National Children’s Mental Health Summit to be held Sept. 27-29 in Syracuse

Trauma, psychiatric medications, family therapy, nutrition and systems reform are a sampling of the topics experts from across the country will discuss at the Children’s Mental Health Summit, September 27-29 in Syracuse. It’s About Childhood & Family, Inc., along with event co-sponsors including the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics at Syracuse University, its Department of Marriage and Family Therapy and the Gifford Foundation, have assembled a series of internationally renowned speakers for the summit themed, “Reclaiming Childhood: A New Perspective on Improving Social-Emotional, Behavioral and Mental Wellness.”

The symposium, designed for clinicians, educators, researchers, students and parents, begins on the evening of Sept. 27 with a film and panel discussion. The film, “Generation Rx,” examines the rising use of psychiatric medications with children as well as the consequences of this approach. It is followed by two days of keynote presentations, workshops and opportunities for networking and collaboration with professionals focused on the social-emotional, behavioral and mental wellness of children. The list of featured speakers includes award-winning journalist Roger Whitaker, who covers medicine and science; Peter Breggin, founder and director of the Center for the Study of Empathic Therapy; Chris Mercogliano, former educator and administrator and current author and columnist who has been featured on NPR’s “All Things Considered,” and other nationally syndicated radio shows; along with a comprehensive set of experts on children’s mental health.

For more information on the speakers and event, including online registration, visit www.iacaf.org. Additional details are available by contacting Michael Gilbert at 382-0541 or via e-mail at mgilbert@iacaf.org.