SMA’s BEACH House 20th Annual 5k Scheduled for Nov. 14th

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Nov. 6, 2015 - PRLog -- Stewart Marchman Act Behavioral Healthcare is pleased to once again host their BEACH House Run for Runaways at the Ocean Deck in Daytona Beach to benefit their new Huger Adolescent Campus Project. The race will be held at 4:00pm on Saturday, Nov. 14^th.  The event is held in November as part of Runaway Prevention Month.

“We have had a great response every year with this fundraiser and are looking forward to another successful race,” said Liz Soule, Outreach Coordinator at SMA’s BEACH House. “Runaway youth are approached by human traffickers on average within 48 hours of being on the street so we need to do all we can to keep them safe,” she added.

The Huger Adolescent Campus Project is a capital campaign to provide BEACH House and RAP (Residential Adolescent Program) with a new and improved facility. The Ocean Deck is located at 127 South Ocean Ave in Daytona Beach. There will be a fun run for kids to follow. The race is timed by 5k Race Director.

To register for the race, go to http://www.smabehavioral.org/5k. For more information, or if you are interested in being a sponsor of the race, contact Liz Soule, Outreach Coordinator at BEACH House at 386-236-3309 or esoule@smabehavioril.org.

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, other statistics about runaway youth include:

• One in seven young people between the ages of 10 and 18 will run away
• Youth age 12 to 17 are more at risk of homelessness than adults
• 75 percent of runaways are female
• Estimates of the number of pregnant homeless girls are between 6 and 22 percent
• Between 20 and 40 percent of homeless youth identify as Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender or Questioning (GLBTQ)
• 46 percent of runaway and homeless youth reported being physically abused, 38 percent reported being emotionally abused, and 17 percent reported being forced into unwanted sexual activity by a family or household member
• 75 percent percent of homeless or runaway youth have dropped out or will drop out of school

BEACH House provides temporary shelter services to youth (runaway, ungovernable, or truant) in need, youth referred for individual and family counseling while in a shelter, CIN/FINS (Children in Need of Services/Families in Need of Services), and families with children ages 10-17 years who are threatening to run away, persistently disobedient, or truant.

SMA Behavioral Healthcare has been serving the northeast Florida community with mental health and drug treatment services for over 50 years. SMA provides more than 35 mental health and substance abuse programs, providing prevention, diversion, intervention, and treatment services, delivered to diverse client populations Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns, and Volusia counties.

SMA Behavioral Healthcare’s mission is to deliver exceptional and comprehensive behavioral healthcare to individuals and families in our community. SMA’s vision is of a community where addiction and mental illness are treated promptly, comprehensively and with respect for all. Contact SMA at 800-539-4228 or online at http://www.smabehavioral.org/ or stay connected on Facebook at  https://www.facebook.com/SMABehavioralHealthServices.