Parents, guardians, teachers and community members interested in how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the mental health of children are invited to attend a virtual community event called Distance Learning and Mental Wellness: Expert Help for Parents and Students.

The free online discussion is part of a Community Lecture Series focused on children’s mental health, presented by the EMC Health Foundation and the Carnegie Arts Center. The lecture series aims to educate parents and families about children’s mental and behavioral health and what they need to know about the challenges that children face today.

The discussion will begin at 7 p.m. Sept. 24 on Zoom. Event details can be viewed at Eventbrite.com. Registration is free, however, reservations are required to attend the event. Upon registering, attendees will be able to submit questions they would like the panelists to answer.

Attendees will hear from two Stanford experts about how the isolation and behavioral changes demanded by the pandemic are affecting their children: Dr. Neha Chaudhary M.D., the co-founder of Stanford’s Brainstorm Lab for Mental Health Innovation and Dr. Steven Sust M.D., a clinical assistant professor in Stanford’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.

Jeffrey Lewis, president and CEO of EMC Health Foundation, will host the event.

“This Community Lecture Series was created to give parents and guardians a better understanding of how mental health plays a central role in their children’s daily life and what they can do to support and protect the children in their life,” Lewis said. “These two speakers are true experts on this subject, and offer a unique and valuable experience for us to learn from their insight and research.”

This is the third lecture of the series, and the first to be held entirely online. The series kicked off with Bill Strickland speaking on The Role of the Arts in Behavioral Health Challenges. The second featured seasoned panelists from the surrounding areas and public schools.