Families as Allies

Community Health Fair & Back to School Bash
2025-07-19 09:00 - 13:00 (America/Chicago)
Southside Missionary Baptist Church
Join Southside Missionary Baptist Church for their Community Health Fair & Back to School Bash on Saturday, July 19, 2025, from 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM at 100 Nashville Ferry Road E., Columbus, MS 39702
This family-friendly event will feature:

Free school supplies and backpacks (while supplies last)
Free health screenings and wellness resources
Hygiene kits and dental care items
Vision and medical services are available on-site

Get your family ready for a healthy and prosperous school year—all in one place!

Back to School Book Bag Drive
2025-07-18 12:00
Community Action of South Mississippi
Community Action of South Mississippi invites families to their Back to School Book Bag Drive on Friday, July 18, 2025, at 12 noon, located at 500 24th Street, Gulfport, MS 39507.

Each child will receive a free backpack filled with school supplies
A brown bag lunch will be provided with each backpack
Note: Children must be present to receive supplies
Distribution will take place while supplies last

Come early and get your student ready for a successful school year!For more information, contact Community Action of South MS.

Back to School Bash
2025-07-17 16:00 - 20:00
Roof Above Resilience
Roof Above Resilience, The Heart of the Panthers, and Future Leaders of Tomorrow invite you to the Back to School Bash — a fun-filled, family-friendly community celebration happening July 17, 2025, at the Ben Barrett Community Center in Lumberton, MS.
Join us from 4 PM to 8 PM for:

A School Supplies Bazaar & Giveaway to help kids start the school year strong
Food vendors and fun games the whole family will enjoy
Music and entertainment to keep the energy high

Whether you’re a parent, student, vendor, or supporter, this event is the perfect way to celebrate the season and uplift the community.
Location: 764 E Main Ave, Lumberton, MS 39455Contact: 769-218-8609 or roofaboveresilience@gmail.com to become a sponsor or vendor.
Let’s empower our future leaders together!

Una Probadita de Cafe
2025-07-16 18:00 - 19:30
Be Strong Families
Nuestra serie Una Probadita de Café le ofrece una vista previa de Cafés: ¡las conversaciones estructuradas y de grupos pequeños internacionalmente conocidas de Cafés: Be Strong Families! Únase a nosotros para una sesión gratuita en la que podrá participar en conversaciones entre pares que transforman, sanan y fortalecen a las familias.
Regístrate aquí

Act With Hope: Engagement Anywhere
2025-07-15 14:00
National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Join the National Council for Mental Wellbeing on July 15 for a webinar exploring effective strategies for embedding peer support into telehealth environments, fostering collaboration with clinical teams, and building strong virtual workplaces.
Register here>>

Parent Caregiver Peer Support
2025-07-14 - 2025-07-18
Are you a parent or caregiver raising a child aged 0-21 who has mental health or behavioral health challenges? Would you like to use your lived experience to help another parent on the same journey?

Then, being a parent peer supporter may be for you!

What is Parent-Peer Support? Parent-peer support is when a parent or caregiver uses their lived experience to support another parent or caregiver who is going through similar experiences.

Who Can Be a Parent Peer Supporter? A parent-peer supporter is a biological parent, adoptive parent, or caregiver with legal custody who is currently raising or has raised a child with these characteristics:

The child is currently between the ages of 0-21, or was when they first began having challenges.
The child has an emotional, social, behavioral, or substance use disability.
The child received services in or navigated the mental health or a related system (for example, a child with an IEP related to behavior issues at school).

How Do I Become a Parent Peer Supporter? The Department of Mental Health certifies parent-peer supporters in the mental health system.
Upcoming training:

July 14-18, 2025

Click here for the application packet.

Who Should Take the Training?
Any parent or caregiver who is raising a child who has challenges and:

Is interested in working for a community mental health center or another agency certified by the Department of Mental Health. Completing the training does not guarantee you a job, but it helps ensure you’ll be ready for one.
Is interested in doing part-time contractual work for Families as Allies. We are building our pool of contractual employees.
Supports parents in any system. This training will strengthen your skills and help you network with other parent-peer supporters.
Would like to learn how to support other parents in the same shoes in any child-serving system. We currently have funds to pay training stipends to parents who are—or have been—involved in the youth court system and would like to learn how to support other parents going through the same thing. Contact us at 601-355-0915 or info@faams.org to learn more.

Can’t make this Parent/Caregiver Peer Support Training?
Our upcoming training dates are below:

September 15-19, 2025
November 17-21, 2025
January 12-16, 2026
March 16-20, 2026
May 11-15. 2026

Marion County Education & Health Fair
2025-07-12 11:00 - 14:00
United Way Southeast Mississippi

Join us for the second annual Marion County Education & Health Fair on Saturday, July 12, from 11 AM to 2 PM at the Marion County BusinessPlex (182 Partnership Way, Columbia). Enjoy a day filled with community connections, helpful resources, and engaging activities focused on promoting education and health for everyone.

