please call the NAMI HelpLine at 1-866-399-6246, text “NAMI” to 741741 or visit www.namibuckspa.org.

Sources:
Adolescent Mental Health Continues to Worsen:
https://tinyurl.com/4tccvrm7