Thursday, January 16, 2020 | 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Friday, January 17, 2020 | 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
MSPHI Training Facility | 829 Wilson Drive Suite C, Ridgeland, MS 39157
Gangs 101: Street gangs are an ever-changing and continuous growing society that poses a threat to our youth. Though unorganized, they have a global influence on society, culture and economics. The war is no longer just in the streets; it’s in our schools, at your front door, and in many homes. Youth are at higher risk of joining a gang if they engage in delinquent behaviors, are aggressive or violent, have an unstable home environment, experience many problems at school, associate with or be-friend other gang-involved youth, or live in communities where they feel unsafe. Therefore, to protect our youth, the gang situation must be addressed from a holistic perspective. It takes everyone working together to implement layers of protective circles so strong that no youth falls prey to the gangster influence and propaganda. We must have strong families and communities to combat this age-old evil that continues to drain us of one of our greatest natural resources…our youth. Parents, teachers, and community providers must embrace every opportunity to learn how to manage disruptive behavior and improve interpersonal skills in our young citizens. Communities must be proactive and acknowledge the potential for gang
activity, even when it is not prevalent. Born of FTC’s CEO’s deep-seated passion to call communities to action on a problem that is literally killing our future (our youth), and contributing to the family institution’s destruction, this Gang Awareness Series incorporates FTC’s unique methodology for sharing prevention and intervention strategies.
Games Children Play: This intriguing workshop is designed to alert parents, healthcare professionals, teachers, physicians, religious leaders, and other gatekeepers to the latest trends in youth behavior that result in prescription drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and sexual promiscuity. Emphasis is placed on identification of risk factors and key indicators relative to suicidal thoughts, behaviors, and tendencies. Participants learn their roles in the prevention and intervention process. Scenarios affecting a range of populations are presented in this workshop. This workshop seeks to integrate suicide and accidental death prevention into existing health, mental health, substance abuse, education, and human service activities in a unique manner like never before, resulting in more effective responses. FTC’s goal is to promote public awareness, education, reduce the stigma of suicide, and serve as a resource for agencies and individuals who work with kids and families confronted with situations involving improper coping mechanisms.
Message in the Music: This informative, fun, interactive, and educational workshop will encourage professionals to explore the music world. Media seek to use certain messages that will insight audiences, particularly youth, to purchase certain goods or support certain causes. Today many of the messages contained in the lyrical content of music and portrayed on the big screen communicate acceptance and glorification of crime, violence, drug and alcohol abuse, illicit sexual behavior, and degradation. Participants learn how to properly examine the lyrical content within various music genres such as, Hip Hop, Country-Western, Rock-n-Roll, Blues, Heavy Metal, Pop, R&B/Soul, Alternative and more as time permits. In this workshop, participants are introduced to current trends in the youth culture that promote unhealthy lifestyles and have become “acceptable” in society. Participants are also exposed to some of the cultural slang and terminology used by media to directly communicate with youth. The facilitator examines the blatant and subliminal messages in the music that youth are exposed to daily via radio, television, video games, mp3 players, and other common entertainment formats. Media literacy and advocacy are promoted as a means of being proactive to protect and teach youth how to make healthy, positive lifestyle choices. This workshop seeks to inform and educate professionals and youth about the ills being presented to youth constantly through various media channels with a focus on music. But, watch out…You just may get caught tapping your feet to the beat!
CE’s Offered:
• DMH – Licensed Administrator
• DMH – Community Support Specialist
• DMH – Mental Health Therapist
• DMH – Peer Support Specialist
• Educators
• MAAP
Register here
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScyaSBIkSGNFOBYgeJ_KSW9CtJjePh2yXQXO8ONnrsWzcuIrg/viewform
Program Overview: 
