The Region 3 West Wellness Council will host the Help, Hope, Healing Conference on August 5, 2016. The conference is designed to decrease the stigma associated with mental health challenges and to promote awareness for suicide prevention.
The Help, Hope, Healing Conference will be held from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center in Abingdon. Conference check- in and a light breakfast begin at 7:30 a.m. Registration for this event is $25. Register online at helphopehealing.eventbrite.com by July 29, 2016. No registrations or payments will be accepted at the door. The conference will feature three globally known speakers whose lives were impacted by suicide.
Kevin Hines is the author of the bestselling book, Cracked Not Broken, which chronicles his suicide attempt and survival after jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge in 2000. Hines returns to Help Hope Healing 2016 to continue his advocacy for living mentally well and to deliver his new program, 10 Steps to the Art of Wellness. Joining Hines are fellow advocates Lauren Breen and Joe Williams. Breen is one of the eight leaders on the Suicide Prevention Australia, Lived Experience Leadership Group. Her book, Trust-Surviving the Ripple Effect of Suicide, shares her family’s story of suicide survival after the death of her brother.
Breen’s presentation will focus on encouraging positive mental health in youth, adults, and families. Williams, a world champion boxer and national rugby player, works to inspire youth and individuals toward good mental health and recovery. A survivor of suicide after his own attempt in 2011, Williams will share his personal experience and discuss adversity, dealing with struggle, resilience, improving your attitude, positive energy, and how small steps lead to something greater. Help, Hope, Healing: Our Community, Our Responsibility is part of a regional suicide prevention effort developed by the Region 3 West Wellness Council.
The council includes representatives from Cumberland Mountain Community Services, Dickenson County Behavioral Health Services, Frontier Health/Planning District 1 Behavioral Health Services, Highlands Community Services, Mount Rogers Community Services Board, and the Crisis Center, Inc., in Bristol. Local coalitions partnering to sponsor the event include the Appalachian Substance Abuse Coalition for Prevention and Treatment (ASAC), the Concerned About Our Community Coalition (CAOC), the Bristol/Washington County Program Managers Team, Buchannan County Youth Prevention Coalition, the Russell County Prevention Coalition, the Dickenson County Partners for Prevention, the LENOWISCO Suicide Prevention Coalition, the SATIRA coalition of Tazewell County, the Twin County Prevention Coalition, the Wythe/Bland County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition, and the Washington County Prevention Coalition. The conference is funded by a grant from the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. For more information about the Help, Hope, Healing Conference, visit helphopehealing.eventbrite.com or HelpStopSuicide.com