Not OUR Kids! Conference Focuses on Healthy Youth

By Carly Stein

Jenny Cohen* attended a prestigious university, earned straight A’s in the honors program, called home twice a week, tutored students for their SATs and had a great Jewish boyfriend.  What Jenny’s family didn’t know was that she was also drinking to excess, smoking pot and using hard-core drugs. Jenny finally decided she needed help when she was charged with two DUIs within a five-week period.
 
Now, six years later,  Jenny actively participates in the 20s/30s Twin Cities Jewish scene and holds an important job at a reputable Jewish agency.  Her story flies in the face of the myth that our Jewish children don’t face the same challenges as the rest of the community.  Jenny will share her story of alcoholism, hiding her addiction and how she appeared to be an ideal, high-achieving Jewish daughter at the Not OUR Kids! Conference on Sunday, April 25, at Temple Israel.
 
This year’s conference promises both insight and education. Several community speakers will share their own stories and experiences,  giving others struggling within our community the permission and resources to seek help.

The free conference will also feature stimulating breakout sessions, including three community parents who will bravely discuss their children’s addictions and how they used community resources to cope with the fear and stress of watching their children battle their demons.

Additional breakouts include an eating disorder professional who will be joined by two women who struggled with - and ultimately recovered from - eating disorders.

At a breakout session on sober high school and college options parents will get the chance to ask questions of students currently in these programs.  

This is just a small sampling of the speakers, workshops and discussions that will be offered at the Not OUR Kids! Conference. There will also be representatives from more than 15 Minneapolis and St. Paul organizations in our Resource Room, as well as some nosh and books for sale on topics affecting adolescent health and wellness.
 
The conference is open to anyone who is interested in raising healthy youth, including parents, grandparents, educators, clergy, youth workers and professionals.

Please join us on Sunday, April 25, to hear from community members, learn skills relating to adolescent health, find helpful resources, purchase relevant books and engage with our Jewish community.
 
Healthy Youth-Healthy Communities (HY-HC) Specialist Carly Stein has spent the past three years providing education to Jewish youth at Jewish Day Schools, camps, and religious schools on topics ranging from body image to suicide awareness and prevention.  With the successful growth of HY-HC (the program has moved from providing 15 programs its initial year to more than 40 programs this year), the focus has expanded from direct adolescent programming to community education through the  Not OUR Kids! Conference.

For more information and to register, go to the Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis (JFCS) website (www.jfcsmpls.org) and click on Healthy Youth-Healthy Communities Conference Information and Registration.

Healthy Youth-Healthy Communities is a collaboration of JFCS and Jewish Family Service of St. Paul.

*Not her real name

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Carly Stein  is the Healthy Youth-Healthy Communities Specialist.