Virginia Commonwealth University is hosting “Unraveling the Mystery of Children’s Mental Health: From Brains to Behavior,” a presidential symposium that will highlight advances in science and evidence-based practice and in family-friendly approaches to children and teens.
The symposium, presented by VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D., will take place Friday, Oct. 12, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Library of Virginia, 800 E. Broad St. in Richmond. The event brings together scientists, practitioners, families and community members. It also will mark the VCU Virginia Treatment Center for Children’s 50th anniversary of providing care for children and families.
“VCU and the Virginia Treatment Center for Children serve an important function for the Commonwealth in bringing state-of-the-art education regarding the science of social and emotional development of children, as well as serious mental health issues as they affect kids and their families,” said Bela Sood, M.D., medical director of the center and a nationally recognized expert in children and adolescents with mental health problems.
Rao will deliver an address at the event, which will also include breakout sessions on a variety of mental health-related topics and keynote speakers including:
- A Parent’s Guide to the Teen Brain & Risk Behavior Ken Winters, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry at the University of Minnesota, is an international authority on the assessment and treatment of adolescent drug abuse and evidenced-based treatments.
- Applying Brain Science to Treating Children & Teens Peter Jensen, M.D., professor of psychiatry and vice-chair for research in the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology at the Mayo Clinic, is a world-renowned child psychiatrist and passionate advocate for children with emotional and behavioral disorders and their families.
- Parenting to Prevent Mental Disorders Patrick Tolan, Ph.D., professor of education at the University of Virginia, is an internationally recognized authority on youth violence, positive adolescent development, families and prevention.
“This is an effort to raise awareness of mental health and its impact on children, teens and families,” said conference chair and organizer Michael Mason, Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry and director of the VCU Commonwealth Institute for Child and Family Studies, the research arm of the Virginia Treatment Center for Children at VCU, which is part of the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU.
“We are very excited about bringing together families, treatment and prevention experts and world-renown scientists to focus on children’s mental health,” Mason said. “Understanding there is a significant science behind mental health conditions and evidence-based treatments is critical for the field and general population. We hope these efforts will help reduce the stigma associated with mental illness, improve practice and advance the science.”
The presidential symposium is supported by the Virginia Treatment Center for Children at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU and the VCU Commonwealth Institute for Child and Family Studies.
The Virginia Treatment Center for Children at VCU provides a range of mental health services to children. The VTCC was established to preserve and restore health for families, to seek the cause and cure of diseases through innovative research and to educate those who will become the next generation of mental health care providers.
The Commonwealth Institute for Child and Family Studies is housed within the VCU Department of Psychiatry’s Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. The Commonwealth Institute for Child and Family Studies provides research designed to improve the mental health of children, adolescents and families.
Registration is required. To register, please contact CICFS@vcu.edu or (804) 828-4393. For more information, visit http://www.cicfs.vcu.edu/springfall.htm.
