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Event to focus on children's mental health

Daily Star, The (Oneonta, NY) - 5/5/2016

May 05--The Family Resource Network, Rehabilitation Support Services and Oneonta Job Corps are teaming up for a Children's Mental Health Awareness Day event.

The event, called "Stressed Brains Can't Learn," will be held from 5 to 9 p.m on May 5 at Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center.

It includes a screening of the movie "Paper Tigers" followed by a panel discussion, refreshments and door prizes, Family Resource Network Executive Director Michelle Zuk said.

The movie is a survey of the life of six high-risk students attending an alternative high school that has radically changed its approach to disciplining its students, becoming a promising model for how to break the cycles of poverty, violence and disease that affect families, according to a media release.

The panel includes educators, youth and professionals from the mental health field, and will be moderated by Duke Fisher, a youth group facilitator.

The groups have been working on the event for about a year, and national Children's Mental Health Awareness Day seemed like the most appropriate time to do it, Zuk said.

Agencies have been hearing from schools that they are seeing an increase in the number of children and families that are struggling with problems, Zuk said. Many of the mental health care and school providers said that they are dealing with families that don't feel connected to where they live.

"We need to help them feel a part of a caring community," Zuk said. "We think this documentary is a good start that will help begin the conversation."

The event, she said, is intended to help people feel connected and make the area the "community we want it to be."

Zuk said attendees can register by emailing info@familyrn.org . More than 70 people are registered, she said. While registration is preferred, "we won't turn anyone away," she said.

Attendance will also provide professional development hours from the Catskill Regional Teacher Center.

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