A Splash of Summer: Vitality Café
2025-07-11 12:00 - 13:30
Be Strong Families
Our A Taste of Café series gives you a preview of Cafés—Be Strong Families’ internationally known, structured, small group conversations! Join us each Friday at 12:00 pm CT for a free session where you can take part in peer-to-peer conversations that facilitate transformation, healing, and strength within families.
Register here>>

An Easy Breezy Ice Cream Social
2025-07-10 10:00 - 14:00
NAMI
NAMI Central Mississippi invites you to an Easy Breezy Ice Cream Social on July 10, 2025, at Hinds Behavioral Health Services in Jackson, MS.
Come cool down, grab a sweet treat, and connect with local NAMI members in a fun and relaxed setting. Whether you’re a new supporter or a longtime friend, this is an excellent opportunity to learn more about mental health resources and the NAMI community.
Date: Thursday, July 10, 2025Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PMLocation: 3450 Hwy 80 West, Jackson, MS 39209Contact: centralms@namims.org
Let’s build community and raise awareness together—one scoop at a time!
Register here>>

A Splash of Summer: Vitality Café
2025-07-09 18:00 - 19:30
Be Strong Families
No practice runs. No pause button. Just you, your child, and a world that’s moving at full speed. Whether you’re navigating toddler tantrums, tween eye-rolls, or teen tech obsessions, one thing is clear: this is not a drill—this is parenting in real time!
Register here>>

Supportive Coaching for Parents Supporting Other Parents
2025-07-09 12:00 - 13:00
For any parents supporting other parents in any system. Parent peer support specialists, parent consultants, parent educators, and parents who have completed parent peer support training are strongly encouraged to attend. We will discuss current trends in parent peer support, national standards for parent peer support, continuing education opportunities, and local and state issues affecting parent peer support. The group also provides support and coaching for any specific issues participants share. Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month at 12 noon. We ask that anyone attending respect the confidentiality of the group.
Register here >>

Act With Hope: Community Engagement Approaches
2025-07-01 12:00
National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Community plays an integral role in recovery. People recovering from substance use challenges thrive when they are able to connect to support within their own community. Join the National Council for Mental Well being for this webinar, which will explore key strategies for integrating peer recovery support specialists (PRSSs) into community-based environments.
Register here>>

Bring mental health awareness to youth - Say it Out Loud
2025-06-30 12:00 - 13:00
NAMI
If you are looking for programming for your school or youth organization, NAMI Say It Out Loud is a dynamic program that gets your youth involved and talking about mental health.
This is a program for youth by youth. Your youth will learn real-world skills by conducting the NAMI Say It Out Loud program in your organization.

To learn more, please attend this info session. You will see the NAMI Say It Out Loud program presented by our Open Up MS youth and how you can bring this program to your organization.Say It Out Loud is an educational program aimed at informing the community about how mental illnesses affect youth and young adults.

Raising awareness by sharing information and starting conversations about mental health is key in reducing the negative perceptions and stigmatizing beliefs about mental illness. It is our hope that these presentations will increase the likelihood that teens will seek mental health care when they need it.

Register here>>

SMI TTAC Virtual Training: Peer Support for SMI During Care Transitions
2025-06-30 12:00
Serious Mental Illness Training and Technical Assistance Center
Join the Serious Mental Illness Training and Technical Assistance Center (SMI TTAC) for a webinar focused on peer support during care transitions for those experiencing serious mental illness (SMI).
Register here>>

Backpack Giveaway
2025-06-28 10:00 - 12:00
Blessing Box Flowood
Join Blessing Box Flowood for a Backpack Giveaway at the G. Chastaine Flynt Memorial Library in Flowood on Saturday, June 28th. This free community event will take place from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, and backpacks will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Children must be present to receive a backpack.
Donations are Needed! Please support this effort by donating supplies. Visit the Blessing Box Flowood Facebook Page for more details.
Let’s help local families get ready for a great school year!

NAMI Hearts & Minds - Lunch & Learn
2025-06-26 12:00 - 13:00
NAMI
Join NAMI on June 26 at noon for a virtual Lunch & Learn – NAMI Hearts & Minds.
This session will focus on the importance of your social connections on your mental health.
NAMI Hearts+Minds is a wellness program designed to educate and empower you to manage your health better, mentally and physically.
Register here>>

Progress Through Partnership: Understanding IEP and IFSP Goals
2025-06-26 11:30 - 12:00
Mississippi Parent Training & Information Center Project
Join the Mississippi Partner Training & Information Center Project as they talk about how you can actively create meaningful academic, behavioral, and functional goals for your child. We’ll break down what makes a strong, educational goal, go over the different parts of a goal, and share tips on how to suggest goals that matter to you and your family during the IEP or IFSP process.
Register here>>

