The Henry County Mental Health Alliance is hoping to spread its message of mental health awareness and training to others through its first Mental Health Conference April 26.
The all-day event, held at the Best Western Banquet and Meeting Center in Annawan, will feature speakers addressing a host of mental health topics. It is targeted toward social service workers and others who regularly interact with people with mental health issues.
Beth Smith, OSF HealthCare’s behavioral health navigator and head of the Alliance, said the event is meant to provide the needed tools to identify and address mental health issues.
“We want to get information to professionals, social service agencies and families so they can go back to their communities and get programs started,” she said.
The Alliance, which will also present at the conference, has provided similar training to schools and police departments in the area. The training provides information on how to identify someone having a mental health crisis and de-escalate the situation.
Smith said the conference is in response to the lack of mental health services in the state. Despite that already large service gap, she said, the need is growing.
“Mental health is falling into the top three categories of concern in every geographical region of the state,” she said.
The lack of mental health services, especially in rural areas, is what led to the formation of the Alliance, Smith said.
“There’s a lack of resources, so we have to be creative in offering services to our patients,” she said.
The conference, she explained, is meant to share the Alliance’s experience and the perspective of the outside speakers – and promote similar awareness and training elsewhere in Illinois. Doing so meets the Alliance’s motto of “advocate, educate and collaborate.”
She said the best hope for improvement is a grassroots effort led by social service leaders and members of the public.
“We’re going to have to take charge of our own communities,” she said.
The conference runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The fees are $55 for those who register prior to March 15 and $80 thereafter, and breakfast, lunch and snacks are included. To register or for more information, go to www.getmeregistered.com/hcmhahealthconference. Questions can be directed to Smith at beth.a.smith@osfhealthcare.org.