Mental Health Summit for Health Sciences and Human Services Students

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Thank you for registering for the Mental Health Summit. We look forward to seeing you on November 2nd!

Mental Health Summit for Health Sciences and Human Services Students

Join fellow WV college students to learn about caring for your mental health as you pursue a career in a health or human service field.

By The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission & the Community and Technical College System of West Virginia

Date and time

Tuesday, November 2, 2021 · 9am - 1pm PDT

Location

Online

About this event

The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, West Virginia Community and Technical College System, and West Virginia Center for Nursing will host a virtual Mental Health Summit for Health Sciences and Human Services Students on November 2, 2021, beginning at noon.

The Mental Health Summit will bring together students pursuing undergraduate and graduate education leading to careers in healthcare and behavioral healthcare. Sessions are designed to share evidence-based tools for building resilience and for integrating a commitment to wellness into one’s professional education and practice. In addition to presentations about caring for one’s mental health, attendees will have the opportunity to hear about wellness resources for students and healthcare providers and to talk with colleagues about next steps in improving mental health for their campus and for WV students pursuing careers in health and human service-related fields.

***The Summit has been approved for 3 CE Credits in the disciplines of Social Work (SW), Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC), Addiction & Prevention (WVCAPP). 3 Contact hours for Nursing have been approved***

Cultivating Resilience: A Toolkit for Healthy Achievement and Sustainability in Today’s Demanding World

Keynote with Dr. Kristen Lee

Dr. Kristen Lee, Ed.D., LICSW, known as “Dr. Kris”, is an internationally recognized, award winning behavioral science professor, clinician and author from Boston, Massachusetts. As the Lead Faculty for Behavioral Science and Faculty in Residence at Northeastern University, Dr. Kris’s research and teaching interests include individual and organizational well-being and resilience, particularly for marginalized and underserved populations. She operates a clinical and consulting practice devoted to preventing and treating burnout and is the author of RESET: Make the Most of Your Stress, Winner of the Next Generation Indie Book Awards Motivational Book of 2015, and Mentalligence: A New Psychology of Thinking. She is a regular contributor for Thrive Global and Psychology Today. Dr. Kris’s work has been featured on NPR and CBS radio.

Summit Master of Ceremonies (Emcee)

Tom Krieglstein

In 2004, Tom founded Swift Kick and has since trained over half a million leaders around the world. Tom has spoken to leaders at some of the largest companies in the world such as Coca Cola, Pfizer, Disney, US Navy, and Nike. Through his speaking, he holds an unprecedented 7 National Speaking Titles. He is a TEDx speaker and attempted a Guinness World Record. Tom has been featured in almost every major publication from USA Today, Fast Company, NY Times, MTV, and the Chicago Tribune. He lives in New York City, is an avid runner, was named after a cat, and loves peanut butter.

Breakout Session Presenters

Dr. Susan Ridley, Presenter, “The Art of Self-Care”

Dr. Susan Ridley is an Assistant Professor of Creative Arts Therapy at West Liberty University. She received her doctorate in Expressive Therapies at Lesley University, Cambridge, MA and has a Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling specializing in Art Therapy from Caldwell University, Caldwell, NJ and a Master of Science in Human Services and Organization Management Leadership from Springfield College, Springfield, MA. She has over 25 years working with diverse communities with various abilities and disabilities. Her research interests include mirrors as a tool for self-reflection, identity and broken identity, self-care, and arts-based research. Susan is also an artist and specializes in landscapes, seascapes, and animals. She loves community arts and painting murals (the bigger the better) and recently became hooked on fiber arts and basket making.

Dr. Candace Layne, Presenter, “The COVID-19 Effect”

Candace Layne, Ed.D., has served as Director of Marshall University’s Counseling Center since June 2018. Candace received her Doctor of Education Degree (Ed.D.) - Educational Leadership from Argosy University in 2013, her Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling from Marshall University in 2006, and her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 2004, also from Marshall University. Candace is licensed in the state of West Virginia as a Licensed Professional Counselor. Candace is a Certified Peer Educator (CPE) Training Instructor, certified Trainer in QPR - Question, Persuade, Refer Suicide Prevention Training, certified as a Tips for the University Trainer, and she enjoys teaching for Lindsey Wilson College and Bridge Valley CTC. Candace has completed training in Mindfulness techniques, Dialectical Behavior Therapy techniques, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Candace is a Certified Mindfulness-Informed Clinician – Level 1 (CMC-1). Candace has over 12 years of counseling experience in many different counseling and human service environments.

