The Dickinson County Behavioral Health Coalition and Iowa Great Lakes Rotary are excited to announce that Let's Talk Dickinson LIVE will be held on Tuesday, February 13 at the Pearson Lakes Art Center. The free event is open to any parent of school-aged children in Dickinson County interested in learning about and finding resources to support children and adolescents who are struggling with mental health, behavior or learning challenges. “We encourage parents to attend this event even if their child hasn’t been diagnosed or appear to have any behavioral or mental health challenges,” said Beth Will, Community Services Director for Dickinson County. “We want parents to learn about potential signs as well as how to check in with their child to start conversations about promoting healthy mental health development.”
The event will feature a panel discussion at 6:30 pm with additional area behavioral resource representatives and materials available. Panelists will include:
• Beth Will, Sioux Rivers Regional Mental Health and Community Services
• Michelle Vore, Flowstate/Emergency Room Process
• Darci Grave, Plains Area Mental Health Open Access
• Marta Sandoval, Prairie Lakes Area Education Agency (AEA)
• Lynn Park, University of Iowa Child Specialty Clinic
• Michelle Vore, Flowstate/Emergency Room Process
• Darci Grave, Plains Area Mental Health Open Access
• Marta Sandoval, Prairie Lakes Area Education Agency (AEA)
• Lynn Park, University of Iowa Child Specialty Clinic
“Our primary goal is to increase awareness of the resources available here locally as well as to reduce the stigma of asking for help,” said Katy Carey, Director of Population and Public Health for Dickinson County. “We know that parents regularly deal with daily stressors, and the recent effects of Covid and social media have not made that any better.”
In addition, a burger/hot dog meal will be provided by Burger & Company at 6:00 pm before the event and childcare will be provided at no cost to attendees. Organizers are requesting RSVPs by February 2 to get a count to ensure enough food and childcare is available. Confidential questions can also be submitted via the RSVP for panelists to answer at the event.
Iowa Great Lakes Rotary is partnering with the Dickinson County Behavioral Health Coalition to organize the event. The Coalition is a group of local providers, school counselors, program directors, public health officials, government resources and volunteers committed to the healthy mental well-being of Dickinson County residents. Let’s Talk Dickinson will continue to provide outreach and additional resources throughout the county over the next year. To register, or for more information about Let’s Talk Dickinson and a list of resources, please visit LetsTalkDickinson.org.