Webinar to Support Youth in Crisis: Addressing Mental Health and Housing Instability

 

Many adults living in poverty today would be in better circumstances if they had had stronger supports when they were young.

Conversely, many of today’s young people will find themselves living lives of economic instability if they don’t have the community, support network, and resources to guide them through critical junctures.

In our state, 249,085 children live in poverty. An additional 444,494 children live in households that are barely above the poverty threshold and yet do not make enough to afford a survival household budget. On top of this, youth in our state are affected by mental health concerns at a disproportionate rate, and they often lack access to the mental health supports they need. 30% of Indiana youth have a mental, emotional, developmental or behavioral problem, which is 5% higher than the national rate. For children who needed support from a mental health provider, 48.7% experienced difficulty in accessing care, and 7.2% of children could not obtain care at all. The assumption is that school counselors could fill a mental health provider gap for youth; however, the student-to-counselor ratio in Indiana is 694 to 1 – a significant capacity issue when the American School Counselor Association recommends a student-to-counselor ratio of 250 to 1.

So what can we do now to support our next generation?

Join us for a free webinar on Oct. 29 to learn best practices to support today’s young people who find themselves faced with homelessness, food insecurity, and mental health struggles.

The CTS Faith & Action Project webinar Support Youth in Crisis: Addressing Mental Health and Housing Instability on Oct. 29 will inspire and help leaders, congregations, organizations, and individuals understand how to walk alongside young people in moments and circumstances that will shape their future.

• Topics to be addressed include:
• The role mental health plays in poverty
• Becoming an effective ally for youth
• Ensuring that “help” doesn’t do more harm than good
• Best practices for creating safe and inclusive spaces for LGBTQ+ youth
• Balancing immediate needs with long-term impact

The webinar complements the Nov. 12 CTS Faith & Action Fall Event, featuring Rev. Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, III, a veteran pastor and community advocate whose hopeful message will offer insights into ways organizations, faith communities, and individuals can partner support low-income youth in their journey for educational attainment, overall well-being, and daily stability.