Status Conference Regarding the United States vs. Mississippi Mental Health Lawsuit
2023-04-26 10:00 (America/Chicago)
A virtual status conference regarding the third monitoring report in the United States vs. Mississippi mental health lawsuit is scheduled for April 26, 2023, at 10 AM.
The status conference scheduled will be conducted by Zoom. The public may join by clicking on the following link: https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1604234532?pwd=[REDACTED]

The Special Education Advisory Panel Meeting Notice
2023-04-26 10:00
The Special Education Advisory Panel
The Special Education Advisory Panel will meet online on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. via Zoom.
You may access the meeting either online or by phone.
Join Zoom Meeting Online: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83452343575?pwd=[REDACTED] Meeting ID: 834 5234 3575 Passcode: [REDACTED] Join Zoom Meeting by Phone: Dial by your location +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) One tap Mobile +13092053325,,83452343575#,,,,*[REDACTED]# Meeting ID: 834 5234 3575 Passcode: [REDACTED] The
The panel will hear public comments at 10:15 a.m. Written comments may be submitted to Sharon Coon, Mississippi Department of Education, P.O. Box 771, Jackson, Mississippi 39205-0771; email: scoon@mdek12.org; or call the Parent Hotline Number: 1-877-544-0408.
For more information, or if you need accommodations due to a disability, contact Sharon Coon at 601-359-3498.

Interagency Committee on Disability Research (ICDR) April Lunch & Learn Webinar: Disability Cultural Competence in Health Care
2023-04-26 11:00
Interagency Committee on Disability Research
As part of their Lunch & Learn webinar series, the Interagency Committee on Disability Research (ICDR) is hosting “Disability Cultural Competence in Health Care.” During this webinar, attendees will hear about research projects and findings related to disability cultural competence, access, and inclusion. At the end of the presentation, there will a 15-minute Q&A session.
Presenters:
Amanda Krupa, Director of Communications and Marketing, AHIMA Foundation
Arielle Silverman, Ph.D., Research Director, American Foundation for the Blind
Register here >>

Leadership Coaching and Policy Discussion
2023-04-26 12:00 - 13:00
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 >>

Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) – Where Do We Go From Here?
2023-04-27 11:00 - 12:30
There is growing recognition that unaddressed Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can greatly impact young people’s development and their future well-being. However, what is less well-known is that racism, oppression, and historical trauma have an enormous impact on ACEs and how they perpetuate in families and communities. If we truly want to promote healing from ACEs now and prevent ACEs in the future, then we must address the root causes of ACEs, including racism and oppression.
Please join the NTTAC in this upcoming session that explores preventing ACEs from an equitable and antiracist lens. This panel is co-hosted with PACEsConnection and honors lived experience.
Joining in this session will be a young adult with lived experience, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, and a community organizer. Together, the panelists will bring their varying perspectives to discuss the connection between ACEs and oppression and effective strategies for taking action. The panelists will explore barriers that make it challenging to address racism as a root cause of ACEs, and solutions for overcoming these challenges.
Register here >>

Strategies for Providing Whole Child Care: A Blueprint for Meeting Children’s Social Needs
2023-05-02 14:30 - 15:30
Manatt
Strong evidence suggests that investing in children’s social needs leads to long-term improvements in health, economic stability and resilience. Despite this growing body of research, stakeholders have historically prioritized addressing the health-related social needs (HRSN), also referred to as social drivers of health (SDOH), of adults with complex health issues due to the short-term return on investment (ROI). As programs to address nonmedical factors that impact health become more prevalent, the HRSN of children and youth are gaining greater attention.

