UpStreet’s Alex Seed Memorial Series will train parents and professionals in teen suicide prevention

UpStreet’s upcoming workshops, part of the Alex Seed Memorial Series, will help parents and professionals working with teens and young adults learn the signs of mental health crises and how to help. Presented by Gelt Charitable Foundation and supported in part by the Alex Seed Mental Health Fund and Rodef Shalom Congregation, these events focus specifically on teen suicide prevention information and techniques.

UpStreet, a teen mental health program run by Jewish Family and Community Services, provides mental health support for anyone ages 12-22. As part of an effort to equip community members, parents, teens, and professionals with tools to help youth struggling with mental health, UpStreet has been increasing their resources and workshops on teen suicide prevention. 

For this event, Gelt Charitable Foundation will be presenting their training “If You See Something, Say Something: A Suicide Prevention Workshop.” Two separate workshops will be held with one training on Tuesday, June 15 at 12pm for professionals working with teens and young adults and one training on Tuesday, June 22 at 6pm for parents. Participants will gain general information about teen mental health, as well as learn possible signs of suicide and what to do to address them in teens and young adults. 

For Sally and Lanny Seed, who are contributing support for this event through the Alex Seed Mental Health Fund, these workshops carry a special importance. The fund, created in memory of their son Alex, supports programs and projects that focus on mental health of children and teens. “For parents, if you can spot a sign and recognize that there could be something going on, if you can get that intervention or help early, you may never even get close to your kid having a problem later on. If we can just help people find those signs and say something, that’s what we want to do,” Mrs. Seed expressed. For the Seed family, early intervention and prevention is key.

Through Gelt’s workshop, parents and professionals will learn skills like empathetic listening, how to connect with the appropriate services, and how to take care of yourself if you’re helping someone who is suicidal. The training will also address myths and questions that often come up when talking about suicide prevention. Participants will be given several resources to learn from and use in case they find themselves in a situation where they need to help someone.

The UpStreet team hopes that these workshops will help parents and professionals feel more prepared to deal with potential mental health crises and know where to direct teens who are struggling. Professionals can register for the June 15 workshop at geltcharitable.foundation/upstreet. Parents can register for the June 22 workshop at geltcharitable.foundation/upstreetparents.