San Diego High School Students Gather To End Mental Health Stigma

SAN DIEGO, March 4, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The TRUST (Teens Reflecting and Understanding Stigma Together) Conference welcomes San Diego teens wanting to expand their knowledge about the challenges of mental health. This conference is funded through a generous grant from the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency.

In its third year, Health Sciences High and Middle College (HSHMC) partners with BOOST Collaborative to put on this annual conference at Marina Village Conference Center. Seniors at HSHMC are part of the Mental Health Pathway Internship Program and meet weekly to not only plan the conference, but to learn more about mental health from weekly guest speakers in preparation.

"The students in the TRUST class this year are extremely passionate," Stephanie Barker, program and event assistant of BOOST Collaborative, said. "They understand that the stigma surrounding mental health deserves our attention and they can't wait to spread awareness and share what they have learned with other teens in San Diego."

On March 6, Rich and Yvonne Dutra-Saint John of Challenge Day return as keynote speakers. Challenge Day was featured twice on Oprah and on the 2010 MTV series If You Really Knew Me. This session continues to be a highly anticipated feature of the TRUST Conference.

Each year the TRUST Conference provides valuable tools and solutions for teens at the Resource Fair featuring San Diego nonprofit organizations.

Students attend workshops by experts in the field on topics that include: bipolar disorder, anxiety, depression, bullying, panic, mindfulness, mental illness, self-esteem, eating disorders, LGBTQ, wellness and suicide prevention.

For a list of workshops, please visit: www.trustconference.wordpress.com/workshops. 

About TRUST (Teens Reflecting and Understanding Stigma Together)
The TRUST conference is planned by teens from Health Sciences High and Middle College to educate other high school students about mental health to erase the stigma that surrounds it. TRUST convenes more than 250 high schools students from across San Diego County and is funded through a grant from the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency. For more information, please visit www.trustconference.wordpress.com.

Contact:
Communications Coordinator
Amber Whiteside
Office: (619) 232-6678
Cell: (408) 612-2616
[email protected]

SOURCE BOOST Collaborative