In a new webinar, Manatt will facilitate a panel discussion with state and national leaders who are pioneering new ways to address the HRSN of children. Manatt’s Cindy Mann will then review the emerging opportunities for financing children’s HRSN interventions. The program will review recent developments and promising approaches for financing the HRSN of children, including 1115 waivers, “in lieu of services” (ILOS), and Children’s Health and Wellness Funds. Click here to register for this free program. Key topics include:

A panel discussion about the growing activity and interest in investments in the HRSN of children and youth
The factors that tend to limit investment in the HRSN of children and youth, including the long-term vs. short-term ROI for health plans, providers and state Medicaid agencies
The actions the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and states are taking to implement policy solutions—including examples of the latest waiver approvals—and how they are advancing new approaches to supporting the HRSN of children and youth
How Children’s Health and Wellness Funds offer a complementary or additional approach for financing HRSN initiatives for children, youth and their families

Even if you can’t make our live program on May 2, click here to register for the free webinar now and you’ll receive a link to view the program on demand.
Presenters

Moderator: Jocelyn Guyer, Senior Managing Directory
Panel of state and national innovators implementing new strategies for addressing HRSN of children and youth, including:

Cindy Mann, Partner, Manatt Health
Dr. Kara Walker, Executive Vice President and Chief Population Health Officer, Nemours Children’s Health
Steph Jarem, Director, Office of Health Policy, Oregon Health Authority

RSVP:
Click here to register free.
Register Now

Virtual Black Family Symposium 2023
2023-05-04 09:00 - 12:00
Mississippi Families for Kids
Mississippi Families for Kids is proud to invite you to the upcoming virtual Black Family Symposium.
This symposium is a chance for our community to come together to discuss issues affecting the Black community, make changes collectively, and prepare for the fall Black Family Summit.
Change starts at home and evolves as we ensure children have a voice in the change process. The symposium will provide an opportunity for individuals and professionals to become educated and equipped to change our community for the better. We will also be celebrating National Black Family Day during the symposium.
Register here >>
The registration fee is $25 for professionals, $10 for the community, and free for students. Social workers receive 2 CEUs for attending from Jackson State University. If you are a student, please register and skip the payment step.
For more information about the Black Family Symposium, contact acampbell@mffk.org.

IDEA Legal Update: Lessons Learned with Art Cernosia, Esq.
2023-05-04 11:00 - 12:30
The Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education
Join Art Cernosia, Esq. as he reviews the most important legal cases in special education and early intervention in the recent past. In addition to reviewing the cases, he will reflect upon what they may mean for the field and encourage your questions throughout. This webinar is open to everyone, including parents, state agencies, parent centers, and practitioners.
Register here >>

Drop In Family Support Time
2023-05-04 12:00
This hour is open for any family member to drop in for all or some of the time to share any concerns or get feedback from others about handling different situations. We ask anyone who stops by to respect the confidentiality of the group and not share anything discussed in the group outside of the group.
Does your school ever call and ask you to come pick up your child who has an IEP because your child is upset?
Has the school told you to take your child for an evaluation and not bring them back to school until you get an evaluation?
Do you ever wonder if your child needs an IEP? Does your child have an IEP and you wonder whether or not it is working?
If you said yes to any of these questions, or you have other questions about things going on in your child’s school, then come join us.
Register here >>

Family Connections: Navigating Family Support
2023-05-04 12:30
Hosted by the National Family Support Technical Assistance Center, “Family Connections” is a virtual community for parents and caregivers who support loved ones facing substance use and/or mental health challenges.
Families tell us they need credible resources, guidance on accessing help, and the opportunity to connect with others facing similar challenges. Monthly gatherings focus on a specific topic, provide tips and tools, and offer the opportunity to network with other families. Family Connections takes place the first Thursday of every month at 1:30 p.m. ET*. (*1:30pm ET/12:30pm CT/10:30am PT.)

On May 4th, Family Connections takes on “Navigating Family Support.”
The past few years have taken a toll on the mental health of many across the country, especially youth. In February of this year, the Center for Disease Control released new data showing that “mental health among students overall continues to worsen, with more than 40% of high school students feeling so sad or hopeless that they could not engage in their regular activities for at least two weeks during the previous year.“
We believe parents and caregivers are the subject matter experts when it comes to their own child. But being a subject matter expert also means we need to stay on top of new ideas, skills, and tools. There’s so much available online that it can be hard to discern what’s reliable and what’s not. We’ll introduce you to a new online resource created by leading mental health experts with evidence-based content — giving parents/guardians the knowledge and tools to support youth while strengthening their own mental health.
Learning Objectives:

Participants will learn how to find and access vetted, evidence-based resources on mental health and tools to support their families.
Participants will learn to couple their lived experience with education and knowledge as their children who experience/experienced mental health challenges enters different stages of development.
Acceptance Factor: By accessing reliable information, knowledge, and skills, parents and caregivers are better able to support, advocate, and act for their child at every stage of development.

