Those interested in learning about prevention methods for issues such as suicide and opioid overdose will have the opportunity Friday, Sept. 11, through a free summit organized by Southeast Missouri Behavioral Health.
Director of Prevention and Community Education Ryan Peabody said this is the second annual Prevention Summit.
They held the last one in May 2019, but this year was pushed back due to COVID-19 concerns, he explained.
The summit will be held virtually this year, through Zoom, and include three guest speakers.
Chief people officer with the Missouri Department of Health and Human Services John Thomas will address resiliency, certified peer specialist trainer Timothy Conroy will speak on suicide prevention and prevention specialists Tina Jenkins and Susan Wilfong will discuss opioid overdose prevention and how to use Narcan.
“These topics are important because, basically our area, specifically in Missouri, Southeast Missouri has had troubling numbers as far as suicides, and also just substance use in general,” Peabody said.
“Part of the grant that we are funding this prevention summit with ... is to lower the substance use levels in our area and also a part of that does go toward suicide prevention,” he continued.
The grant, Partnership for Success, is a five-year grant that Southeast Missouri Behavioral Health is in the fifth year of, he said. It also receives funding as a Prevention Resource Center for the state.
The event will run from 1-4 p.m. with a different topic each hour, Peabody said.
He said he’s not sure what kind of response or attendance to expect. The first summit was in person and about 40 people attended, he explained, but with holding it over Zoom and advertising, it’s hard to know what to expect.
“I anticipate probably under 100 (people),” he said. “Depending on how far the ad reaches and the ease of availability of the webinar just being online, it could be higher.”
Southeast Missouri Behavioral Health will also have a webinar at the end of the month on mental health first aid as part of suicide awareness month, Peabody said.
The event, scheduled for Sept. 19, is full, but a second one is scheduled for Sept. 30. It will also be virtual.
Also for the month, he said, they’ll be sharing statistics and suicide awareness resources on the sign in front of their building.