Miami, FL – The Consortium for a Healthier Miami-Dade will be hosting the Mental Health Virtual Summit on Friday, September 16, 2022. This half-day event is in part being sponsored by all Consortium for a Healthier Miami-Dade committees.

This year the Consortium for a Healthier Miami-Dade is hosting this event to address the recent community issues related to mental health, stress, and coping with the current situations we as a community have experienced together. At this event we will have a keynote speaker and breakout rooms with subject-matter expert presenters who will present on key topics related to mental health supported by all the Consortium committees.

Event:             Mental Health Virtual Summit
Location:         Zoom Meeting Platform
Date:                Friday, September 16^th, 2022
Time:               9:00 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.

The keynote speaker for this event will be Mr. Kevin C. Andrews, M.A., M.S.W., Executive Vice President, Integrated Outpatient Clinical Operations of Banyan Health Systems. He will be discussing the importance of eliminating the stigma surrounding mental health care through healthcare system integration.

During this event there will be a total of three concurrent breakout room sessions. The topic sessions with the subject-matter expert have been included below:

• “The Role of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) and Mental Health”
  Dr. Nicole Fava, PhD, MSW, Assistant Professor, Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work Center for Children and Families, Florida International University

• “Social Isolation in Older Adults and Its Impacts on Mental Health”
  Dr. Carline Oyadiran, Medicare Medical Director at Sanitas Medical Centers
  

• “How Urban Design Shapes Our Mental Health”
  Joanna Lombard, AIA, UMSOA

• “Substance Abuse and Tobacco Use and Its Impacts on Mental Health”
  Dr. Jonathan Foulds, Professor of Public Health Sciences & Psychiatry, Penn State University, College of Medicine

• “The Influence of Media on Mental Health”
  Dr. Elliot Montgomery Sklar, Ph.D., M.S., Associate Professor, Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences, Nova Southeastern University

• “Suicide Prevention and Awareness to Be Able to Recognize the Signs and Symptoms”
  Rev. Lisa LeSueur, Suicide Prevention Coordinator for NAMI Miami-Dade

Mental health is an important part of one’s overall health and well-being. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps us determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices” (CDC 2021). Mental health is important at every step in our life from childhood, adolescence, and even throughout adulthood.

“The 2021-2022 Miami-Dade County Community Health Assessment (CHA) process further supported the need to implement initiatives that address mental and behavioral health and the opioid epidemic as areas requiring attention in our community,” said Yesenia Villalta, DNP, MSN, APRN, Health Officer/Administrator of the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County.

In the area of public health, one agency alone cannot do it alone; however, through transparent and integrative collaboration, the Consortium’s vision of a healthy environment, healthy lifestyles and a healthy community for all Miami-Dade County residents and visitors can be fulfilled to address our community’s health concerns.

The Consortium for a Healthier Miami-Dade was established in 2003 by the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County to address the increasing rates of chronic disease in the community. The goals of the Consortium are to:

• Integrate planning and assessment processes to maximize partnerships and expertise of the community in accomplishing its goals.
• Increase the percentage of adults and children who are at a healthy weight.
• Build and revitalize communities so people can live healthy lives.
• Increase access to resources that promote healthy behaviors.

The Consortium is guided by the goals and objectives established in Healthy People 2030. It is comprised of over 400 organizations, all united by the common belief that through collaboration and prevention-focused initiatives, Miami-Dade County residents can live longer, healthier, and happier.

The event is free and open to the community. To register and learn more, please click here.

For additional information on the event, please contact 305-278-0442.

Helpful Mental Health Resources

National Domestic Violence Hotline: Call 1-800-799-7233 or Text LOVEIS to 22522

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255)

Crisis Text Line: Text SIGNS to 741741 for 24/7, anonymous, free crisis counseling

Disaster Distress Helpline: Call or Text 1-800-985-5990 (press 2 for Spanish)

The Trevor Project: Call 1-866-488-7386 or Text “START” to 678678

Veteran’s Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255

CDC Stress and Coping Resources:
https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/tools-resources/index.htm

To learn more about these mental health resources, please visit the CDC and click here.