Register here >>
This event is free and open to all families, parents, caregivers, and to the family workforce, organizations and communities that support them. You can also request No-Cost Technical Assistance or Training from NFSTAC at: www.nfstac.org/request-ta.
The National Family Support Technical Assistance Center of Excellence (COE) Grant #1H79F6000160-Fam-CoE is funded by SAMHSA. The National Family Support Technical Assistance Center is led by the National Federation of Families.

History of Children’s Mental Health Week
2023-05-08 12:00 - 13:00
Learn about how Children’s Mental Health Week was born!
Presenters: Barbara Huff, Founding Director of the National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health and Barb Scheidegger, Executive Director Missouri Families 4 Families.
Click Here to Register>>

System of Care Summit 2023
2023-05-09 - 2023-05-11
National Training and Technical Assistance Center for Child, Youth, and Family Mental Health
The National Center for Training and Technical Assistance on Child, Youth, and Family Mental Health (NTTAC) is pleased to announce a no-cost System of Care Virtual Summit (SOC Summit) on May 9-11, 2023.
The SOC Summit is an opportunity for all children’s mental health partners to reunite, renew, and re-energize their efforts to support children and young people with behavioral health needs, as well as their families.
Our virtual doors are open to anyone who is invested in the mental health and wellness of children, youth, and families.
Register here >>

Well Beyond Medicine: Implementing School-Based Behavioral Health Programs
2023-05-09 10:00 - 14:00
On Tuesday, May 9, 2023, Nemours Children’s Health will host a virtual convening focused on school-based behavioral health. Invitees will include national pediatric and behavioral health organizations, content experts, federal agency staff and officials, grantees of relevant federal programs, representatives of state and local agencies, philanthropic organizations, and other interested stakeholders. We will discuss implementation of the various school-based behavioral health provisions included in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (P.L. 117-159) and Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (P.L. 117-328).
Register here >>

Self-Care Practice for Youth and Advocates for Youth with Messages of Hope in Recovery from Youth with Lived Experiences
2023-05-09 12:00 - 13:00
Hear about the importance of strategies and self-reflection tools that can be used for managing self-care. Youth and young adults with broad lived experiences will share inspiring, impactful, and empowering messages of how incorporating self-care practices into their daily lives have supported and enhanced their personal recovery journey.
Presenters: Youth MOVE National
Click Here to Register >>

Supportive Coaching for Parents Supporting Other Parents
2023-05-10 12:00
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, 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 >>

Moving from Awareness to Acceptance: An Intimate Conversation with Karl and Kathy Dennis
2023-05-10 12:00 - 13:00
Join NFF as Karl and Kathy Dennis discuss their journey to create acceptance for all children and families through unconditional care and this approach’s positive social justice implications.

Presenters: Lynda Gargan, Ph.D. – Executive Director, National Federation of Families; Karl and Kathy Dennis, Pioneers and Advocates for Acceptance through Unconditional Care.

Click Here to Register >>

Advocacy Responds to Questions from Research Sites
2023-05-10 14:30 - 15:30
This 1-hour zoom meeting is a forum for the STARR community of sites to chat with mental health advocates from NAMI, National Federation of Families, and People USA. They’ll share tips on priority initiatives, activities that could use your help, and ideas for how your site can deepen your relationship with your local advocacy organizations.
Register here >>

Canopy Children’s Solutions - Children's Mental Health Summit
2023-05-11 - 2023-05-12
Canopy Children’s Solutions

