NATCHEZ &045; With thousands of Mississippi children endangered by neglect, abuse and mental disease, a faith-based social agency in Jackson

for 17 years has rallied to help.

Southern Christian Services for Children and Youth will hold its annual Lookin’ to the Future conference at the Natchez Convention Center July 20 to 22, with from 350 to 400 participants expected to attend.

&uot;We realize there is a critical need for people who work with these children to get the training they need,&uot; said Susannah Cherney, executive director of the agency. &uot;There is a large number &045; thousands of children &045; in the state with mental problems or behavioral problems, children who are victims of abuse or neglect,&uot; she said. &uot;If we equip the people who work with the children, they are better able to deal with the problems.&uot;

The conference will draw social workers, therapists, counselors and others who work with troubled or endangered children. &uot;This year we have a good number of foster parents and adoptive parents, and we’re really excited about that. They are the ones who are out there on the front line,&uot; Cherney said.

Working with endangered children is not easy, she said. Another purpose of the three-day conference is to provide encouragement to the workers. &uot;There is such a high rate of burnout among those who work with these children. We offer them some spiritual renewal time. We give them a good time to network with others and to feel good about themselves again.&uot;

The conference theme is &uot;Great Expectations.&uot; The Rev. Dr. Lewis M. Anthony, senior pastor at the Metropolitan Wesley African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in Washington, D.C., will set the tone with a keynote address based on the theme at the opening session, 1:30 to 3 p.m.

Anthony holds degrees from Columbia and Harvard universities and has a long history of public service and advocacy. &uot;I went to a conference in Washington and heard him speak,&uot; Cherney said. &uot;He is a very dynamic speaker who will challenge us to make a commitment to our children.&uot;

The conference is open to the public, she said. Those in the Miss-Lou area who might consider attending are youth directors for churches. &uot;Anyone who works with children will benefit from the programs,&uot; Cherney said.

The Natchez Children’s Home is among the agency sponsors of the conference. Nancy Hungerford, director, said she has registration forms and can answer questions about the meeting at 601-442-6858.

&uot;If you are involved with children and youth in any capacity in southwest Mississippi, you must not miss this outstanding education, training and fellowship opportunity, right here in Natchez,&uot; Hungerford said.

Topics on the agenda run the gamut, including, for example,

&uot;Medication Issues in Childhood Behavior Disorders,&uot; &uot;Drug Endangered Children,&uot; &uot;Legislative Update: New Laws Affecting Our Youth,&uot; &uot;Health and Wellness in 2005,&uot; &uot;Conflict Resolution &045; Developing Skills,&uot; &uot;Understanding and Managing ADD/ADHD,&uot; &uot;Becoming a Responsible Teen&uot; and &uot;Determination, Respect, Unity and Music.&uot;

Presenters include representatives from many fields, including assistant state attorneys general, Department of Health workers, pastors, therapists, psychologists and medical doctors.

The Rev. Steve Pearson of Natchez, pastor at Community Chapel, will speak on &uot;Living a Life of Peace in a Stressful World.&uot; Pearson has spoken to the conference in the past. &uot;He gets very high ratings from participants. We are so pleased to have him speak again. We told him to choose the topic,&uot; Cherney said. &uot;Working with disturbed kids is very stressful. I’m sure his program will be helpful.&uot;

Adams County Youth Court Judge John Hudson will speak on &uot;Presenting Your Case in Court,&uot; telling participants how important it is to be prepared when going to court.

&uot;Judge Hudson is very involved in the conference,&uot; Cherney said. &uot;Three years ago, we honored him with the Lookin’ to the Future Award,&uot; she said. This year, he will present the award to Nelson &uot;Billy&uot; Mangold, who recently retired from the Department of Human Services.

Mary Flach of Natchez will present &uot;Improving Your Relationships by Improving Your Personality Type,&uot; a workshop to help participants discover their personality types and help for relationships.