BSF Parent Cafes
2025-06-26 09:00
Be Strong Families
If you ever needed a place to learn how to keep families strong—this is it! This information session will give you a complete overview of the Be Strong Families’ Parent Cafés and the process of how to make them a part of your parent outreach.
Register here>>

Leadership Coaching and Policy Discussion
2025-06-25 12:00
Families as Allies
This group focuses on understanding current policy issues and also opportunities for leadership training graduates to serve on decision-making committees. Leadership training graduates are strongly encouraged to attend, but the meetings are open to anyone who is interested in learning more about policy.
Register here>>

Fostering Collaborative Partnerships: Lessons from Primary and Behavioral Healthcare Associations
2025-06-24 13:00
National Council for Mental Wellbeing
The National Association of Community Health Centers, the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, and John Snow, Inc. will host a webinar showcasing best practices and lessons learned in forging sustainable, effective partnerships throughout the Delta Center Initiative. Past grantees will join a panel discussion about their partnership journeys to improve the integration of primary care and behavioral health care.
Register here>>

Emotional CPR: An Evidence-Based Support for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness and Serious Emotional Disorder and Their Families
2025-06-23 13:30
National Federation of Families
Emotional CPR is an educational program that teaches the skills to assist others through an emotional crisis through Connecting, emPowering, and Revitalizing. SAMHSA has included Emotional CPR as an evidence-based mental health awareness training program that can be useful for healthcare professionals, peers support specialists, and clinicians. Individuals living with serious mental illness (SMI) or serious emotional disturbance (SED) tend to experience more frequent instances of emotional crisis than others. The behavioral health and healthcare providers, school staff, employers, friends, and family members of individuals with SMI and SED can learn strategies and tools to support them in these moments of crisis by completing the Emotional CPR training.
Register here>>

NAMI Smarts - Advocacy Day Lunch and Learn
2025-06-23 12:00 - 13:00
NAMI
NAMI Smarts for Advocacy is a skill-building training that helps people affected by mental health conditions turn their passion and lived experience into skillful grassroots advocacy.
A NAMI Smarts workshop engages participants in hands-on learning to build and strengthen skills to engage in issue advocacy. Whether someone is new to advocacy or has years of experience, people will leave the workshop with messages, step-by-step tools and the practice they need to feel ready to make a difference.
This training is free to NAMI members. Not a member, please consider becoming a member with your local affiliate https://www.nami.org/About-NAMI/Join-NAMI
Register here>>

Free Summer Youth Leadership Camp!
2025-06-23 08:00 - 2025-06-27 17:00
MS Families for Kids
Christ United Church is hosting a free Youth Leadership Camp for students aged 11-16 from June 23 to June 27. The camp runs daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 6000 Old Canton Road, Jackson, MS. This exciting program aims to help participants develop essential life skills, evaluate real-life situations, and make positive choices while fostering meaningful connections. With limited spaces, early registration is encouraged to ensure a spot in this enriching summer experience.
Register here>>

2025 Mississippi Early Childhood Education Conference
2025-06-23 - 2025-06-26
Mississippi Head Start Association
The Mississippi Early Childhood Conference celebrates the dedication and collaborative spirit of families, educators, and community advocates working to create a brighter future for young learners. As part of the Mississippi Early Childhood Education Conference, this gathering highlights the importance of partnership in supporting children’s development. Attendees can look forward to inspiring stories, opportunities to connect, and meaningful conversations that underscore the transformative impact of working together for Mississippi’s children and families.
Register here>>

Board of Mental Health Meeting
2025-06-19 09:00
Department of Mental Health

The Department of Mental Health Regular Board meeting will be held on June 18, 2026, at 9:30 am.
Click here for notice information.

Meeting Location

1937 Briar Ridge Road
Tupelo MS 38804

Board of Mental Health Meeting
2025-06-19 09:00
Department of Mental Health

The Department of Mental Health Regular Board meeting will be held on April 16, 2026, at 9:30 a.m.
Click here for notice information.

Meeting Location

Virtually from the Central Office

Board of Mental Health Meeting
2025-06-19 09:00
Department of Mental Health

The Department of Mental Health Regular Board meeting will be held on March 19, 2026, at 9:30 am.
Click here for notice information.

Meeting Location

3550 Highway 468 West
Whitfield MS 39193

Board of Mental Health Meeting
2025-06-19 09:00
Department of Mental Health

The Department of Mental Health Regular Board meeting will be held on September 18, 2025, at 9:30 am.
Click here for notice information.

Meeting Location

823 MS 589
Purvis MS 39475

Board of Mental Health Meeting
2025-06-19 09:00
Department of Mental Health

The Department of Mental Health Regular Board meeting will be held on August 21, 2025, at 9:30 am.
Click here for notice information.

Meeting Location

This meeting will be held virtually.