Keynote Speakers:
Kimberly Noble, MD, PhD, is a Professor of Neuroscience and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. As a neuroscientist and board-certified pediatrician, she studies how socioeconomic inequality relates to children’s cognitive and brain development. Her work examines socioeconomic disparities in cognitive development, as well as brain structure and function, across infancy, childhood and adolescence.
She has funding from the NIH and more than a dozen private foundations, and is one of the principal investigators of Baby’s First Years, the first clinical trial of poverty reduction in the first three years of life.
Dr. Noble received her undergraduate, graduate and medical degrees at the University of Pennsylvania. She was the recipient of the Association for Psychological Science Janet Taylor Spence Award for Transformative Early Career Contributions, the American Psychological Association award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychology in the Public Interest, and is a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science. Her TED talk has received more than 2 million views to date, and her work has received worldwide attention in the popular press.
Piali Ghose is the Senior Director of the MICROSOFT Garage in Reston, VA. The Garage delivers programs and experiences to Microsoft employees, customers, and partners that drive collaboration, creativity, and experimentation. The Garage’s motto “doers, not talkers” continues to be the core of what they are. The Garage attracts people who are passionate about making a difference in the world. They are relentlessly curious and lifelong, hands-on learners. By actively participating in the creative process, regardless of success or failure, each person gets the opportunity to gain valuable insights, increase their knowledge, and learn diverse perspectives.
Piali has been with Microsoft since 2011 and lives in the D.C. area. She received an undergraduate degree from St. Xavier’s College and her master of science and master of business administration from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. In 2021, Piali received Microsoft’s Federal Consulting Stars & Stripes Manager Award. She is an advocate for animal welfare, children, economic empowerment and science and technology.
Register here >>

Steps for Success: Making IEP Meetings Work
2023-05-11 09:30 - 10:30
Mississippi Parent Training & Information Center Project
Do you often leave your child’s IEP meeting feeling as if your concerns were not heard or addressed and that nothing has changed? You may be missing one of the steps covered in this training. Join to learn how you can avoid some of the most common hurdles and how to have more productive IEP meetings and better outcomes for your child.
Register here >>

Mississippi Planning and Advisory Council
2023-05-11 10:00
State Agency: Department of Mental Health
Planning and Advisory meeting planned for May 11, 2023 at MS State Hospital at Whitfield Bldg. 56, 10am. This meeting will be in person and virtual.
Meeting Location-in person
Mississippi State Hospital 3550 Hwy. 468 W.
Bldg. 56
Whitfield MS. 39208
Contact Information
August Irving
601-359-6204
august.irving@dmh.ms.gov
Microsoft Teams meeting
Join on your computer, mobile app or room device
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Federal law specifies the duties of the Joint Mental Health Planning Councils.
>Duties include:

To review the Mental Health Block Grant Plan and to make recommendations;
To serve as an advocate for adults with serious mental illness, children with a serious emotional disturbance, and other individuals with mental illnesses; and
To monitor, review, and evaluate, not less than once each year, the allocation and adequacy of mental health services within the State.

Click here for notice information.

Procedural Safeguards
2023-05-11 11:00 - 12:00
Mississippi Parent Training & Information Center Project
Procedural safeguards may seem like a dry topic, with long explanations and terms that are confusing or hard to understand to your family. Why are procedural safeguards important and how will they help your child? Procedural safeguards are the rights that protect you. When you know your rights, you’re able to be an equal participant in your child’s educational process and you know what to do when something isn’t working.
Register here >>

What Oxford University Research says about Youth Peer Support
2023-05-11 12:00 - 13:00
Hear from youth about the importance of peers helping peers and what the research shows to support that message.
Presenter: Martin Rafferty – Youth ERA
Click Here to Register >>

The Nonprofit Social Sector Leadership Dilemma: How to Identify and Develop New Leaders for Tomorrow’s Challenges
2023-05-11 12:00 - 13:00
Social Current is proud to host this webinar presented by our Strategic Industry Partner, DCM Associates.
It is vitally important to identify the key strategic goals you face, identify the competencies and skills needed to address them, and identify mentors and coaches within your organization to develop your emerging leaders for tomorrow. It is also important for your current leaders to learn new competencies as well.
This motivational and educational webinar will enable you to learn: * How to proactively identify and develop new leaders within your organization. * How to identify the competencies and skills that they will need to be successful. * How to create a professional leadership development plan for your entire organization.
Register here >>

Many Pathways to Children’s Mental Health
2023-05-12 12:00 - 13:00
Pat Hunt – FREDLA – What does the research say about Family to Family Peer Support?
Susan Stearns – NAMI- What does Parent Peer support look like in implementation?
Hugh Davis – Wisconsin Family Ties – A call to action from lived experience!

