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o AACC NextGen Conference on Youth and Young Adult Mental Health Over the last few years, we have seen soaring mental and behavioral health issues, including increased suicidal ity, depression, and self-harm, with no signs of slowing down, especially among our youth and young adults. Mental health challenges were, and still are, the leading cause of disability, poor outcomes, and lifelong health issues in today’s generations. This makes children and youth one of the most underserved populations in our modern-day culture. In April, we held our first-ever NextGen Conference on Youth Mental Health to equip an army of those will ing to stand in the gap for today’s kids and families to bring awareness and understanding, facilitate access to care, and advocate for the next generation! Renowned ex perts, thought leaders, and practitioners like Jay Strack, D.Min., Chinwé Williams, Ph.D., George Barna, Ph.D., Kathy Koch, Ph.D., and others shared invaluable insights, approaches, and experiences to help attendees effectively address the complex mental health issues facing today’s youth. The conference provided a wealth of practical tools, proven strategies, and faith-based solutions that counselors, coaches, and parents could use immediate ly in their communities, schools, and practices. It was all about offering real, actionable insights that could make a difference where it matters most. The momentum gener ated at the conference is only the beginning—our mission is to sustain this critical movement, ensuring that every young person receives the support they need to thrive mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Together, we are paving the way for a healthier future. The Road Forward Event In partnership with the American Association of Chris tian Counselors, the Liberty University Global Center for Mental Health, Addiction, and Recovery hosted The Road Forward Summit III: Operation Engagement and Mobilization on July 24-26, 2024. Anchored by and rep resenting major faith-based colleges and universities and leading practitioners, this year’s event focused on practi cal next steps to be accomplished in the coming year. Each of the six areas, Legal and Legislative, Educa tion and Research, Ethical Guidelines, Clinical Services Providers, Advocacy and Public Policy, and Public Rela tions, met with other groups to collaborate on common missions and strategies for laying the groundwork to cre ate change in our mental health professions. The group

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Emma Benoit at the AACC NextGen Conference screening of the documentary, My Ascension

The group believes that these seven tasks will not only be accomplished but will begin to gain recognition in the states and, hopefully, the country for the plight of faith based mental health professionals. New Courses and Certifications Added This year, our team at Light University developed and launched a record number of courses and certifications for mental health professionals and professional coach es. To highlight the programs, here is a short list of what was released in 2024 featuring some of the world’s lead ing mental health and ministry experts: l Trauma-informed Care Coaching Certification: A 24-hour coaching certification to help train life coaches to better respond to and support those who have experienced any form of trauma. l Recovery Alive: Addiction and Recovery Coaching Certification: These two 12-hour courses are built on the proven 12-step recovery process and provide a faith-based, “in-house” recovery resource. l UPDATED: Professional Life Coaching Certifi cation: A 24-hour coaching certification designed to equip individuals with essential coaching skills, techniques, and strategies needed to guide clients toward achieving their personal and professional goals. l UPDATED: Caring for People God’s Way: A two course, 15-hour biblical counseling certificate program. Initially launched in 1997, it has equipped hundreds of thousands of individuals globally. Now fully revised and updated, it features the latest bibli cal counseling methods and strategies.

produced seven tasks to be com pleted in 12 months. The first task completed was the “Mental Health Professionals Declaration of Ethics, Principles, and Prac tice,” which can be viewed using the following QR code.

12 Christian Counseling Connection