Youth mental health pop-up to offer resources, activities for Macon families

The event is scheduled for Saturday, September 12, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Booker T. Washington Community Center, 401 Monroe St. in Macon.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A youth mental health awareness pop-up in Macon Saturday will give children and families an opportunity to talk about mental health challenges while connecting with local specialists and resources.

The event is scheduled for Saturday, September 12, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Booker T. Washington Community Center, 401 Monroe St. in Macon.

Priscilla Stanley, the event’s host and a youth mental health advocate, said the pop-up will feature roundtable discussions and interactive stations designed to help children open up about what they are experiencing.

“They’re going to get an opportunity to share what’s going on with them through play therapy,” Stanley said.

Children will spend about 20 minutes at each station. The event will also include activities such as drumming, yoga and performing arts.

Stanley, a retired teacher, said her years working with children have shown her the importance of addressing youth mental health. She said young people today are dealing with challenges ranging from bullying and social media pressures to ADHD, autism spectrum disorder and emotional literacy.

“We wanna make sure that the children feel like they have somebody that they could talk to, a place where they can go, a safe place,” Stanley said.

Parents and other family members are also encouraged to attend. Mental health professionals and specialists will be available to speak with families and provide information about resources and potential follow-up services.

Stanley said organizers want the event to provide a nonjudgmental environment where children feel comfortable talking about what they are experiencing.

“Sometimes the children get left out and this is a chance where they can be at the center of it,” Stanley said.

Stanley hopes Saturday’s event will be the beginning of a larger effort to address youth mental health in the community rather than a one-time program. She said organizers are considering additional opportunities, including a podcast focused on youth mental health.

“Our children are the future,” Stanley said. “I know that they were created to do great things.”

The youth mental health awareness pop-up is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, September 12, at the Booker T. Washington Community Center, 401 Monroe St. in Macon.