Newswise — WASHINGTON -- The American Psychological Association will engage a variety of audiences to raise awareness during Mental Health Awareness Month in May with activities that include:

Thursday, May 1: “Speak Up for Kids” #ISpeakUp Selfie Project APA is partnering with the Child Mind Institute for the third year of the “Speak Up for Kids” campaign. APA staff and the association’s followers on Twitter and Facebook will be encouraged to take pictures of themselves holding a sign completing the sentence “I speak up because…” with why they care about children’s mental health. Supporters can share their photos on their own personal networks using the #ISpeakUp hashtag. APA followers’ messages will be shared on APA social networks throughout the month of May. Sunday, May 4: “How to Tell When a Kid is Struggling” Webinar, 7 – 8 p.m. (EDT)

APA and the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) are hosting a webinar for PTA members entitled “How to Tell When a Kid is Struggling Emotionally.” APA Executive Director for Professional Practice Katherine Nordal, PhD, will open the discussion. Rockville, Md.-based clinical psychologist Mary Alvord, PhD, will talk with parents, educators and youth-serving professionals about how to recognize when a youth is struggling and what to do when you know a child or teen needs help.

Tuesday, May 13: Finding Answers #EquityChat, 2 – 3 p.m. (EDT)

APA will cohost a Twitter #EquityChat on health disparities affecting boys and men in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Finding Answers initiative. Wizdom Powell, PhD, an APA member and expert on African-American men’s mental health, will lead the discussion. Powell is chair of the APA Working Group on Health Disparities in Boys and Men.

Wednesday, May 14: Blogging for Mental Health

Psychologists writing for APA’s public education blog, Your Mind, Your Body (http://www.yourmindyourbody.org/), invite people to share their stories related to mental health and emotional wellness.

Thursday, May 15: Community Forum on Substance Abuse and Mental Health, Chicago School of Professional Psychology, 901 15th St., NW, Washington, D.C., 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. (EDT)

The APA Office of Ethnic Minority Affairs will sponsor a community forum through its Ethnicity and Health in America Series to raise awareness about the physiological impact of substance abuse and addiction among Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders. Hosted in partnership with the Chicago Professional School of Psychology, the D.C. Mayor's Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs, the National Asian Pacific American Families Against Substance Abuse and faculty members from nearby institutions, the event will focus on mental health, substance abuse/addiction and barriers to treatment.

Wednesday, May 21: Mind the Gap: Integrating Physical & Mental Health Care, Museum of Science and Industry, 5700 Lake Shore Dr., Chicago, 3 – 5 p.m. (CDT)

Panelists will discuss improving mental health care for youth and families, benefits of collaborative care for mental and physical health and actions to address the challenges of integrated care. APA member Cathy Mavrolas, PhD, chief psychologist and director of training in psychology, LaRabida Children’s Hospital in Chicago, will be among the panelists. The Child Mind Institute is sponsor of the event.

________________________________________The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. APA's membership includes nearly 130,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people's lives.

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www.apa.org

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