BIPOC Youth Mental Health Conference to highlight needs of Dane County students Nov. 7 at the Center for Black Excellence

The BIPOC Mental Health Coalition will host its first youth mental health conference on Saturday, Nov. 7 at the Center for Black Excellence and Culture in South Madison, bringing together young people, families and community professionals to address mental health challenges facing Black, Indigenous and other people of color. The free conference will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and feature youth voices, interactive workshops, a keynote address and resources for supporting young people’s mental health. Fernando Cano Ospina Organizers also plan to present a report examining BIPOC youth mental health in Dane County schools, using data from the 2024 Dane County Youth Assessment. The report will highlight students’ needs and challenges while identifying opportunities for schools, families and community leaders to better support them. “We decided that the biggest generational impact was to concentrate on BIPOC youth,” says Fernando Cano Ospina, the director of administration and inclusion