Ryan’s Hope and Moms Stop the Harm simcoe.com
Ryan’s Hope and Moms Stop the Harm, Simcoe County host International Overdose Awareness Day remembrance events Aug. 31
Tag: Awareness
Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month Features Walks, Education and Events
CHICAGO, Aug. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) will showcase how the pulmonary fibrosis (PF) community stands together in the fight against the life-threatening lung disease during Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month in September.
“We will shine the spotlight on PF by sharing important facts about the disease and personal stories from individuals who are impacted by it, “said William T. Schmidt, president and CEO of the PFF. “We want everyone in the community to get involved, come to our events and spread the word.”
More than 250,000 Americans are living with PF, which causes progressive scarring in the lungs. More than 50,000 new cases are diagnosed annually in the U.S.
Community Events
The PFF Walk 2022 to raise awareness and funds for research and support of those living with PF is set for the following dates in September —
- Sept. 10 – Diversey Harbor, Chicago
- Sept. 17 – Crissy Field, Bay Area
- Sept. 24 – National Walk Day, Virtually
The PFF Walk features two course options – 5K and one mile – and family-friendly activities, refreshments, educational materials about PF and more. Registration is free and those who raise $100 or more will receive a commemorative PFF Walk t-shirt.
The second annual ILD Day on Wednesday, Sept. 14, aims to elevate awareness of interstitial lung disease (ILD), of which there are 200 different causes. ILD is characterized by inflammation and/or scarring in the lungs, making it difficult to breathe and get oxygen into the blood stream.
As part of ILD Day, an educational webinar hosted by internationally recognized ILD expert, Dr. Anna Podolanczuk, will be held at 12 p.m. CDT on Sept. 14. The presentation will focus on “Progressive Pulmonary Fibrosis: What Patients Need to Know,” and will provide information to help patients better understand the disease and its progression. Webinar registration is available here.
Social Media
Beginning September 1, the PFF will post content every day on its social media channels with the handle @pfforg on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, using the hashtags #PFMonth and #BlueUp4PF. Each day, a fact about PF will be posted at 11 a.m. CDT and a story will be posted at 1 p.m. CDT.
The #BlueUp4PF campaign recognizes the effect of the lack of oxygen in the bloodstream. Inadequate oxygen levels, which can be caused by PF, may result in the fingernails or lips turning a bluish color. #BlueUp4PF encourages people to wear blue, take a selfie, and post it on social media with the reason they are going blue for PF Awareness Month.
In addition, more than 100 iconic buildings, monuments and bridges will shine blue with hope for the PF community throughout September. The list of sites and the dates they will be illuminated during PF Awareness Month is available here.
About the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation
The mission of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation is to accelerate the development of new treatments and ultimately a cure for pulmonary fibrosis. Until this goal is achieved, the PFF is committed to advancing improved care of patients with PF and providing unequaled support and education resources for patients, caregivers, family members, and health care providers. The PFF has a three-star rating from Charity Navigator and is an accredited charity by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Wise Giving Alliance. The Foundation has met all of the requirements of the National Health Council Standards of Excellence Certification Program® and has earned the Guidestar Platinum Seal of Transparency. For more information, visit pulmonaryfibrosis.org or call 844.TalkPFF (844.825.5733).
Contact: Dorothy Coyle
773-332-6201
SOURCE The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation
Events To Raise Awareness On Mental Health, Addiction
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church is preparing to celebrate its third annual Recovery Sunday in remembrance of those who struggle with mental health and addiction. The church has invited people to write prayers on fabric to be used as prayer flags in honor of recovery month.
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Jamestown is hoping to raise awareness for mental health and increase the community’s understanding of the problem of addiction.
The church is partnering with the Mental Health Association to host events this weekend in remembrance of the 53 drug overdose victims from the past year.
This year marks the church’s third annual Recovery Sunday, although the church had held various services over the years highlighting mental health and recovery prior to establishing an annual tradition.
“Addiction and recovery isn’t just someone else’s problem; it’s our problem,” the Rev. Luke Fodor, rector at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, said. “We wanted to make sure the community had this as part of its collective remembrance.”
Jessica Frederick, minister of children, youth and families, said the church will honor the victims of drug overdose by hanging prayer flags from the top of the bell tower to the Main Street entrance of the church for this weekend’s events.
