The October meeting of the Women’s Interfaith Dialogue will feature Michelle Dipboye-Sames, clinical supervisor for the National Youth Advocate Program in Kentucky, who will speak about childhood trauma—its diverse causes, effects, and treatment. The meeting will be held at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church on Monday, October 7, with an opening reception at 10:45 a.m. and the program starting at 11 a.m., a press release said.

The number of children experiencing trauma has been on the rise throughout the nation, resulting in increased out-of-home placements and a higher incidence of mental illness among youth. As awareness of childhood trauma has grown, innovative programs in schools and communities are being developed to try to understand and address the complicated needs of these children and their families, the press release said.

Active in nine states, the National Youth Advocate Program is addressing the problem by providing safe therapeutic foster care homes, effective mental health services for all ages, substance abuse treatment, and reformative growth experiences for youth in the juvenile justice system, the press release said.

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