Conference Sept. 23-24 for Lake, McHenry veterans

The Lake-McHenry Veterans and Family Services program is answering the call to help the newest generation of veterans, with the help of a federal grant awarded to the Lake County Health Department and the McHenry County Mental Health Board.

On Sept. 23 and 24, a conference titled, “Answering the Call: Serving Our Warriors and Their Families” will be held at the University of St. Mary of the Lake Conference Center, 1000 E. Maple Ave., in Mundelein.

The event will help veterans, service members and their families help understand the personal changes that come with the sacrifices of war.

“Our conference will be the launch point for a new, local approach, for the care and treatment of veterans and their families in Lake and McHenry counties. We will have the local resources available to meet the critical needs they so richly deserve as they transition into a new chapter in their lives,” said Paul Baffico, a Lake County Vietnam veteran and chairman of the governing council overseeing grant funding provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

On Friday, Sept. 23, the conference focuses on educating service providers about what veterans and service members need. Professionals who want to receive continuing education units will be charged a fee of $20 for one day and $30 for two days.

Saturday, Sept. 24, is dedicated for free to veterans, service members and their families who participate in workshops on a variety of topics — personal health, stress reduction and coping — led by experts in veteran assistance. Licensed clinicians will be available as well.

“The purpose of this conference is to raise awareness of the resources available to ease the stress of deployment, and reintegration,” said Mary Margaret Maule of McHenry County, a wife and mother of veterans, and vice chairwoman of the governing council.

“Living with a service member who is deployed is a very special thing — while you are proud of their service and the work they are doing, the service member and the family is experiencing a host of other emotions and stresses,” she added.

The keynote speaker from 8:45-9:45 a.m. Saturday is Pamela Woll, a Chicago-based author who has worked in human services since 1989 and written about topics that include stigma reduction, strength-based treatment, resilience, trauma, depression, cultural competence, addicted families, violence and disaster-related human services.

The program also includes sessions about the role of peer-to-peer support, combat stress, the importance of seeking help and family support, barriers to families seeking services, the biology of trauma and the veteran’s court panel.

The schedule for both days is available at lakecountyil.gov/Health/Pages/Default.aspx. Those planning to attend may register through the link on the website or at (847) 377-8386.