All Saints Day Behavioral Health Retreat connects parents in West Baltimore

In its quests to meet the needs of parents in West Baltimore, New All Saints Parish will host its All Saints Day Behavioral Health Retreat Nov. 1.

Spiritan Father Kenny Udumka, pastor of New All Saints in Liberty Heights, said the retreat provides a great resource for the community he serves.

“The behavioral health retreat at New All Saints Church will increase awareness, connect individuals with needed services and promote early intervention and treatment,” Father Udumka said. “It will connect participants to support systems that will help them to build resilience against mental health challenges.”

The event, scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., features a keynote speaker, panelists and breakout sessions as it focuses on mental health advice for parents. Dr. Thelma Daley, a counselor, educator and human rights leader, will be the main speaker.

Dr. Daley, an Annapolis native, has served as a visiting professor at Loyola University Maryland, University of Wisconsin and Harvard University during a decorated career. She also served as the national director of WIN (Women in the NAACP). She has been a lifelong educator in the field of counseling, serving numerous educational and social activist boards.

The retreat is being co-sponsored by the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s Office of Black Catholic Ministry.

New All Saints, located at 4408 Liberty Heights Ave., will provide childcare and lunch for attendees.

The goal of the conference, according to organizers, is to “respond to the acute mental health needs in the Black community, foster evangelization and outreach efforts for the Office of Black Catholic Ministries and build on New All Saints parish’s work to serve young families in the parish and community.”

“I hope this day brings each of you support, spiritual nourishment and practical knowledge as you navigate the inevitable challenges that arise in parenting and day-to-day life,” said Archbishop William E. Lori in a media release for the event.  “Thank you for taking the time to invest in learning about these matters that are critical for the times. Together, we can step out of darkness, turn toward one another and find peace in Christ’s loving and healing sacred heart.”

The speaker panel includes:

• Associate Pastor Father Kenny Udumka  
• Chikeia Boykin, a social worker and Mental Health First Aid trainer
• Dr. Duane Isava, a Millersville-based psychologist who specializes in youth and adolescents
• Dyllis and Jacob Minang, graduates of Divine Mercy University’s counseling program

Breakout sessions include:

• Parenting to Raise Strong Children: focused on ages infant to 12. (Lead Facilitator: Dyllis Minang, author of “Fighting the Good Fight: A 52-Week Couple’s Devotional.” Website: https://www.fightingthegoodfight.net/)
• Parenting to Raise Strong Children: Focus, ages 13 to 18.  (Lead facilitator: Chikiea Boykin, a Licensed Certified Social Worker and certified Mental Health First Aid trainer.)
• Emotional and Behavioral Health for Resilience (Lead facilitator: Dr. Duane Isava, a psychologist who specializes in youth and adolescents.)
• Recognizing the Warning Signs of Depression, Anxiety and Substance Misuse (Lead facilitator: Cecilia Parker, a board-Certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner with JCR Mental Health Services. Website: www.jcrmentalhealth.com)

To register for the retreat, visit bit.ly/ASD-retreat or contact Petlyn Darius-Steele in the Office of Black Catholic Ministries at 410-547-5452; Petlyn.Steele@archbalt.org

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