Parent forum on youth mental health scheduled for February 24
Above / Parents are encouraged to attend a panel discussion on local stressors, signs your child is struggling, and how to help at a public forum held at the Naperville Municipal Center, 400 S. Eagle Street. A resource fair will follow.
In response to growing concerns about youth mental health and teen suicide, the Naperville Police Department and KidsMatter are partnering to offer a community forum and resource fair on the topic for parents and community members. .
“Protecting Our Children: Understanding and Monitoring Youth Mental Health” will take place at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 24, 2022, at Naperville City Hall, 400 S. Eagle St., Naperville, IL.
“Our agents respond to so many calls involving youth in crisis, and so often we hear from parents saying they didn’t realize their child was in trouble. We couldn’t just sit back and do nothing to try to help,” Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres said. “The signs that a young person is struggling with depression, anxiety or suicidal ideation can be hard to spot, but through this event we hope to help parents begin to recognize these signs, know where look for them and understand how to address them.
The February 24 event will consist of a panel discussion with local experts explaining the types of stressors local teens face today, warning signs that a child is struggling with depression or thoughts suicides, and practical ways parents can watch for these signs. The following people will present:
- Detective Theresa Stock is a 20-year veteran of the Naperville Police Department currently assigned to the department’s investigative divisions as a high-tech crime investigator.
- Ryan S. LauterwasserLCPC, CDAC, is currently the Service Line Manager of the Adolescent Inpatient and Eating Disorders Unit and Co-Chair of the Inpatient Suicide Prevention Committee at Linden Oaks Behavioral Health.
- Matthew CastonMA, LCPC, is a mental health counselor at the Fox Valley Institute, which treats mental and emotional health issues including anxiety, depression, grief, low self-esteem, stress, and suicidal impulses.
“Youth mental health was declared a national crisis by three reputable pediatric organizations this fall, and the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory on the same topic in December,” said Nina Menis, CEO and Executive Director of KidsMatter. . “Naperville teens are not immune to the stresses experienced by young people across the country, which means we must embrace our mission of prevention by helping parents recognize the signs that their child is in trouble and how deal.
Interactive Q&A will be offered
Questions from panelists can be asked in a structured Q&A session after the presentations or can be submitted to KidsMatter in advance on KidsMatter event webpage or by email, info@kidsmatter2us.org. Please submit your questions by Tuesday, February 22, 2022.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to speak one-on-one with panelists and representatives from other organizations and service providers in the region at an on-site resource fair immediately following the presentation. Vendors continue to be added to the fair, which is organized by the Youth Collaborative Team. A full list of Resource Fair attendees will be available closer to the event date on the event webpage provided above.
Additional support for this event has been provided by the DuPage Foundation, which will allow the roundtable to be broadcast live. Live stream information will be posted closer to the forum date on the event webpage provided above.
“We really encourage in-person participation, with recommended COVID-19 mitigation measures in place, to give attendees the opportunity to take full advantage of the number of experts and resources that will be available at the resource fair,” said Menis said. “This will be a phenomenal opportunity to ask questions and talk one-on-one with providers about their family’s specific situation or concerns.”
Submitted by the Naperville Police Department Information Office
