Friday, May 19: "I Am Adam Lanza's Mother", The Unspoken Struggle of Mental Illness and the Impact on Family and Community

The Jewish Family and Children’s Service (JFCS) of Greater Philadelphia is presenting a Fran and Elliot Kane Memorial Lecture program on Friday May 19, 2017 at the new Main Line site of JFCS, located at the new Barbara and Harvey Brodsky Enrichment Center located at 345 Montgomery Avenue in Bala Cynwyd, PA. The panel program is titled “I Am Adam’s Mother: The Unspoken Struggle of Mental Illness and the Impact on Family and Community” with author Liza Long and a diverse panel of individuals. They will speak about their experiences with mental illness, how the system is failing children, and how to strengthen understanding and support of families who struggle. Registration and breakfast is at 8:30 a.m. and the conference will run from 9 a.m. to noon. The event is open to the public and will provide three CEU credits for professional

Keynote speaker, Liza Long, is a passionate advocate, educator, and mother of four based in Boise, Idaho who wrote about the tragic shooting of school children in Newtown, CT in an anonymous blog post titled, “I Am Adam Lanza’s Mother” about the murderer in the Sandy Hook massacre. He killed his mother, Nancy, and then children and teachers at the school before killing himself. The post written by Long quickly became viral when she realized she needed to tell her story. She is the author of The Price of Silence: A Mom’s Perspective on Mental Illness and her essays have appeared in USA Today, Psychology Today, and Time.com. Long speaks across the country about the importance of ending stigma and providing real solutions for children and families.

Panelists include Lori Cooper, Melissa Hopely and Maria A. Dobinick. Lori Cooper is a public figure who openly shares her struggle and triumph with mental illness. She is married to Rabbi Neil Cooper and has three children and five grandchildren. Melissa Hopely is a motivational speaker for Minding Your Mind, a mental health and anti-bullying advocate, and author of The People You Meet in Real Life. Maria A. Dobinick has vast experience in the behavioral health public sector with expertise in school based behavioral health programs and the role of behavioral health supports within the juvenile justice system.

Paula Goldstein, President/CEO of JFCS, shared her enthusiasm about this program and said, “This lecture serves as the first community education forum in our new JFCS Bala Cynwyd site. One of the goals of this new location is to bring forums such as this one, to the public including professionals working in the fields of mental health, eating disorders, disability, aging, parenting, children’s safety and so much more. “

The Fran and Elliot Kane Memorial Lecture is established in memory of Fran Kane z”l, a longtime employee of JFCS and one of the founding Care Managers for Senior Horizons, and Dr. Elliot Kane z”l, a longtime dedicated volunteer to JFCS’ Hospice Program. The lecture is made possible through a generous gift from Fran Kane’s sister, Natalie Markowitz.

The event is open to the general public as well as professionals who will receive three CEU credits for attending. Tickets cost $36. To register in advance, please visit www.jfcsphilly.org/kanelecture by May 11, 2017.

About the Barbara and Harvey Brodsky Enrichment Center:

For 162 years, JFCS has assisted countless individuals and families in the Philadelphia region at everystage of life. And, now these services will be much more convenient to those in the western suburbs as the new Barbara and Harvey Brodsky Enrichment Center of JFCS will open on April 3, 2017 in Bala Cynwyd, PA This new 18,000 sq. ft., $8 million project becomes the fifth branch of JFCS of Greater Philadelphia adding to those in Center City, Elkins Park and North and Northeast Philadelphia, offering therapeutic services and educational programs.

This state-of-the-art building was designed by Jason Wilhelm of J. Wilhelm Consulting and has been custom-built to meet the needs and programing for a wide range of clients extending from Holocaust survivors, older adults, children, LGBTQ communities, people living with disabilities, parents seeking to adopt a child, family counseling, to food insecurities and helping individuals to gain financial stability. Its social services range from foster care and adoption, to family support and education, to financial assistance and healthcare and much more. In the lobby, visitors will find very large black and white portraits (12’ x 8’ in size) of 18 Holocaust Survivors with a supportive and much more throughout the space.