First annual C.A.R.E. symposium held in Cape Girardeau, addressing mental health needs of the community
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) — The Gibson Center for Behavioral change held its first annual Critical Access, Response, and Engagement (CARE) symposium today — made possible by a grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health.
It was an opportunity for all members of the community to learn about mental health, available resources, and how to access services. The goal is to build more resilient communities
Chief Operating Officer Ryan Essex said it started a year ago with a CARE grant that allowed them to get into the community and learn what the needs are.
“The premise of it was to investigate and learn and educate the community about resources and providing access to care,” he said.
After a year of outreach, the Gibson center found one area in particular needed urgent attention: youth mental health.
Speakers today covered issues such as bullying and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).
“Tiffany Lacy Clark talked about adverse childhood events, you know, trauma that happens in all walks of life when we’re children and how that affects us later in life and how we can help combat that,” Essex said, “and things that we can do to help those youth overcome some of those struggles they have.”
From bullying to trauma to resilience building — the symposium covered it all. Those who attended walked away with practical tools, from mentorship strategies to crisis intervention training.
Through the NOW Local News app, viewers shared their own experiences and perspectives on why these conversations matter.
“Mental health is an extremely important topic for me,” Kate Appleman said. “There are so many resources in our area that include various counseling services… But it is important to talk about mental health because no one really understands, truly, who could be impacted. So it’s important to be kind to everyone. If you are having those issues or needing to talk to someone, please reach out and find that resource for you.”
“It’s easy to shut down,” Danielle Torbet said. “It’s easy to avoid uncomfortable conversations. But as mental health and behavioral health issues continue to be an epidemic here in our nation and around the country, I think it’s important to be transparent and keep the lines of communication open and honest and check in on your loved ones — check in on your friends.”
According to Essex, the symposium will be back next year — bigger and even better.