Click Here to Register >>

Peer Support Training
2023-05-15 08:30 - 2023-05-19 16:30
Are you a parent or caregiver raising or 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 who is on the same journey?
Then being a parent peer supporter may be for you!
What is Parent Peer Support? Parent peer support is a parent/caregiver or using their lived experience to support another parent/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:

May 15-19, 2023 – Virtual Training (Application Deadline: April 14, 2023)

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.

Mississippi Autism Advisory Committee
2023-05-16 10:00
The Mississippi Autism Advisory Committee
The Mississippi Autism Advisory Committee (MAAC) was created by House Bill 11252 (2011 Regular Session) as the Legislature recognized an urgent need for strategies on how to best identify, treat, educate, accommodate and employ people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and assist their families. The MAAC’s mission is “to study, make recommendations and develop a strategic plan on how best to educate and train students with ASD to maximize their potential productivity within the workforce … and to develop an annual plan” outlining these strategies. The MAAC is tasked with writing a report to the legislature outlining any roadblocks to creating meaningful progress in the areas of mental health, education, medical and employment for people with ASD and their families.
Click here for notice information.

Meeting Location-in person
Department of Mental Health
239 North Lamar Street Robert E. Lee Bldg.
Jackson, MS. 39201
Contact Information
Pamela Harkins
601-359-5777
pamela.harkins@dmh.ms.gov

CoE-IHS Webinar: Part 2- Rural Telehealth for Youth in Schools & Beyond
2023-05-16 13:00 - 14:00
Due to structural urbanism, rural areas often face a shortage of mental health & medical professionals, limited access to healthcare facilities, and long travel distances to receive care. Children and youth in rural, frontier and tribal communities have been particularly impacted by this limitation in access to equitable health care, especially as the need for youth mental health has increased in recent years.
Telehealth and mobile health are tools that can address the healthcare disparities that exist in rural communities, specifically to offer support for children and youth in schools as the national youth mental health crisis continues. For children and youth who live in rural, frontier and tribal communities, telehealth and mobile health can be a lifeline by addressing health disparities and bringing care directly to those who need it most.
Join us for Part 2 of our rural telehealth webinar series, Rural Telehealth for Youth in Schools & Beyond, on Tues. May 16, 2-3 p.m. ET to learn more and share your ideas. In this session, experts will discuss how their organization is working to address structural urbanism for youth in rural communities by leveraging integrated telehealth services across the state of Texas.
Register here >>

NAMI Mississippi’s 2023 State Conference
2023-05-18 - 2023-05-19
Theme – “Steps to Crisis Intervention”
May 18-19, 2023
Hilton Jackson
1001 E. County Line Rd.
Jackson, MS 39211
Register here>>
Includes lunch and CEs.
NAMI MS in Partnership with Combined Human Support Services, Inc. to provide Social Work CEs (15 general, 1 ethics, 1 cultural diversity).
Teacher CEs: Approved by the Office of Continuing Education at Mississippi College for .6 Continuing Education Units for Day I and .9 CEUs for attending both Day I & II.
[DMH CEs being applied for.]
Discounts for existing active NAMI members and peers (members with a mental health condition) are now available. Details will be sent via email to the membership list and to the NAMI Mississippi affiliates.
Send questions to stateconference@namims.org.

Virtual: Bring Your IEP and Other School Questions
2023-05-18 12:00
This hour is open for any family member to drop in for all or some of the time to ask questions or get feedback about IEP issues and other school situations. We ask anyone who stops by to respect the confidentiality of the group and not share anything discussed in the group outside of the group.

Does your school ever call and ask you to come pick up your child who has an IEP because your child is upset?

Has the school told you to take your child for an evaluation and not bring them back to school until you get an evaluation?

Do you ever wonder if your child needs an IEP? Does your child have an IEP and you wonder whether or not it is working?

If you said yes to any of these questions, or you have other questions about things going on in your child’s school, then come join us.

Register here >>

"ACCEPT. ADVOCATE. ACT. Parents Talk About Children's Mental Health"
2023-05-18 12:00 - 13:30
A national dialogue about the importance of children’s mental health to advance social justice for families.
Register here >>
