Detroit Youth Hone Employability and Mental Health at Aug 2 Event

Connect Detroit and the Detroit Wayne Mental Health Authority are partnering to host the 3nd annual Workforce Resiliency Conference from 8.a.m. to 1 p.m. August 2 at Cobo Center, 1 Washington Blvd, Detroit. The conference focuses on building resiliency in the workplace for the world of work through sound behavioral health and employability skill-building and practices.

“In today’s complex economy, it takes mental fortitude to navigate potential job pitfalls, the unexpected, as well as various dynamics such as working in a team, while also remaining a positive contributor,”said Dierk L. Hall, Connect Detroit President and CEO. “This conference, along with Grow Detroit’s Young Talent, serve as vehicles to provide the young people of Detroit with a foundation that will promote lasting success for the future of our youth and our community.”

The nearly 600 youth that are attending the conference are engaged in summer employment and training with the support of the DWMHA, Grow Detroit’s Young Talent and other programs.

The daylong event features motivational and educational speakers, breakout workshops, tours of downtown Detroit and a resource fair.

Workshops focus on topics such as building a resume, preparing for a changing job market, guarding your online brand, recognizing and responding to bullying, and dealing with conflict and environmental trauma.

In addition to having clinical specialists, workforce development coordinators and youth assistants from DWMHA leading workshops on mental health and wellness, Detroit nonprofit and business professionals will share their personal experiences and expertise, speakers include:

· Brandon Daniels, Relationship Banker, Level One Bank

· Devon Bushkin, Director of Workforce Development, The Greening of Detroit

· Rasheda Kamaria Williams, Chief Empowering Officer/Founder, Empowered Flower Girl, LLC

“DWMHA is proud to partner with Connect Detroit to help prepare our young people emotionally and mentally for the workforce,” said Andrea L. Smith, MSW, Director of Clinical Practice Improvement, Detroit Wayne Mental Health Authority. “Through our investment, we expect attendees will walk away with the necessary tools to successfully navigate the everyday stresses in the workplace, as well as better understand their overall mental health, empowering them to become meaningful contributors to the community as a whole.”

Grow Detroit’s Young Talent is a citywide summer jobs program that trains and employs young adults between the ages of 14 and 24 for six weeks in July and August. More than 8,000 youth are participating in the program this year.

About Connect Detroit

Connect Detroit is a Detroit, Mich.-based, 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that strives to address community problems by facilitating, and mobilizing funding in support of collaborative community solutions. Since its founding in 2001, it has organized, managed, and led four dozen community change initiatives and mobilized more than $140 million in support of their good work. These resulting collaboratives have addressed a range of community problems, including the need for better data for decision-making, a lack of after school programming, the threat of home-based lead hazards, and limited access to healthy foods and safe recreational opportunities. Connect Detroit is also behind Detroit’s well-known youth employment program, Grow Detroit’s Young Talent. The organization is located at 613 Abbott St. in Detroit. For further information, call (313) 967-5898 or visit www.ConnectDetroit.org.