DURHAM, N.C. — Recent mass shootings across the country have some groups calling for more conversations about mental health.
What You Need To Know
A Durham mom is helping kids cope with their feelings in the wake of mass shootings that have rocked the nation
She is helping kids start a mental health journal to record feelings they are having
She uses her newly published journal as a tool guide where children can share and write down their thoughts
Over the weekend, three people were killed and 11 others hurt following a mass shooting in a Philadelphia entertainment district Saturday night.
In Phoenix, a 14-year-old girl died, and eight others were hurt during a shooting at a strip mall.
These are just a few examples of a crisis in our country, which sparked a Durham mom to start a mental health journal for students this summer to help them deal with any sadness and fear.
Sixteen-year-old Jayden Bittle is one of several students who was asked to write down his feelings about the mass shootings happening across the country.
“I feel super bad for the families and pray that my family isn’t next. I don’t feel safe in school anymore, when I’m in school I worry that I might be the next in line,” Bittle added.
Wa’Quita McCauley is offering free youth mental health workshops this summer to kids 11 to 18 years old who are struggling to cope with the tragedies leaving families in pain across our nation.
McCauley uses her newly published journal called "Kids Just Wanna be Themselves" as a tool guide where children can share and write down their thoughts.
“This is very important to me because I actually have a son. I really want them to start dealing with their mental health because if you don’t deal with it as a child, you just grow up to be an adult that has not dealt with those same issues,” McCauley said.
McCauley’s 12-year-old son Cameron says this mental health workshop makes it easier to get things off his chest because no conversation is off limits.
“It makes me sad. This right here is important to me because some kids want to talk about it. What they have going on in their personal life but they don’t really know how to express it,” Cameron McCauley stated.
“We need to start getting together as a community to really advocate for the kids,” Wa’Quita McCauley explained.
Medical experts say the best way to start a conversation with your child about mental health is to start by asking what they know. Then listen to what they have to say.
To learn more about the new Youth Mental Health Workshops being offered this summer or the Mental Health journal, you can email info@waquitamccauley.com
Click this link to learn more.