Jackson Free Press

The Margaret Walker Center at Jackson State University and JSU’s student organization Gathering Information Related to Ladies are partnering to host a screening and panel discussion of the short narrative film “Grrrl Justice” on Friday, Sept. 18, at 6 p.m.

“Grrrl Justice” follows the lives of three women: one released from juvenile detention, another exploited by a sex trafficker and one navigating the school-to-prison pipeline. The film also shows how traumatic backgrounds such as family violence, racism, poverty, sexual abuse, homophobia and transphobia attach young people to systems that criminalize them rather than alleviate systemic oppression in their lives, a release from JSU says. The film also explores how youth can use their own agency, body autonomy and healthy resistance to free themselves from such systems.

A student representative from “One Girl One Vote” will moderate the panel discussion. Panelists include Grrrl Justice director Shontina Vernon; TEAP-MS advocacy coordinator Jensen Luke Matar; JSU student Ayana Jones; and Arekia Bennett, executive director of MS Votes.

To view the screening and join the panel discussion, visit https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XffzMxdvSNyYmYZGzu_iMA. For more information about the event, call the Margaret Walker Center at 601-979-3935 or email [email protected]. For information about G.I.R.L., visit https://girljsu.wixsite.com/home/about-us.

DuBard School for Language Disorders at USM Offering Virtual Learning for Professionals

The DuBard School for Language Disorders at The University of Southern Mississippi is offering a series of virtual learning options for professionals in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The first two courses are "Missing Links in Academics" and "Seeking Solutions: Is it Dyslexia?"

These courses are pre-recorded and will be available online for two weeks. At the conclusion of the training, a DuBard School staff member will host a live Q&A session via video conferencing, a release from USM says.

"Missing Links in Academics" covers techniques professionals use in the DuBard Association Method for students who may not need intensive therapy but could benefit from different teaching structures. The course is aimed at second through eighth-grade general education and special education teachers, speech-language pathologists, reading specialists and academic language therapists. The course will be available Sept. 28 through Oct. 9 with a live Q&A session on Oct. 13.

"Seeking Solutions: Is it Dyslexia?" will address commonly used assessment instruments in testing for dyslexia and teach participants how the results of a comprehensive evaluation can aid in planning therapy to help students in areas they are deficient in. Participants will learn how to analyze and interpret reports to develop a profile of student strengths and weaknesses. The course is aimed at speech-language pathologists, psychologists, psychometrists, special education directors, dyslexia therapists, reading specialists and academic language therapists. The course will be available Oct. 9 through Oct. 25 with a live Q&A session on Oct. 26.

Each course includes materials that USM will provide to attendees in advance. For more information, visit bit.ly/dubardworkshops or call DuBard School at 601-266-5223.

MSU Hosting Fourth Annual Suicide Prevention Symposium

Mississippi State University’s Department of Psychology is partnering with the Mississippi Department of Mental Health to host the fourth-annual Suicide Prevention Symposium from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 29.

The theme of the event is “Fitting Suicide Prevention into Our Changing Time.” The virtual training symposium is designed for parents, caregivers, educators, psychologists, licensed professional counselors, social workers, nurses and mental health professionals. Conference registration is free. Participants can register online at MississippiSuicidePreventionSymposium.com.

Michael Nadorff, associate professor and director of the clinical doctorate training program in MSU’s Department of Psychology, and MSU assistant clinical professor and psychology clinic director Emily Stafford will give a presentation on The Alliance Project. MSU's Department of Psychology developed the program, trains parents, caregivers, educators, mental health professionals and others on how to identify, connect with and help distressed individuals.

Other featured speakers include Julie Cerel, professor of social work at the University of Kentucky and former president of the American Association of Suicidology; Cheryl King, professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Michigan and another former president of the American Association of Suicidology; Colt St. Amand, a licensed psychologist and family medicine resident at the Mayo Clinic; and Rheeda Walker, professor of psychology at the University of Houston and fellow of the American Psychology Association.

For more information, visit cas.msstate.edu or psychology.msstate.edu.