Events to Educate and Engage Community During Mental Health Awareness Month

BARTOW, Fla., May 1 – Peace River Center (PRC), a licensed and nationally accredited, non-profit regional provider of behavioral health care and victim services is hosting three events during May to help educate the community and increase awareness of resources during Mental Health Awareness Month.

On May 17, community members can attend the Mental Health Community Summit. The event will take place from 8:15 am to 12:00 pm at The Well Lakeland, 114 E Parker St, Lakeland, FL 33801. The Mental Health Community Summit will feature PRC’s mental health experts presenting on a variety of topics including De-escalating and Handling Difficult People by Kirk D. Fasshauer, LCSW, FT, Director of Crisis Response Services; The Importance of Trauma-Informed Care in Everyday Life by Donna Rininger, LMHC, MCAP, Director of Specialty Services; and Dealing with Anxiety of the Unknown, Coping Skills for Navigating Our Changing World by Morgan Whitaker Smith, LMHC, Florida Assertive Community Treatment (FACT) Team Leader. The event is free to the public and will include light refreshments. Registration is required and available by visiting https://bit.ly/summit-may-17

PRC is hosting a free community tour on May 21. The tour will highlight some of PRC’s 30+ programs and will include visits to three PRC campuses in Lakeland. This opportunity is ideal for community members looking to get more involved. To learn more email CommunityRelations@PeaceRiverCenter.org.

Thanks to funding from the Florida Blue Foundation, PRC is offering free Mental Health First Aid training on May 31 at The Johnny and Freda Brooks Eloise Resource Center, 710 Snively Avenue, Eloise, FL 33880. Mental Health First Aid helps individuals learn the skills to reach out and provide initial help and support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem or experiencing a crisis. Registration is required and available by visiting https://bit.ly/mhfa-may31

Those interested in learning more about these events can visit www.PeaceRiverCenter.org/mham or call 863.519.0575, ext. 6196

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