Kane County Health Department offers fall mental health training events

The Kane County System of Care, a grant-funded initiative of the Kane County Health Department, invites mental health clinicians, community leaders, youth, parents, and professionals to attend free, virtual discussions, led by experts, on a variety of mental health topics.

Upcoming trainings include:

• Oct. 11 - "Coercive Control: Implications for Organizations and Communities" with Kate Amber. Recognize signs of coercive control in relationships and organizations and learn how leaders can adjust policy to better protect victims. She is a developer of the PsychoSocial Quicksand Model of Coercive Control and a coercive control expert. She also founded End Coercive Control USA (ECCUSA) to help educate and transform the systems designed to assist persons harmed by coercive control, and restore their dignity, autonomy and freedom.

• Oct. 13 - "LGBTQIA+ Allyship and Mental Health" with Jessica Smiley and Josh Gavel. The two experts will share their knowledge surrounding the spectrums of gender and sexual identity, how this impacts youth, and how to create safe and affirming spaces in our community. Participants will: expand knowledge of LGBTQ+ specific identities and terms, including the spectrums of sexuality and gender; describe how stigma, discrimination, and microaggressions affect LGBTQIA+ youth; increase knowledge and understanding of LGBTQ+ affirming and inclusive language; and identify ways to create safe and affirming spaces and your role as an ally.

• Oct. 26 - Coercive Control Assessment Part 1

• Nov. 9 - Coercive Control Assessment Part 2

• Nov. 30 - ADHD Perspectives of a Pediatrician and Mental Health Therapist

• Dec. 15 - Introduction to Occupational Therapy: Benefits for Youth with Mental Health Symptoms and Developmental Differences

Interpretation to Spanish and professional CEUs are available at each event.

Learn more and register at kanehealth.com/Pages/Mental-Health-Training.aspx.