Hope & Healing virtual conference slated for June 4

Hope & Healing, a one-day virtual conference that addresses complex needs in mental health, chemical dependency and wellness, and also celebrates successes in Chautauqua County, will be held on Thursday, June 4, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Seven presentations will be given at this year’s conference, which is shifting to a Zoom online format due to social distancing recommendations issued during the coronavirus pandemic. There is no charge to attend. Registration can placed online.

Anne Hazlett, who is the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Adviser for Rural Affairs, will conduct the first session.

“Talk Saves Lives,” the second session, will be presented by Victoria Eckert of the Chautauqua County Department of Mental Hygiene. A general scope of suicide, research on prevention and what people can do to fight suicide will be covered in this community-based presentation. Attendees will also learn the risk and warning signs of suicide, and how it can be prevented.

“FREDTalks,” short informative talks that highlight local resources in mental health and substance use services and recovery, will be given in the third session. The fast-moving session, to be moderated by Fredonia Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Kevin Kearns, will cover the following topics: Combat Addiction CHQ, peer support and recovery, underage drinking/marijuana use in teens, LGBTQ allies, innovative strategies in prosecution and mental health and self-care.

In “New Trends: CBD and Kratom,” the fourth session, Alex Rodriguez and Trish Whetstone, of Prevention Works, will conduct a brief overview of youth and young adult substance use in Chautauqua County, review the effects of commonly used substances on the developing brain and discuss two new trends in the drug world: CBD and Kratom.

“Seeing Trauma in the Roots of Mental Health Disorders,” the fifth session, will outline the basics of early trauma in relation to setting the stage for mental health problems and substance use later in life. Dr. Melissa Pietrkiewicz, a clinical social worker specialist in Jamestown, will shed light on protective factors and community involvement, while also sharing experience in how a community can help support one’s ability to adapt healthy coping skills and offer hope to the next generation.

In the sixth session, “Vaping and Nicotine Addition,” Ken Dahlgren, of Tobacco-Free Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany, will lead a discussion of nicotine addiction and its relationship to other addictions, vaping and nicotine addiction, vaping and young people, the role of flavors in nicotine addiction and the current policy issues around vaping and e-juices in New York state and across the nation.

Closing remarks will be given by the Chautauqua County Department of Mental Hygiene in the seventh session.

Hope and Healing Conference of WNY 2020 Planning Committee members include Chautauqua County Department of Mental Hygiene, Chautauqua County Department of Health and Human Services, Prevention Works, State University of New York at Fredonia, Mental Health Association in Chautauqua County, HOPE Chautauqua, the Community Alliance for Suicide Prevention, Chautauqua Tapestry, Tobacco Free CCA, Chautauqua Substance Abuse Response Partnership and other local organizations.