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church is preparing to celebrate its third annual Recovery Sunday in remembrance of those who struggle with mental health and addiction. The church has invited people to write prayers on fabric to be used as prayer flags in honor of recovery month.
She said strips of fabric have been written on in honor of those who died from a drug overdose over the past year.
“On each of the strips, we have prayers for those who have died and also prayers for healing and wholeness of the recovery community We invited people to write their prayers on the strips of fabric.”
RECOVERY SUNDAY EVENTS
This year, St. Luke’s Recovery Sunday events will begin on Saturday.
“We made a whole weekend out of it,” Fodor said. “On Saturday, we will start with an art recovery show.”
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church is preparing to celebrate its third annual Recovery Sunday in remembrance of those who struggle with mental health and addiction. The church has invited people to write prayers on fabric to be used as prayer flags in honor of recovery month.
P-J photos by Timothy Frudd
Fodor said in partnership with the Mental Health Association, an art and recovery class works on art throughout the year, which will be displayed at the Undercroft at St. Luke at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
Food and refreshments will be provided at the event, celebrating the second year of the church’s art display.
Some of the art from the show will also be incorporated into St. Luke’s Sunday morning service.
Fodor said one of the pieces featured at the church will be a piece that was inspired by an anger workshop.
“Sometimes we suppress our anger,” he said. “We don’t really deal with it and it pops up in inopportune times.”
The art therapy workshop provided this year allowed people to express their anger through art instead of actions. The art will be displayed before the altar at St. Luke’s for Recovery Sunday.
As part of Sunday’s service, the church bells will ring in remembrance of each person who has died as a result of overdosing in the past year. The service will incorporate a candle lighting, a reading of the names or initials for the victims of drug overdose and special music performed by people recovering from addiction.
After the service, there will be a narcan training available. The art exhibit from Saturday’s event will also be available for the public to view before and after the Sunday service. Additionally, Father Bernard’s Blessed Biscuits will be selling biscuits after Sunday’s service.
“We have a joint enterprise with the Mental Health Association of Father Bernard’s Blessed Biscuits,” Fodor said. “It’s a social enterprise where we sell dog biscuits. People who have fallen out of the workforce because of recovery issues or addiction or mental health can get back in the workforce slowly by learning some skills.”
The church’s Recovery Sunday reflects the commitment of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church to the idea that mental health is deeply connected with faith.
“This service is integral to the life of faith,” Fredrick said.
PURSUING RECOVERY
Recovery Sunday is one way Fodor believes the community ensure that the victims of drug abuse and drug overdose are remembered and honored.
One of the points Fodor wants to emphasize throughout the weekend’s events is the importance of connection.
“The opposite of addiction is connection,” he said. “So often, people feel disconnected, usually from themselves first and then the community, so they start to use various substances to deal with the pain. I think that’s true of all of us, whether it’s caffeine in the morning or whatever it is. We all have some sort of usage of chemicals to assist us to normalize our lives.”
St. Luke’s Recovery Sunday will attempt to remove the stigmatization of people who struggle with addiction and mental health.
Fodor said the community’s fear of people who struggle with mental illness or drug usage can lead to people passing judgment on them or labeling them as “outsiders.”
“My hope is that folks will see that this is something that we can make tangible steps by changing our minds,” he said. “So often, the mindset we use is part of the problem. My hope is that through these kind of collective actions that we will begin to realize that we can’t make them other, but realize that we are all part of the same issue.”
While Fodor acknowledged that the problem of mental health and drug abuse will not be solved “over night,” he believes the community can take steps to solve it by working together and having compassion for those who struggle with addiction.
Fodor said “real healing” occurs people have compassion for one another and work together to solve problems in the community.
FAITH AND HEALING
Fodor believes the work of the Mental Health Organization represents the concepts of resurrection and regeneration.
“Lives that were seemingly dead come back to life,” he said.
Frederick said the church’s interactions with people struggling through mental health difficulties and drug usage should mirror the biblical example of Jesus.
“Jesus was always spending time with people that others would want to overlook,” she said. “This is an essential component of our faith to see people as people. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from or what mistakes you’ve made or how you’ve been wounded. We all carry wounds and we are all in some form of recovery. That is how Jesus saw and interacted with people.”
Fodor explained one of the key ways to successfully navigate the battle of addiction recovery is to provide meaningful connections with people.
While people may have the desire to feel “whole,” he believes the concept of wholeness cannot be achieved without the community working together.
