‘Our girls are not OK’: Md.-based nonprofit to host event to help teenage girls’ mental health
An event on Sunday in Maryland aims to give parents and caregivers the tools and resources to help young women deal with stressors that impact their mental health.
Maryland-based health care nonprofit CCI Health Services and the Physical and Mental Health Committee of Potomac Valley Alumnae Chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, will host the day.
The event is called “Empowering Our Girls: A Community Toolkit on Mental Health”, and it takes place Sunday, May 7 at 2 p.m. at the The Black Rock Center for the Arts in Germantown.
“This is not your average, sit and be spoken to or lectured to or a typical education session,” said CCI President and CEO Dr. Sonya Bruton. “This is meant to be a workshop, a coaching, a consultation.”
A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that 57% of teen girls experienced feelings of sadness or hopelessness in 2021, up almost 20% from the previous decade. It also revealed nearly 1 in 3 girls reported having suicidal thoughts — that’s roughly 60% more than in 2011.
“The study has shown us that we all need to be in conversation in a very different way, especially with our girls,” said Bruton.
Here’s what you can expect from the event:
- A panel discussion featuring Bruton and CCI behavioral health consultants Tashia Weekes and Brenda Odalys Tavara
- Engaging presentations on topics affecting teen girls, including body image perception, social media and romantic relationships
- Take-home packets filled with community resources for mental health tools
- Stimulating conversation between attendees
- Free food and much more