MERRILLVILLE | About 19 percent of Indiana high school students have considered attempting suicide in the past year and almost 14 percent made a plan about how they would commit suicide, according to 2011Youth Risk Behavior survey.
In an effort to help youth workers address mental health issues among the children they serve, the Indiana Youth Institute is hosting a forum Tuesday in Merrillville that will explore how to better connect with children in crisis and get them care.
The forum will run from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, at the Geminus building, 8400 Louisiana St.
As part of IYI’s Youth Worker Café program, the forum is free and lunch will be served, but reservations are required by today. To make a reservation, email Eric Evans of the Geminus Corporation at eric.evans@geminus.org or call (219) 757-1883. Reservations may also be made by contacting IYI Northwest Indiana Field Representative Steven Gill via text at (219) 314-9516 or email at sgill@iyi.org.
The forum will discuss the Mental Health First Aid USA program that can help youth workers identify, understand and respond to mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders.
The forum will feature Albert Gay, project coordinator for the Communities that Care initiative for the Prevention Department of the Geminus Corporation. Gay also is a minister who has worked as a behavioral specialist with troubled youth.
He will provide an overview of the Mental Health First Aid USA training course and certification, which is designed to introduce participants to risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems, build understanding of how mental health issues impact the community and provide an overview of common treatments.
Youth Worker Cafés are designed to bring together local youth workers to build relationships and inspire collaborations that will benefit children. This Youth Worker Café is made possible by the collaborative efforts of Geminus Corporation and IYI.
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