Mental Health Matters

A Community Approach To Overcoming The Childhood Mental Health Crisis

Long before the declaration of a national emergency in child and adolescent mental health, Starr Commonwealth and our supporters understood a key fact of building resilience: it takes a village. Alongside fellow changemakers and friends new and old, our new series seeks to increase awareness of the emergency and the individual and multi-generational impact it carries. In each session, our expert panelists offer a diverse range of practical solutions to child advocates and practitioners across the country—sharing not only their expertise but empowering action.

“We’ve always cherished our partners,” said Starr Commonwealth President and CEO Elizabeth Carey. “Our collective efforts have not only prepared us all to spread awareness of our current crisis, but now allow us to piece together this puzzle in a way that empowers the general community. I am grateful for the opportunity to spread hope, and honor our responsibility to children and families across the globe.”

Each learning experience is free of charge, presented live, and offered on-demand at a later date to ensure all have an opportunity to participate. After all, we all have a role to play in breaking barriers to success for future generations.

March 2023: Features a conversation among a powerful group of education professionals, each bringing their own unique experiences to the field of education and, specifically, culturally responsive teaching.

January 2023: Healthcare professionals from Oaklawn and Dr. Caelan Soma discuss the critical role the medical field plays in overcoming the national mental health emergency in children.

April 2023: A conversation with Summit Pointe, a county-level community mental health provider, about how their new First Step Program, community partnerships, and work with local school districts is expanding Calhoun County’s continuum of care and increasing access to critical emergency and preventative services.

May 2023: Panelists share their expertise at creating learning spaces and experiences that strengthen the neural framework, behaviors, and educational outcomes of children ages 0-5. They provide recommendations and share the many success stories of the children they serve.