National FFCMH Conference ~ The Diversity & Resilience of Families ~ November 5 – 7
The National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health announces “The Diversity and Resilience of Families” as the theme for its 21st annual conference. We strongly believe that the strength of the family movement is reflected in the diversity and resilience of children and youth with emotional challenges, and their families; and in their persistent quests toward improving the quality of their lives.
Here is the welcome message from Executive Director Sandra Spencer:
The resilience of children, youth and families has forged the way to more family-driven, youth guided services systems. We know that families raising children with mental health challenges are very diverse. Emotional, behavioral or mental health needs cut across all income, educational, geographical, racial, ethnic, and religious groups. They are found among single parents and two-parent families and in birth, adoptive, and foster families. This conference will address a variety of difficult challenges that families face, including the taboo subjects that families and providers are often uncomfortable talking about.
We want to address discrimination against children and families who are dealing with mental health challenges, and the “isms” that feed into discrimination (such as racism, classism and sexism). We want to address the disproportionate number of youth of color in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems, as well as similar disparities in health outcomes. We want to hear from communities that successfully support children and families who become separated because of abuse and/or neglect. Additionally, we want to address the issue of suicide (prevention and post-vention). The National Federation is committed to shining a spotlight on these issues and many more, while lending support, and identifying workable solutions and promising practices.
The conference committee invites the submission of workshop or poster session proposals for the 2010 conference of the National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health. Proposals should highlight approaches that increase understanding of how to effectively promote our message, “The Diversity and Resilience of Families,” on local, state, tribal, territorial and/or national levels, making children’s mental health a high priority everywhere. The conference committee is particularly interested in proposals that demonstrate how communities have started the dialogue about diversity and resilience, have begun to address the issues that may be uncomfortable to speak about (the “elephants in the room”), and have experienced some success in making change.
Proposals of particular interest include:
- Family-driven efforts to increase awareness, promote diversity, cultural inclusion, resilience and wellness. Examples of successful efforts, both traditional and non-traditional, at the local, state, tribal, territorial and national level are strongly encouraged.
- Youth-guided efforts that focus on youth resilience and show positive outcomes from a youth perspective.
- Family organizations at the helm of developing partnerships and strategic alliances with partners to address challenging issues, identify solutions and sustain their presence as viable community organizations.
- Examples of effective and collaborative community partnerships used to address these issues .
- Special Track – Suicide prevention and post-vention
Download the Call for Presentations here!
We are honored to have Wes Moore as our keynote speaker this year. His book - The Other Wes Moore – is currently #15 on the New York Times Bestseller list. It is a compelling story of the lives of two young men named Wes Moore, from similar backgrounds, with vastly different outcomes as their lives have unfolded. It is a remarkable story of choice, resilience and the critical importance of all of us rallying for youth and families.
Remember to mark your calendar – November 5 – 7, 2010 in Atlanta Georgia!
