Since 1949, the month of May has been officially designated as Mental Health Awareness Month. This year our ministry is honored to join with HHS Center for Faith and Opportunity (@Partners for Good) along with three of the most prominent mental health advocates in the Christian community for a special event to discuss ways in which faith and community leaders can best support kids with  mental health issues and their families and help point faith leaders and families to available resources.

I’d like to invite our readers to join with me, along with Kelly Rosati, Amy Simpson, Kay Warren and others on Tuesday, May 8th at 2:00 PM Eastern time for a Twitter chat designed to encourage pastors, ministry leaders and key volunteers to consider how they can be involved in addressing the epidemic of mental illness in children and teens. Some of the  questions to be addressed will include…

• What are some key facts that pastors, ministry leaders and influential church members need to know about children, teens and mental health?
• How can faith leaders be a voice for compassion and care for youth struggling with mental illness?
• Where can church leaders learn more about what they can do to address mental health among our youth?

Here’s how you can join us:

The easiest way to take part in the interactive conversation is to go to CrowdChat on the day of the event and enter the hashtag #Aid4YouthMH in the search box on top of the homepage. You can also follow the tweets by entering the hashtag in the search box on the top of your Twitter page.

Even if you’re unable to join us, you can help support the cause by sharing this post with your senior pastor and children’s, student or family ministry pastor or director, or by posting on your own social media platforms and sharing with friends.

Hope to chat with you on Tuesday, May 8th at 2:00 PM Eastern!

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Are you a pastor or ministry leader searching for resources to better understand how to support children, adults or families affected by mental illness in your church or in your community? Check out Key Ministry’s Mental Health Resources page, containing links to video, articles and topical blog series designed to help you minister with persons with common mental health conditions. Also available through the website are a free, downloadable mental health ministry planning tool designed to accompany Mental Health and the Church, along with links to recommended books, like-minded mental health ministry organizations, relevant research, sermons addressing mental illness, social media resources and a compilation of stories from families affected by mental illness.