WQED and Well Beings to host virtual event on youth mental health on March 10
Live Panel Discussion Will Engage Local Mental Health Experts, Parents, Teachers and Students on the Topic of Youth Mental Health
Nationwide Well Beings Tour Makes 11th Stop in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
What:
Well Beings and WQED, in partnership with National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Keystone PA and several Pittsburgh area school districts, will host a live virtual event and panel discussion – entitled “Healthy Connections: Teens, Parents, Educators, and Mental Health” – to explore specific tools that will help parents and teens find common grounds and understanding, while offering guidance to educators in recognizing signs of mental illness in students.
Most teenagers agree that expressing their emotions is difficult – especially in conversations with their parents. And when asked what most parents get wrong, young people usually point to parents who minimalize the mental health experiences of their children. That disconnection can lead to delayed treatment, worsening symptoms, and emotional crises.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, more teens are now finding help in an unexpected way: through social media and similar platforms. Virtual therapy has become a lifeline – especially for teens whose parents are unable or unwilling to connect with them on the issue of mental health.
Who :
Susan Caban, Director of Education, NAMI Keystone Pennsylvania
Nicholas Emeigh , Director of Outreach & Development, NAMI Bucks County, PA
LemLem Gamble , Student, Washington and Jefferson College
Elle Snyder , Student, Upper Saint Clair High School
Beth Dolinar , Documentary & Digital Content Producer, WQED Multimedia (moderator)
When :
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10 • 5:00 PM EST
Where :
About Well Beings
Well Beings is a multi-platform, multi-year campaign from public media to address the critical health needs in America through original broadcast and digital content, engagement campaigns, and impactful local events. The campaign begins with the Youth Mental Health Project, engaging youth voices to create a national conversation, raise awareness, address stigma and discrimination, and encourage compassion. Well Beings was created by WETA Washington, D.C., the flagship public media station in the nation’s capital, and brings together partners from across the country, including youth with lived experience, families, caregivers, teachers, medical and mental health professionals, social service agencies, private foundations, filmmakers, corporations and media sponsors, to create awareness and resources for better health and wellbeing.
About WQED
WQED was an experiment in educational community-supported television that was the forerunner to PBS. Today, WQED is a multimedia powerhouse that is as much a part of Pittsburgh as the three rivers. WQED is WQED-TV (PBS); WQED World; WQED Create; WQED Showcase; WQED PBS KIDS Channel; Classical WQED-FM 89.3/Pittsburgh; Classical WQEJ-FM 89.7/Johnstown; the Pittsburgh Concert Channel at WQED-HD2 (89.3-2FM) and online at www.wqed.org/fm; local and national television and radio productions; WQED Interactive (www.wqed.org) and WQED Education (www.wqed.org/edu).
About NAMI Keystone Pennsylvania
NAMI Keystone Pennsylvania is the state organization in Pennsylvania for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the largest grassroots mental health organization in the country. NAMI Keystone Pennsylvania is a 501(c)(3) grassroots, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children, adolescents, adults, and families affected by mental illness through recovery-focused support, education, and advocacy. More information is available at www.namikeystonepa.org or by calling (412) 366-3788.