“They need to be connected to something greater than themselves to find that,” he said.
The task of creating connections is something Fodor believes the church should be responsible for. He said the church should not expect people to attend the church to find help, but that the church should be involved in the community.
“Jesus talked about the 99 sheep that were fine but the one that was lost,” he said. “Sometimes we need to go out and look. By partnering with the Mental Health Association and by making public art displays, we’re trying to say and communicate ‘we’re looking for the lost.’”
Overdose awareness events planned for qathet region
In conjunction with International Overdose Awareness Day on August 31, three events are scheduled for qathet region.
According to a media release from qathet Community Action Team (CAT), local communities are joining others around the world to remember those who have died or suffered permanent injury due to drug overdose.
Observed on August 31 every year, participants seek to create better understanding of overdose, reduce the stigma of drug-related deaths, and create change that reduces harms associated with drug use. Community members are invited to the following events: noon to 2 pm, a lunch made with love at the Community Resource Centre; 3 to 6 pm, grand opening of ?aȷǐmɛt Harm Reduction Circle in Tishosem in Tla’amin Nation; 8 to 9 pm, a candlelight vigil and drumming circle on the grass at Willingdon Beach.
In 2021, despite the disruption caused by COVID-19, hundreds of awareness day events were held in at least 37 countries to raise awareness of one of the world’s most urgent public health crises.
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s most recent world annual drug report, nearly half a million people around the world died as a result of drug use in 2019. Early statistics and anecdotal evidence for the 2021 calendar year show that the situation is becoming ever-more critical, exacerbated in many areas by the pandemic decreasing the tolerance of people who use drugs and disrupting both services and the drug supply chain.
Educational events
Rachel Driedger, youth CAT coordinator, stated that starting at noon, the Community Resource Centre will open to the public for a lunch made by a community member who has experienced great losses due to poor public drug policy. Announcements by SUSTAIN (Substance Users Society Teaching Advocacy Instead of Neglect) will be part of the gathering, as will live music performed by Tommy Sings.
“Our hope is to promote education and solidarity instead of stigma and isolation, and to celebrate those who are still here,” added Driedger.
According to Courtney Harrop, coordinator for ?aȷǐmɛt Harm Reduction Circle, this event will be the grand opening of the new program and space.
“We are hosting our event to coincide with International Overdose Awareness Day, and it will include our grand opening, an ‘honouring our loved ones’ ceremony and community barbecue,” stated Harrop. “We will also be participating in Moms Stop the Harm’s empty chair campaign. We will have guests from Moms Stop the Harm as well as the First Nations Health Authority.
“Mental health support will be provided onsite for those who need it, and we will have a resource and information table, including naloxone, set up about harm reduction and the toxic drug crisis.”
Monument coordinator Maggle Gisle stated that organizers are looking for family and friends of loved ones who have passed away from the toxic drug supply in the community.
“Let’s bring people together who want to make a memorial monument built with family and friends speaking about loved ones who passed away from fentanyl overdoses, recorded for others to hear.” stated Gisle. “We need a list of family and friends who have an interest in this project as soon as possible. We also need persons who can help create a monument where you push a button and hear a loved one’s story.”
Those wishing to help can email Gisle at maggygislemoon13@gmail.com.
“I am happy to be in the position to provide space to support the resilience and grief of those most affected by the overdose and toxic drug supply crisis,” stated Deagan Crawford, Community Resource Centre (CRC) coordinator. “I believe this is a time where we can come together as a community to honour the loss of friends and family as well as find ways to stand together in solidarity not just on this day, but everyday.
“I want the CRC to support community by promoting education, activism and awareness, and to move away from fear generated by stigma that feeds isolation and hopelessness for many folks in our community. I want every single person who enters the CRC to know they are loved, welcome, and that their presence on this earth is valuable and irreplaceable.”
FirstLink announces several suicide awareness events in the Fargo area
FARGO — The non-profit organization FirstLink has scheduled events around the Fargo area to educate and bring together residents to talk about suicide and ways to prevent it.
A safeTALK training session is scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Aug. 24 at the FirstLink office, 4357 13th Ave. S. Suite 107L in Fargo. Participants will learn how to prevent suicides using the safeTALK training methods.
The training will assist anyone over 15-years-old to become a suicide helper. The event is free to register courtesy of the North Dakota Department of Human Services, Behavioral Health Division.
