New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies

August 27, 2018

While apps, video games and social media offer several benefits, they could also have negative impacts on youths' mental health, as well as physical health if they interfere with sleeping and eating. Social media may lead to cyber bullying and, certainly, in-person bullying is a major concern for youths' emotional and social development. To provide information, strategies and resources for preventing and addressing these important mental health issues, the New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies, Inc. (NJAMHAA) and Attitudes In Reverse® (AIR™) will host their Sixth Annual National Suicide Prevention Day Conference, Back to School: Building Youths' Resiliency, on September 11, 2018, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Carrier Clinic, 252 County Route 601, Belle Mead, NJ. The event is co-sponsored by Carrier Clinic and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention - New Jersey Chapter.

"We are delighted to continue partnering with AIR to provide this life-saving information. This event is vitally important for faculty and staff in all levels of education, providers in the general and behavioral healthcare fields, parents and anyone else who interacts with youth," said Debra L. Wentz, PhD, President and CEO of NJAMHAA.

"Each year, our conference has attracted an increasing number of individuals. This is very heartening, as it demonstrates an increasing openness to talking about mental health and suicide prevention and individuals' commitment to help strengthen youths' mental health," said AIR Co-founders Tricia Baker, YMHFA, CPDT-KA, and Kurtis Baker, YMHFA, CFP®.

Prior to a presentation on bullying and a panel discussion on social media - both with mental health experts from throughout New Jersey - a keynote presentation, Safety Planning Intervention to Reduce Risk of Suicide, will be given by Barbara Stanley, PhD, Director, Suicide Prevention Training, Implementation and Evaluation Program, Center for Practice Innovations, New York State Psychiatric Institute; Professor of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University. Following the keynote address, AIR Co-founders Tricia and Kurt Baker will present on Words Matter: Changing the Language of Suicide to Eliminate Stigma.

The conference will end on an inspiring note with a performance by musician, rapper and actor T.O.N.E.-z, whose music is personal and mainly relates to his experiences as an abused child and the impact they had on his mental health.

For more details and to register, click here.