Virtual Mental Health Task Force offers online conference

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s Virtual Mental Health Task Force of Williamson County will offer a free virtual mental health conference “How to Be Resilient in the Face of Change” for mental health professionals and community members on Jan. 15 and Jan. 17.

Jan. 15 conference presentations will be from 8:30 a.m to 1:15 p.m. and will be targeted toward mental health professionals. This session will offer four free continuing education units and cover the following topics:

• Moral injury and compassion fatigue.
• Healthy stress and coping mechanisms/emotional eating.
• Mental illness.
• Suicide prevention.
• Asking the hard questions.
• Isolation and substance abuse.

The Jan. 17 session will be from 2-7 p.m. and is open to anyone interested. Participants can choose from topics including:

• Suicide prevention and mental Illness for youth and adults.
• Utilizing Aunt Bertha.
• Isolation and substance abuse.

The Jan. 17 session will also include breaks featuring yoga, healthy food demonstrations and door prizes.  

“While the Jan. 15 conference session is primarily for the benefit of mental health professionals, the Jan. 17 session also provides information, insights and some practical approaches through which members of the general public can better understand  and adjust to mental health issues,” said Andrea Haubner, AgriLife Extension family and community health agent for Williamson County.

Attendees for either day should register on the AgriLife Extension for Williamson County website.

Task force partners include Bluebonnet Trails Community Services, Rock Springs Behavioral Health, Georgetown Behavioral Health Institute, National Alliance on Mental Health Central Texas, Healthy Williamson County and Williamson County Juvenile Services.

For more information, contact Haubner at [email protected] or the AgriLife Extension office for Williamson County at 512-943-3300.