Fort Bend ISD, in conjunction with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, will host three parent workshops in late January and early February focused on student mental wellness and suicide prevention. These workshops are open to all parents and teachers of any FBISD school.

NAMI's Parents and Teachers as Allies workshop is a free, two-hour mental health education meeting for school professionals and parents to help them better understand the signs and symptoms of emotional and behavioral difficulties, which in turn could be early warning signs of mental illness in children and adolescents, according to a release from the district.

During the workshop, attendees will learn more about the early warning signs of mental illness, the experience of parents raising a child with mental illness, and the challenges children and adolescents face when emotional and behavioral disturbances are part of their school life.

The workshops are scheduled on three different evenings in order to allow parents and teachers the flexibility of attending one that is most convenient for them, according to the release. Below are the dates and times, as well as a link to register online for the workshop.

Jan. 30
6 p.m.-8 p.m.
Fort Settlement Middle School-Library
5440 Elkins Road, Sugar Land
Register online for this event

Feb. 1
6 p.m.-8 p.m.
Cornerstone Elementary-Cafeteria
1800 Chatham Avenue, Sugar Land
Register online for this event

Feb. 6
6 p.m.-8 p.m.
Elkins High School-Library
7007 Knights Court, Missouri City
Register online for this event

These workshops are part of FBISD’s Counseling and Postsecondary Readiness Department’s initiative, FBISD Speak Up, that kicked off in the fall, according to district officials. This initiative is focused on promoting mental health awareness and suicide prevention by reducing the stigma and fear associated with reaching out for support individually or for a friend or family member.

Parents are encouraged to contact their child's school counselor with any questions or send an email to [email protected].