Key Ministry is pleased to be participating in “Speak Up for Kids,” a nationwide education campaign during National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week (May 1-7, 2011) to raise awareness about psychiatric and learning disorders in children.

For each day of Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week, this blog as well as Key Ministry’s blog on CMconnect will focus on a topic of interest to church staff, volunteers or parents. Possible topics include:

What’s causing the epidemic of mental illness in kids?

The links between trauma and mental illness

The pros and cons of medication for kids

Mental illness and autism

What families face in getting good help

When are mental health issues spiritual issues in kids?

How should the church respond?

Check back for or the first post of the series this Sunday.

We’re also going to be doing a couple of radio shows next week for folks around the world on the blogosphere. Katie Wetherbee and I will be recording a broadcast for The Need Project next Monday afternoon (broadcast time TBA), and I’ll be appearing live at 9:00 PM next Thursday evening, May 5 with well-known author and Family Life speaker Cindi Ferrini on the topic of Including Kids With “Issues” at Church.

In addition, I plan to video blog each day next week at the Key Ministry page on CMconnect. I’d like to answer by video questions from church staff, volunteers and parents on topics of interest involving kids and mental health…if you’d like to see your question addressed next week, post it as a comment below.