FirstLink will also hold the annual Lifesaver Luncheon in honor of Suicide Awareness and Prevention month. The event will begin at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Sep. 15 at the Delta Hotels by Marriot, 1635 42nd St. SW in Fargo.
This year’s Lifesaver Luncheon will focus on suicide and the LGBTQ+ community. Featured speakers include Faye Seidler, an activist, educator and community organizer, and Dr. Danial Sturgill, a Sanford psychologist specializing in mental health services for transgender and gender diverse individuals.
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) will be on Sept. 20 and 21 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the FirstLink office. ASIST is a two-day workshop created for members of the community.
Registration is $240 per person, participants that register before Sept. 2 can use coupon “EARLY” to receive $50 off the registration fee.
Participants will learn useful skills including identifying people who may be having thoughts of suicide and reducing barriers that hinder the ability to be direct and comfortable with suicidal situations.
CEUs are available for North Dakota Social Workers, Law Enforcement, Nurses and EMS Professionals.
For more information on the FirstLink events, visit
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Ubisoft wants to spread climate change awareness with these in-game events
Ubisoft has detailed how two of its games hope to spread awareness about the impact of climate change.
The details come as part of the 2022 Green Game Jam (opens in new tab), which judged games on the three-fold theme of Food, Forests, and our Future.
In the game’s impact statement, Ubisoft said Skull and Bones (opens in new tab) will use in-game events to challenge the player with environmental issues such as how the demand for shark fins is affecting the ocean.
“Much like our own oceans, this world provides many resources to benefit them on their adventure but also opens the possibility of exploitation,” Ubisoft writes in its application for Skull and Bones (opens in new tab). “Our first activation will address resource exploitation, showing what happens in the game world and the real world when the demand for sharks’ fins results in the overfishing of sharks. Players will have the choice to contribute to marine wildlife protection and comprehend the destructive nature of the shark fin trade.”
Riders Republic (opens in new tab), on the other hand, will have an event from the moment the game begins that sees the sky go orange throughout the entire game because of wildfires, with players equipped with gas masks by default. As part of the game, they will have to reduce the risk of fire spreading and identify the most fragile and flammable areas of Sequoia National Park (thanks, NME (opens in new tab)).
The Playing For The Planet Alliance was launched in 2019 during the Climate Summit at UN Headquarters in New York in recognition that its alliance members reach “more than one billion video game players” combined. Members include Bandai Namco, Creative Assembly, Microsoft, Niantic, Sony, and Sega, amongst others.
The Green Game Jam itself saw Hay Day secure two awards, with other award winners including Riders Republic, Brawlhalla, June’s Journey, Imagine Earth, TerraGenesis, and Carbon Island.
Ubisoft’s seafaring adventure, Skull and Bones, popped up on the ESRB website (opens in new tab) rated “Mature” last week, adding credence to a recent rumor that Ubisoft is set to showcase Skull and Bones’ changes and improvements sometime in the week commencing July 4 (opens in new tab).
Beleaguered by setbacks and delays, Skull and Bones was originally revealed at E3 2017, and we’ve seen and heard surprisingly little since then beyond getting delay announcements in 2018 and then again in 2019.
Read up on our new games 2022 (opens in new tab) guide for a complete look at all the games launching over the next few months.
Gun violence awareness; Milwaukee events promote safety
Milwaukee events promote safety, gun violence awareness
With gun violence skyrocketing, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson declared asked people to wear orange throughout the weekend to raise awareness.
MILWAUKEE – With gun violence skyrocketing in Milwaukee, Mayor Cavalier Johnson declared Friday, June 3 National Gun Violence Awareness Day and asked people to wear orange throughout the weekend.
Saturday, photos of people who lost their lives to gun violence lined Sherman Boulevard.
“It’s really sad, and it’s hard because it’s really just a struggle when you just sit and think like: Wow, my son was killed,'” said Karin Tyler with Milwaukee’s Office of Violence Prevention.
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Tyler lost her son in 2011. He was shot and killed during a robbery at his apartment. June is a hard month for Tyler; her son’s birthday was June 8.
“It’s an emotional time for me, and I don’t think people realize the different things that moms or families have to go through after everything happens, even years after,” she said.
Photos of gun violence victims line Sherman Boulevard, part of “Wear Orange” weekend
How to reduce gun violence is a topic many people have opinions about.
