GREENFIELD — Adults attending a program at Baystate Franklin Medical Center on Thursday will learn to recognize and respond to the warning signs of youth stress, anxiety, depression and mental health crisis.
Baystate Health, the Communities That Care Coalition and the Greenfield Safe Schools Safe Streets Coalition are partnering to bring Just Talk About It, a presentation for adults who work with youth, to Greenfield. The event will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in Baystate Franklin’s Conference Room A.
According to a Baystate Franklin press release, Just Talk About It is offered by the Pennsylvania-based nonprofit, Minding Your Mind. The free, interactive presentation will feature Minding Your Mind’s New England Clinical Director Jon Mattleman, as well as a young adult speaker who will share his personal story of hope and recovery as he has successfully coped with mental health issues.
Organizers said they are pleased to bring Just Talk About It to the community at a time when mental health needs extra attention.
“Our annual Teen Health Survey data shows that young people’s self-reports of symptoms of depression have been rising alarmingly since about 2012, both locally and nationally,” said Kat Allen, coordinator for the Communities That Care Coalition. “We are working to make sure that parents and adults who work with youth are as prepared as possible to identify and support young people who are struggling.”
Registration is required at: tinyurl.com/JustTalkAboutIt. With questions, contact Kat Allen at kallen@frcog.org.