National Center for Youth Issues, a Chattanooga-based, youth development group, in conjunction with the Hamilton County Schools, will host the 11th Annual Healthy Choices for Youth - Chattanooga Summit at Christ United Methodist Church in East Brainerd on Friday. Dave Opalewski will be the featured speaker.
Mr. Opalewski is president of Grief Recovery Inc., in Saginaw, Mi., and a certified death and dying and suicide prevention instructor in the Teacher Education and Professional Development Department of Central Michigan University. He is also a certified support group facilitator and child trauma specialist. Mr. Opalewski is the author of Confronting Death in the School Family and Answering the Cry for Help: Suicide Prevention for Schools and Communities, as well as other books on these topics.
Mr. Opalewski’s presentation at the Chattanooga Summit will be Suicide and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Prevention, Intervention and Postvention. This session will explore:
The prevalence of and the difference between these self-destructive behaviors
How to distinguish between suicidal (lethal) and non-suicidal (non-lethal) behaviors
Learn a three step process used in working with a suicidal person (why and how)
Discover coping techniques which can be taught to someone who is self-injurious
Learn how to help parents appropriately support a suicidal or self-injurious child
Dispel misconceptions associated with suicidal and self-injurious behaviors
Explore risk factors for youth who self-injure
Discuss postvention (creating healing/encouraging school environments in response to these issues).
Joining Mr. Opalewski will be Andrea Burston, form Raleigh, N.C., who will lead a session titled: Technology Toolbox for Student Services Professionals.
Both of these speakers routinely present at events around the country.
The Summit will provide professional development training for 150+ school counselors, social workers and other student support professionals in 95 Hamilton County public and private schools. Fifteen local youth agencies and sponsors will also have exhibits at the event to share the programs and services they have to offer.
In addition to training, participating schools will be given $250 in counseling resources to supplement their school’s library of materials available to help counselors and social workers.
Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union is the lead corporate sponsor of the event and they join the Weldon F. Osborne Foundation and Hamico, Inc as major foundation supporters. The Hamilton County Department of Education is also contributing support. As well, several other corporations and foundations have joined numerous local residents to fund the training and resources for the schools.
For more information on the 2016 Healthy Choices for Youth Chattanooga Summit, call Robert Rabon at National Center for Youth Issues at 309-4300.
The Healthy Choices for Youth - Chattanooga Summit will be held Friday from 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at Christ United Methodist Church in East Brainerd.