“We want to be out here to show support to the families, to show support for the community, but to also distribute gun locks to promote firearm safety,” said Vaynesia Kendrick, an adolescent suicide community outreach specialist.
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About five miles south of Saturday’s event along Sherman, Adam Campbell works as the director of training for Brew City Shooter’s Supply.
“There’s a lot of people that have guns that don’t know anything about them, and they get most of their information from movies or the media,” Campbell said. “To reduce gun crime overall, if you’re just putting that question, posing it to me like that, I would say the key is education, training.”
Brew City Shooter’s Supply
Back on Sherman Boulevard, people held up signs and wore orange Saturday. The city’s Office of Violence Prevention said it will continue to offer outreach events.
“We’ll have different organizations out in all types of communities every weekend doing this work,” said Tyler.
The “Wear Orange” event started seven years ago to honor a Chicago teen who was shot and killed.
Opera Mariposa’s 2022 Benefit + Awareness Event – GlobalNews Events
Join Opera Mariposa’s award-winning artists for their 10th annual Benefit + Awareness event – all month, all online, and all for charity! Enjoy music, videos, artwork, shopping, and an international giveaway with over $3,500 in prizes – all in support of the high-risk chronic illness community and the ME | FM Society of BC. The event honours the International Awareness Month for chronic neuro-immune diseases like Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME, also known as ME/CFS) and Fibromyalgia (FM), and all proceeds up to the fundraising goal will be triple-matched – $10 becomes $30, and $100 becomes $300!
CMHA Grey Bruce event raises donations and awareness
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A recent barbeque, silent auction and games day raised more than $2,000 and brought mental health issues out into the daylight.
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The Canadian Mental Health Association Grey Bruce partnered with Playtime Casino in Hanover to kick-off mental health awareness month on May 2.
Jackie Ralph is a supervisor with CHMA who helped organize the event.
“Often when we are making a connection or responding to a question the first thing we say is I’m fine,” explained Ralph. “This month’s campaign is about expanding awareness and encouraging people to form a real connection: get real about how you feel.”
Ralph and other CMHA representatives were on-hand to talk about the get real campaign. Hamburgers and hotdogs were available for purchase. Silent auction items were donated by local businesses and displayed just inside the Playtime main entrance. Child-friendly games of skill and chance were also offered. All proceeds went directly to funding the local CMHA.
In Hanover alone, the CMHA offers 45 different programs, aiding those who struggle with mental health, addiction and other challenges. Twelve of those programs do not receive any government funding, which make events like this essential for the CMHA.
“Those struggling tend to withdraw,” said Ralph. Regardless of the specific program, one unifying goal of the CMHA is promoting empathy. “Sympathy is easier. Empathy takes more. Trying to understand how someone else sees things can help everyone move forward.”
Jennifer Sanderson works for Playtime and is part of a committee that uses casino resources to help give back to the community. Each month casino employees make suggestions on a charity to sponsor. In the Playtime lobby there is a donation box where visitors can leave casino vouchers, and these donations go directly to the charities suggested by Sanderson and other staff.
In June the voucher donations will go toward the Chapman House hospice in Owen Sound. The benefiting charity is displayed on the donation box. The casino also donates resources to help promote the charities, like hosting the CMHA Grey Bruce fundraising event.
To donate directly to the CMHA Grey Bruce visit www.greybruce.cmha.ca. To learn more about support programs or access help, visit the site or call 1-888-451-2642.
Use the hashtag #getreal to show support on social media.
Utah events, awareness day spark conversations to reduce stigma of mental health challenges
Labeled Fest, held between Thursday and Saturday in Salt Lake City, gave an opportunity for people to talk about mental illnesses during Mental Health Month in May. (Emily Ashcraft, KSL.com)
Estimated read time: 6-7 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — Many people are trying to normalize conversations about mental health and work towards ending a stigma around metal health that can sometimes keep people from getting needed support.
May is Mental Health Month, and is a good time for people to take some time to consider how they can help. Labeled Fest, which was held Thursday, Friday and Saturday, hosted many presentations geared toward normalizing mental health conversations and focusing on positive labels.
“Really mental health is a superpower, you know, and if we can all see that as a positive label instead of a negative label then we can all enhance the community around us,” Brian Higgins said.