Amy Gatto, Co-Presenter, “Changing the Culture of Communication for Improved Mental Health”

Amy Gatto is the Senior Manager, Higher Ed & Evaluation at Active Minds where she works to create lasting change in the way mental health is talked about, cared for, and valued among educational institutions. She is interested in the relationship between health and education. Blending her experiences as a former high school teacher, higher education health educator, and young adult health researcher, she has found a niche in working to improve adolescent and young adult mental health. Amy is a doctoral candidate at the University of South Florida in the College of Public Health, holds a Master’s in public health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Bachelor of Arts in Human Services from Elon University.

Dr. Tanya Bass, Co-Presenter, “Changing the Culture of Communication for Improved Mental Health”

Dr. Tanya Bass previously served as Program Supervisor managing the Cultural and Community Initiatives in the NC Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCOMHHD). At NCOMHHD, she worked with agencies and individuals to advance racial justice, health equity, and inclusion. As a member of the North Carolina Society for Public Health Education (NCSOPHE), the Association of Black Sexologist and Clinicians (ABSC), and the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT), she remains engaged in professional growth and development. She is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and an AASECT Certified Sexuality Educator (CSE). Tanya is an alumna of North Carolina Central University’s (NCCU) Department of Public Health Education, where she has served as an adjunct instructor for several years and is currently the lead instructor for Human Sexuality. She has a Ph.D. in Education at Widener University in the Center for Human Sexuality Studies. She also has a Master of Science in Health Promotion and Human Services from NCCU and a Master of Education from Widener University. When she is not working, she loves to scrapbook and make beaded jewelry. Tanya uses she/her pronouns.

Ellen Condron, Presenter, “Improving Student Mental Health”

Ellen Condron has recently retired as an Associate Professor of Nursing at Fairmont State University where she had been on the nursing faculty since 1990. She was the course coordinator for the Mental Health Nursing course and the Curriculum Chair for the ASN curriculum committee. She previously served as course coordinator for Pediatric Nursing. Ellen received her BSN and MSN degrees from West Virginia University. Even though Ellen has retired from teaching at Fairmont State after thirty years, she continues to teach as an adjunct, teaching Mental Health Nursing and Contemporary Drug and Behavior Issues. Ellen is the Parish Nurse for All Saints Catholic Church in Bridgeport, WV. She has organized and coordinated nine Community Conversations on Substance Abuse, beginning in April 2016. As a result of these efforts, she has met with Senator Manchin and Congressman McKinley to provide solutions for the opioid epidemic in West Virginia. Ellen is also credentialed as a Family Nurse Practitioner. Ellen received the “Salt and Light” award from Catholic Charities in WV, and the “Woman of Distinction” award from the Clarksburg, WV League for Service. She lives in Bridgeport, WV with her husband, Dr. Tom Condron. They are the parents of three grown children and grandparents of four granddaughters.

Summit Agenda

12:00 P.M. Welcome and Warm-up

Tom Krieglstein, Summit Emcee, Founder and Lead Facilitator, Swift Kick

12:10 P.M. *Keynote Address: “Cultivating Resilience: A Toolkit for Healthy Achievement and Sustainability in Today’s Demanding World”*

Dr. Kristen Lee, Ed.D., LICSW, Lead Faculty for Behavioral Science and Faculty in Residence, Northeastern University

1:20 P.M. Concurrent Breakout Sessions

  • The Art of Self-Care, Dr. Susan Ridley
  • The COVID-19 Effect: The Impact on the Mental Health of Students, Dr. Candace Layne
  • Changing the Culture of Communication for Improved Mental Health, Amy Gatto, Dr. Tanya Bass
  • *Improving Student Mental Health: Strategies for University Consideration,* Ellen Condron

2:20 P.M. Break

2:30 P.M. *Lightning Talks Series*

  • HELP4WV; and 1-800-GAMBLER Resources for Problem Gambling and Gaming
  • West Virginia Foundation for Rape Information Services (WVFRIS) Overview and Services
  • Medical Treatments for Depression and Anxiety for Students
  • Rams Resilience, Peer Support Program
  • West Virginia Collegiate Recovery Network
  • Smart Rx University
  • Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance Student Support Group
  • Resources for Eating Disorders
  • Help 304: West Virginia’s Emotional Strength Line
  • Lighting Round Q & A

3:30 P.M. Guided Discussion and Reflection by Academic Discipline

3:55 P.M. Closing Remarks

Tom Krieglstein, Summit Emcee, Founder and Lead Facilitator, Swift Kick

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