The Naomi Ruth Cohen Institute for Mental Health Education (NRCI) at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (TCSPP) will devote its 16th annual Community Mental Health Conference to the mental health of children.

Titled, ” Raising Resilient Children: Prioritizing their Mental Health ,” the conference will be held on Sunday, June 4, at the Beth Emet Synagogue in Evanston, and will address several key issues impacting youth and families today. The conference is open to the public and mental health professionals . The conference is sponsored in part by the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago and its affiliates: Jewish Child and Family Services and Jewish Vocational Services, The ARK.

The conference brings together nationally recognized experts and local resources to help parents, grandparents, and other caring adults gain essential knowledge and support to raise children who will have the skills they need to grow into emotionally healthy, well-adjusted adults that can live satisfying lives and be active in their communities. Expert speakers include:

• Louis Kraus, M.D., Director of Child Psychiatry at Rush University Medical Center; much of his work focuses on child and adolescent psychiatry and the law, and clinical interventions, as well as education work and advocacy for children.

• Mark Reinecke, Ph.D., Chief Psychologist, Division of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University. Dr. Reinecke’s research and clinical interests center on understanding and treating depression, suicide, and anxiety among children and adolescents.

• Rabbi Eleanor Smith, M.D., Internist, Northwestern Memorial Physicians Group. After ordination from Hebrew Union College in 1993, Dr. Smith became Assistant then Associate Rabbi at Beth Emet. During her rabbinate she began to desire to understand the workings of the human body as well as the human spirit.

• Christine Walker, MPPA, Founder, The Chasing Hope Foundation, which seeks to fill the void in community-based supports for children with autism and related conditions. Walker was inspired to create the Chasing Hope Foundation as an extension of her work to support families like her own who are raising a child with autism and related brain disorders.

• Schuyler Walker, 16-year old mental health and special education advocate. Schuyler is a Chicago native and made his first trip to the Illinois State House at the age of 7, as part of Autism Lobby Day. Since then, Schuyler has made several trips to Washington, D.C. helping elected and appointed officials better understand issues of mental health, special education and brain research.

Tiffany Masson, Psy.D., Campus Dean of TCSPP’s Chicago Campus, will moderate the conference, which will feature 19 discussion groups, designed not only to inform, but also to help advance the discussion about mental and behavioral issues affecting children. They include:

• Early Childhood: Right from the Start, What Parents Need to Know

• Children who Learn and See the World Differently

• Depression and Anxiety in Children and Teens

• How Schools Help Your Child’s Behavioral and Educational Needs: Know Your Rights and Resources

• How Violence Affects the Lives of Our Children and Communities

There is no cost to attend the conference, but a voluntary fee of $45 per person would be appreciated. Early registration is strongly encouraged. For more information, contact: [email protected].

The Naomi Ruth Cohen Institute for Mental Health Education’s goal is to overcome the stigma of mental illness. To learn more, visit naomicoheninstitute.org .

Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago and its Affiliates, Jewish Child and Family Services,CJE Senior Life,Jewish Vocational Service, The Ark are benefactors of this conference.