Higgins is the creative director of Mental Healthy F.i.T., which stands for films, ideas and tips, the organization that hosted the event. It is a nonprofit advocacy organization that helps people tell their stories, whether they are about mental health issues or other challenges.
Labeled Fest is held once a year as a place for people who have been involved in the organization’s other events showcase things they have created or learned at workshops throughout the year, according to Higgins.
Higgins said that this event is designed to help people look at positive labels associated with mental health like “creative,” “empathetic” and “connection.” They chose to host the event at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts because of the connection between many artists and mental health.
He said statistics show that one-fifth of people have a diagnosed mental health issue, but that really everyone deals with mental health issues.
“Mental health affects us all,” Higgins said.
The organization also focuses on how to help those who are homeless, Higgins suggested that the easiest way to help homeless people is to smile and give the people some of your time. He said ignoring homelessness also means ignoring people. Higgins was homeless himself for more than 18 months, and said that homeless people are not very different from other people.
“Homelessness can happen to anybody,” he said.
At Labeled Fest, and throughout its other events, Mental Healthy F.i.T is creating kits for homeless people with small things like socks and toiletries and also cards with information about resources.
Higgins said that it is incredible to hold the event in person again.
“There’s just a real energy and a magic to getting people together for a common goal,” Higgins said.
Damon Talbot was involved in Labeled Fest and did a “performative slideshow” which was designed to show that accepting a situation or mental health condition can help improve a person’s outlook, which he said many people told him was inspiring. He is a member of Alliance House, which is a program in Salt Lake City to assist adults with mental illness lead productive lives.
He said a person with mental illness can be successful, even though they will have hard days.
Talbot said for many years after he was diagnosed with depression and bipolar disorder, he stayed home and would isolate and not talk to people, but after he accepted it, he was able to become part of the community again and meet others who were going through the same things. He said community events like Labeled Fest help people to realize that mental illnesses don’t need to ruin their lives.
“So many people that are going through mental illness … they don’t talk about it, so an event like this where you can be vulnerable, you can come out and talk about it is really impactful,” Talbot said.
He said it is important to remember that those with mental illness are like everybody else, they want connections and for people to reach out and acknowledge them. He said people don’t have to necessarily walk on eggshells around people with mental health concerns, but that it can be helpful to take time to learn about their challenges.
Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day
May is a month for mental health awareness, but more specifically, Saturday is a day to focus on awareness for children’s mental health. Gov. Spencer Cox declared the day Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day in Utah, and the day is also acknowledged nationally.
Rebecca Dutson, president and CEO of The Children’s Center Utah, said a big part of the day is reducing the stigma around mental health challenges that people, especially young people, face.
“I think we need to spend more time helping people understand that our very tiniest people, our little children have mental health. And they have mental health concerns,” Dutson said.
She said many people don’t stop to realize that infants, toddlers and preschoolers have mental health concerns, but that addressing these early can change the trajectory of that child’s life. She also said acknowledging the issue can lead to more solutions.
She said that parents should not hesitate, if they have a concern about their child’s mental health, to reach out to a physician, The Children’s Center Utah or other resources to get help for their child. She said that parents and caregivers know their children best, and can recognize when something is different, whether the child is more withdrawn or acting up.
“When you feel that something isn’t quite right, we encourage families to reach out to their pediatricians and begin a conversation,” Dutson said.
The Children’s Center Utah helps children between birth and 6 years old with mental health challenges. Dutson said their clinical team uses trauma-informed and evidence-based treatments that are individualized based on the specific child’s experience and needs.
Dutson said the last two years during the coronavirus pandemic have had an impact on everyone’s mental health; as children were pulled out of school, families were isolated and there were a lot of unknowns, it caused stress for adults, which can increase the mental health concerns for their children.
“I think one of the most important things is that, as families and as a society … we should be talking about it more. It’s foundational to our well-being,” Dutson said.
She said that there are times that everyone needs more help, and that families should normalize talking about mental health.
Suicide prevention concert
Utah performer Alex Boye is headlining what is billed as the state’s first-ever suicide prevention concert at 7 p.m. at the Maverik Center, continuing the focus on mental health. Tickets were free but distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
“Utah has the six highest suicide rate in the U.S.,” Boye said. “Music saved my life and I know it can do the same for others, which is why I do these concerts. Our concept is simple: Use these concerts to help build connections, healing and support in our community. This will be an unforgettable night that will feed your soul, and save lives; this is not just a concert … It is an experience.”
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