Based on data received from the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) regarding an increase in suicide attempts among adolescent females, the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) saw an identified need for an event to raise awareness, provide education and resource information, and reduce the stigma in regards to getting help for suicidal thoughts, substance misuse, and mental health issues commonly associated with substance abuse and suicide attempts.

In response to this need, DBHDD’s Office of Behavioral Health Prevention and Federal Grants (OBHPFG) is pleased to announce that we will be hosting Be Kind to Your Mind: A Girls Summit on September 11, 2021, from 10am-3pm at the Dottie at Triumph Station in Fayetteville, Georgia. This event, for girls ages 13-17, will increase awareness, education, and provide resources for prevention of suicide and intentional overdoses, as well as substance misuse and abuse.

The Girls Summit will include three youth peer speakers who have overcome some form of mental illness, substance abuse, and/or suicidal thoughts and are living their best lives right now! The event will also include an advanced screening of the soon-to-be-released movie My Ascension, which is about a teenage girl who survived a suicide attempt.

Lastly, the event will close with a mini performance by Grammy Award winning artist, Alessia Cara, well-known for her hit single Scars to Your Beautiful and for openly sharing her struggles with anxiety and her journey toward mental wellness.  This event is designed to be a fun day for the girls with lots of information and education as well as super cool “swag bags”, food, and some much needed, but safe social interaction. Please see the flyer for more information and details on how to register.

Please note that due to COVID precautions and guidelines and for everyone’s safety, there are only a limited amount of event tickets available. Each girl attending must register separately at https://resiliencytoolkit.org/events/ (no group registrations). COVID screenings and protocols will be followed at the door.  Event masks will be provided and will be required to be worn throughout the event. 

Please share this information with girls in your program and any other girls in your local community who you believe can benefit from this event.  We are excited to host this much-needed day of fun and support!  It takes a village to decrease suicide among teen girls in Georgia. . .we can do this together!

Thank you.

Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities