Mental Health conference open to county

An all-day Community Mental Health and Wellness Conference set for Thursday, May 7 at the International Event Center in Rochester is open to all Waseca County residents who wish to attend. There is no cost to take part, but registration is required at 507-328-7770; registered attendees will also be provided with lunch.

 

According to organizers, the conference’s goals include raising awareness, providing education, and reducing stigma associated with mental health conditions. Sessions and topics have been selected to support community members as they learn and make connections with local resources. This year’s theme is “Breaking silence, building strength.”

 

The schedule for the day includes a keynote talk based on the conference’s theme, “Fighting the Darkness by Sharing Your Light.”

 

Breakout sessions offered in one morning and one afternoon time block include “Affirmation as Intervention: the Minority Stress Model in Practice’; “Weathering Life’s Pressures: practical tools for stress, support and hope in rural and regional communities”; “Overdose Response Training in Partnership with the Steve Rummler Hope Network”; and “Living with Panic Disorder.”

 

A panel discussion will address the topic “Healing Together; a conversation on co-occurring conditions.”

 

An afternoon session is titled “Mental Health Recovery: Leading from Lived Experience.”

 

The Wellness Conference is funded by the Southeastern Minnesota Adult Mental Health Initiative.

 

The conference will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 7 at the International Event Center in Rochester, located at 7333 Airport View Drive Southwest. Questions can be emailed to events4mentalhealth@olmstedcounty.gov.