A Mental Health Awareness Day Conference is planned for Friday, May 17 at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1229 Kathy Lane, in Webster City. The second annual event will be held from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Registration for the conference is due May 9. Those wishing to reserve a spot can contact Carrie Hisler at carrie.hisler@cicsmhds.org or call 832-9550.

The day will include sessions on human trafficking; pain and opioid use and pathophysiology of behavior; integrative approaches for mental health; and Myths, Realities, Resources and Identifying Suicide of Veterans.

Pattie Treibel-Leeds, Executive Director/CPC/Emergency Assistance, said the topics to be covered are of great importance to communities.

“This type of event is extremely important to all communities as no one is exempt from mental illness. One in five people will experience a mental health issue in any given year. Rural Iowa is no different,” Treibel-Leeds said.

“The stigma of mental health has been around for many years and trying to break the stigma is why this event is so important. We have seen the rise of veteran suicides, suicides in the farm community and levels of anxiety that span the lifetime,” she added.

Many of the issues to be addressed at the Mental Health Awareness Day Conference are not exclusive to urban areas. Rural communities are dealing with the same concerns.

“Anxiety, depression and other disorders are just as common here in rural Iowa. I would think with our population base it may not seem as many are affected, but I would imagine percentage wise it evens out. In the big city it may be more visible due to the population,” she said.

“Our passion in Hamilton County is to end all stigma surrounding mental health and have conversations that look at the person and not the disease,” she added.

Those attending the conference can earn free CEUs for social work, CADC and EMT/paramedics. 6.0 nursing CEUs are available for $5, according to organizers.

Lunch and snacks will be provided and door prizes will be drawn.