The fifth annual Jefferson County Mental Health Summit will raise awareness among teachers, parents and community members about the growing needs for mental health.
This year, the summit will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 6, at Herculaneum High School, located at 1 Black Cat Drive in Herculaneum.
Started by ASPEN Network, the summit has partnered with many community entities including Compass Health Network, Chestnut Health Systems, Provident, Jefferson College, Prevent Ed and more.
Jaclyn Brown, executive director of ASPEN, said the summit has evolved over the past several years.
“Myself with Aspen Network and several other agencies came together five years ago, looking at some of the mental health needs, especially surrounding youth in our community, and we began putting a mental health summit together,” she said.
“This particular summit is designed for individuals who work with youth, so, for example, school administrators, school counselors, even school education staff and providers in the community.”
Brown said the event also is open to parents or youth who might be interested in learning more about mental health topics. This year, the event will feature two panels along with breakout sessions for attendees.
The first panel will focus on the power of the constituents and effectively having your voice heard.
“(This panel) includes a (University of Missouri-St. Louis) student who has been part of our planning committee and has also spoken at our summit in the past as a high school student,” Brown said.
“It also includes Mark Penny, the Missouri Association of School Administrators, a vice president at Chestnut Health Systems, and David Casteel, a state representative.”
The second panel will feature a facilitated group of young adults by a Compass Health professional.
“They are going to be talking about the impact of mental health on their lives, and how community resources or school resources assisted them in their journey and their ideas of how we can continue to support youth in the community,” Brown said.
The event is free to attend, but people must register online to reserve a ticket. Food will be available, courtesy of Compass Health Network.
To attend the summit, register for a free ticket at zeffy.com/ticketing/jefferson-county-mental-health-summit. For more information on ASPEN and its events, download the ASPEN Network Inc. app.