Teens, parents & mental health experts gather for talk on support in El Paso

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Mental health affects all ages and can impact on all relationships -- that's why Emergence Health and El Paso Matters have come together to host a town hall meeting tonight covering mental health in El Paso.

Tonight, starting at 6 p.m. at the EPCC 9050 Viscount Blvd, this talk will discuss the challenges faced by students, teens, teachers and parents in terms of mental health. The aim of this talk is to explain perspectives, experiences and conversations for teens and families.

They will also discuss tips on starting those conversations, as well as what should parents know.

"We want parents to feel heard. We want them to feel notice. We want them to feel seen, and we want them to leave the event with knowledge and, you know, power and resource lives and knowing what it is that they can do to help their children, especially when it comes to addressing mental health concerns," according to experts.

The event is free, and you can find registration info click here.

DO YOU NEED SUPPORT?

• 988: The National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline - Anyone can contact the Crisis line through phone, text or message any time, for any mental distress.

• EHN Crisis Hotline: (915-779-1800) - Staffed by locals, and a constant resource in El Paso, Emergence Health Network's hotline has specialists ready to hear you out.
• Emergence Health Network.org - EHN is able to offer many different forms of support for mental health and wellness. From therapy to addiction treatment.
• NAMI El Paso - As part of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, there are some options listed on their website for support and connection. NAMI is focused on providing support to anyone with any sort of mental illness.

Avery Martinez covers mental health in the Borderland as part of ABC-7’s Be Mindful initiative. He is also a Report for America corps member. RFA places talented, emerging journalists in newsrooms like ABC-7’s to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America is an initiative of The GroundTruth Project, an award-winning nonprofit journalism organization dedicated to rebuilding journalism from the ground up.