Linking Families And Communities Celebrates 2015 National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day On May 7th.
Fort Dodge, Iowa (PRWEB) May 05, 2015 -- May 7th is Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day. This day is used to focus on the complex mental health needs of children and seeks to raise awareness about the importance of children’s mental health; noting that positive mental health is essential to a child’s healthy development from birth.
Linking Families and Communities has long supported early childhood mental health through its promotion of the use of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) strategies in families, child care programs and preschools. The strategies, often thought of as something that K-12 schools use, are especially relevant for young children. Education is available for parents through the Positive Solutions for Families classes and training is available for child care providers and preschools through Child Care Resource & Referral.
National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day has grown in scope, visibility, and support since its beginning in 2005. This initiative now connects many different organizations in their efforts to promote awareness of children's mental health issues not just on a single day, but year-round.
There will be a national event streaming live from the Lansburgh Theatre in Washington, DC to highlight strategies for integrating behavioral health with primary health care, child welfare, and education on National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day. This is designed to bring national attention to the local communities and their Awareness Day activities.
“Awareness Day is an opportunity for us to celebrate the positive impact that we can have on the lives of children, youth and young adults when we are able to integrate positive mental health into every environment,” said Elizabeth Stanek, Executive Director for Linking Families and Communities. “When we focus on building resilience and social-emotional skills in young children from birth, we can help young children, youth, and their families thrive.”
Linking Families and Communities serves the counties of Webster, Calhoun and Pocahontas and is located at 822 Central Avenue, Suite 340, Fort Dodge, IA 50501. Additional information is available by calling 515-955-5437 or visiting the website at http://www.linking-families.com.
Elizabeth Stanek, Linking Families and Communities, https://www.linking-families.com/, +1 ((515) 955-5437, [email protected]
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