As a long-time community partner, donor and supporter, Target Corporation teamed up with Children’s Minnesota to host presentations for their employees on timely topics in child health, including mental and behavioral health, and the impacts of racism on our kids. Both local and national Target employees came away with information that can aid in how they care for the children in their lives, advocate on behalf of the next generation and ensure a better tomorrow.
The presentations
Kids’ mental health in Minnesota presentation
To increase awareness around supportive services and preventative care, licensed social workers and Kid Experts™ Kelly Humble, Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW), and Stephen Delong, LICSW, presented on what everyone should know about kids’ mental health in Minnesota. Target employees got an overview of common mental and behavioral health disorders, triggers or common impacts, and how and where to seek care, whether that be local or national crisis or outpatient services.
How racism impacts children’s health presentation
In part two of the series, James C. Burroughs ll, vice president and chief equity and inclusion officer, and Angela Kade Goepferd, MD, chief of staff, chief education officer and medical director of gender health program, presented on how racism impacts children’s health. Their presentation incorporated a case review and drew from Minnesota’s recent racial reckoning to detail how racism can perpetuate health inequities, impact illness, and care given and received. As a result of structural and individual racism, children of color are unfortunately faced with a lower birth rate, a higher infant mortality and increased rates of poor mental health. Burroughs and Dr. Goepferd shared their expertise as a lawyer and health care provider respectively to advocate for and educate on the ways structures of oppression can be dismantled to create a healthier, safer and happier future for all children.
We thank Target for having us and look forward to our continued collaboration so we can continue to put kids, the most amazing people on Earth, first.
Alexandra Rothstein