Storm-hit Mississippi conference puts children’s mental health front and center

By AI, Created 5:41 AM UTC, May 28, 2026, /AGP/ – A children’s mental health conference in Brookhaven, Mississippi, drew 70 professionals, caregivers and advocates the day after a tornado hit the area, underscoring how natural disasters can affect children long after the storm passes. The event also launched a new children’s book and pointed families to local support resources.

Why it matters: - Natural disasters can trigger delayed mental health symptoms in children, including nightmares, anxiety, clinginess, anger and withdrawal. - Families, schools and community groups often miss those warning signs or struggle to find support after a storm. - The conference aimed to give local caregivers and professionals tools they can use immediately with children still recovering from the tornado.

What happened: - Seventy mental health professionals, caregivers and advocates gathered at the Lincoln County Civic Center in Brookhaven, Mississippi, for the Children’s Mental Health Conference 2026. - The event took place the day after a devastating tornado tore through the area, and some registered attendees could not make it because of storm damage and dangerous road conditions. - The conference was held on National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day and centered on “Compassion in Action: Trauma-Responsive Care for Children.” - Megan M. Hamm, Ed.S., LPC-S, RPT, served as keynote speaker and conference host.

The details: - The conference featured six speakers and focused on trauma-responsive care for children. - Hamm said the turnout showed both the urgency of the need and the commitment of the people doing the work. - Attendees left with resources, tools and materials for use with children in their care. - Hamm and her team at Time For A Change Counseling, LLC are available to work with families and children in the area still dealing with the aftermath of the storm. - The event also marked the release of Hamm’s children’s book, Even When It’s Hard: A Story About Big Feelings and Hope. - The book is available on Amazon and as an autographed copy directly through the author. - Families, schools, churches and community organizations seeking support are encouraged to contact Time For A Change Counseling, LLC or visit more information.

Between the lines: - The conference doubled as both a professional training event and a community response to a shared crisis. - In disaster recovery, children’s needs often lag behind visible property damage and adult priorities. - A strong in-person turnout after a tornado suggests local providers see mental health response as part of immediate recovery, not a later add-on.

What’s next: - Time For A Change Counseling, LLC is positioning itself as an active resource for local families and organizations in the storm’s aftermath. - Hamm’s new book may become another tool for adults helping children process big feelings tied to trauma. - Continued demand for child-focused mental health support is likely as the long-tail effects of the tornado surface over the coming weeks.

The bottom line: - The tornado changed the setting, but not the mission: helping children process trauma is now a pressing part of the community’s recovery.