EYN to host youth mental health first aid, Resiliency Rising Conference in coming weeks

Empower Youth Network (EYN) will present the Third annual Resilience Rising Conference on Friday, March 3.

This virtual, free event will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and includes a full agenda of speakers presenting on topics related to building resilience and becoming a trauma-informed community. This conference, held in conjunction with Resilience Month, is open to everyone including educators, social service providers, youth mentors and parents.

Resilience Month highlights the ways in which our community can engage and support each other. The cities of North Bend, Snoqualmie, Carnation, and Duvall, as well as the Riverview and Snoqualmie Valley School Districts, have joined in proclaiming March as Resilience Month.

The Resilience Rising Conference, led by EYN Executive Director Laura Smith, includes Introductory, Advanced and Wild Card tracks for participants to choose from, including a Spanish language track of sessions, and interpretation for the two keynote presentations.

Up to five Washington State OSPI-approved Clock Hours are available for this event if desired. Most workshops will be recorded and available for viewing by ticket-holders for 3 months following the conference.

Topics covered at the Resilience Rising Conference include supporting the development of resilience in youth, healing through story-telling, and strategies to overcome race-based trauma. Newcomer to this year’s conference is James Whitfield of Be Culture, who joins returning presenter Luis Ortega of Storytellers for Change.

“We are excited to be able to offer this free opportunity for educators, community members, and parents to join together in building their personal resilience as well as their ability to support building resilience in others,” said EYN Executive Director Laura Smith.

Registration open for free Youth Mental Health First Aid workshop for adults

Empower Youth Network is hosting a Youth Mental Health First Aid workshop on Saturday, February 25 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the EYN office (31951 West Bird Street in Carnation).

Youth Mental Health First Aid is a free, one-day workshop designed for adults who regularly interact with young people. The course introduces common mental health challenges for youth, reviews typical adolescent development, and teaches a 5-step action plan for how to help young people in both crisis and non-crisis situations.

Topics covered include anxiety, depression, substance use, disorders in which psychosis may occur, disruptive behavior disorders (including AD/HD), and eating disorders.

This class is led by M’Liss Moon, Youth Resilience and Community Resources Coordinator at Empower Youth Network and Rachel Tomczek, a registered nurse and certificated school nurse with 21 years of experience. To benefit fully from this training, attendees of the workshop are required to complete a 2-hour self-paced online training, 48 hours prior to the virtual workshop.

Details and registration information: YMHFA2-25-23.eventbrite.com