Ignite Celebration of Mental Health Awareness Month

The City of Deerfield Beach in partnership with the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel presents a special event for teens called Ignite. This event is Saturday, May 13, 2023 from 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM. The goal is to encourage help-seeking and celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month this May through an evening of fun! We will have a Resource Fair, Community Project, Mocktail Bar, Keynote Speaker, Raffle Prizes, Dinner (buffet style) and Dance! Winners of the Teen Art Contest will be recognized during the event. Attire is Semi-Formal and the colors are black and white. The event is limited to 100 teens and they must pre-register online at the link listed below. This is a free event and only for those currently enrolled in high school and are between the ages of 14-18.

This special event is designed for all teens because mental health affects everyone. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website shares the World Health Organization (WHO) definition as: "Mental health includes emotional, psychological and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices." *

The Resource Fair will allow teens to connect, know where to go when they need assistance and how to get involved in their community. Community is listed as one of the domains on youth.gov for the Risk and Protective Factors for Youth table. Community can exemplify a protective factor when promoting and fostering healthy activities. Let's engage our youth in a community that encourages help- seeking and favors the concept that it's ok to not be ok. Leave stigma at the door and come to Ignite to have some fun.

Agenda

Time	Activity
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM	Check-In (100 teens who pre-registered)
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM	Community Project with No-Sew Blankets, Resource Fair, Art-Winner Exhibit and Event Canvas with GabrielaArt4Healing (Mocktail Bar begins at 4:15pm)
5:00 PM - 5:15 PM	Teens sit down in the Grand Ball Room
5:15 PM - 5:30 PM	Welcoming Remarks
5:30 PM - 6:15 PM	Keynote Speaker: Cassidy Ferguson, LPC & PMH
6:15 PM -7:00 PM	Dinner (buffet style)
7:00 PM - 7:30 PM	Awards for Teen Art Contest
7:30 PM - 9:00 PM	Dance & Dessert
9:00 PM - 9:15 PM	Closing Remarks and Exit

keynote speaker biography- cassidy ferguson, lpc, pmh & Residential therapist

Cassidy is a native of Deerfield Beach, FL, and graduated from Florida A&M University with a Bachelors and Master's degree in Community Psychology. Using her background in Community Psychology, she began working in a school based mental health program where she worked closely with the school system and administrators to make the environment a safe and supportive space for the students. Cassidy provided individual therapy, community support services, and group therapy to 60-80 students in three schools. Cassidy's passion for students and their families continued as she founded her private practice Messin With My Mental to provide education and resources on mental health topics through books, videos, and presentations.

Her specialities include working with individuals who struggle with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Major Depression Disorder, Grief/Loss, Anger Management, Coping with Change, Work-Related Stress and Creating Healthy Coping Skills. She is currently the Lead Therapist at a 28 bed residential facility for woman; facilitating groups focused on self-esteem, connecting to and healing your inner child, and substance abuse counseling. Cassidy spoke at events for businesses, churches, and schools including her alma-mater, Highlands Christian Academy and Florida A&M University. She focused on educating students on ways to protect their mental health through coping skills, talk therapy and building resilience.

Cassidy believes learning about mental health can be fun and incorporates new age interventions with therapeutic techniques to connect with her clients. In her free time, Cassidy loves to write and even published her first book Self-Careish: A Daily Self-Care Plan. She believes in treating the whole person from mind, body, and spirit. She is also a Board Member of Deerfield Beach Community Cares.