The Gaston Mental Health Summit - Every Mind Matters: Bridging the Mental Health Divide

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*Registration payment includes Credit Cards and Interfund Transfers ONLY.

Target Audience

Nurses, Social Workers, Mental Health Professionals, Healthcare Professionals, Researchers, Students and Community Advocates

Description

The 2025 Gaston Mental Health Summit will emphasize the importance of mental health, acknowledging its vital role in overall well-being and the community's need for accessible mental health resources. This summit aims to bring together health professionals, researchers, students, and advocates to share knowledge, foster collaboration, and showcase the latest advancements in mental health research and practice. The primary focus will be on reducing the stigma associated with mental health issues and addressing inherent disparities related to mental illness.

The conference will include various breakout sessions covering diverse mental health topics, enabling participants to select the content that interests them and may enhance their professional practice. A highlight of the event will be the lunch keynote address, where we’ll explore how language and power dynamics shape the mental health experience for individuals. Through the lens of emotional intelligence, effective leadership, and cultural awareness, we’ll examine the emotional burden that stigma places on both clients and practitioners, and how professionals can move from surface-level efforts to creating genuinely supportive mental health environments. In addition, a panel of experts will discuss the impact of social determinants of health on mental health across populations.

There will be vendors and exhibitors available showcasing their services related to mental health. Additionally, this summit will feature an art display highlighting the intersection of creativity and mental health, providing a platform for artists to express their experiences and perspectives on mental health through various forms of art.

This conference is jointly provided with Gaston County Public Health

Location:
Gastonia Conference Center
145 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Gastonia, NC 28052

Topics and Speakers

Plenary Session Topics

Lunch Keynote: From Awareness to Action
Keisha Jones, MS, BA

Panel Discussion: The Power of Environment: How Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Impact Mental Health Across Populations

Breakout Session Topics

From Problem to Paradise: Navigation and Treatment of Postpartum Depression
Stacia Marcellin, MSW, LCSW

Substance Use Disorder Prevention
Maceo Mayo III, MA, PS, ICPS, CPSS, COAPS

Mental Health within the African American Community
Jack Ellerbe, Jr., MSW

The Silent Epidemic: How Peer Support Breaks the Bootstrapping Cycle
Rahman Washington, CPS

Mental Health and Wellness for Law Enforcement
Matt Ridings, LEAPS

"Men"tal Health: Perspective is King
A. Maurice Harvey, MSW, LCSW, LISW-CP

David’s Mental Health Journey
David George, Jr., AAS

Mindful or Mind-Full: The Journey Towards Awareness
Chimere Neal, LCSW

PTSD (Veterans)
Sonya Johnson-Campbell, LISW-CP (S)

Empowering Futures: The Visionary Leadership of John J. Kirkpatrick, IV
John Kirkpatrick, IV

Nutritional Impacts on Mental Health
Ahmani Pegues, MPH, CHES

Learning Outcome
By the end of the summit, participants will have gained practical strategies for alleviating the emotional burden of mental health stigma.

CE Information

5.0 Contact Hours / 0.5 CEUs

5.0 Nursing Contact Hours
South Piedmont Area Health Education Center is approved as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the North Carolina Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.

5.0 Contact Hours (Category A) CE for NC Psychologists
South Piedmont AHEC is recognized by the North Carolina Psychology Board as an approved provider of (Category A) Continuing Education for North Carolina Licensed Psychologists.

Disclaimer:
By registering for this course, you grant permission for South Piedmont AHEC to share your information with Gaston County Public Health. Additionally, by registering for and attending this conference, you grant permission to South Piedmont AHEC and Gaston County Public Health to capture audio, video, and/or still images for promotional and educational purposes. If you have any concerns, please speak with a member of the South Piedmont AHEC team.

Electives

Select One Topic from Concurrent Session I

Status: Open
Date(s): Apr 30, 2025
Time: 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM Eastern Time
Check-In Time: 10:30 AM

Status: Open
Date(s): Apr 30, 2025
Time: 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM Eastern Time
Check-In Time: 9:30 AM
Description: This presentation will provide an overview of substance use prevention including risk and protective factors. We will also discuss evidence based prevention strategies and resources.

Status: Open
Date(s): Apr 30, 2025
Time: 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM Eastern Time
Check-In Time: 9:30 AM

Status: Open
Date(s): Apr 30, 2025
Time: 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM Eastern Time
Check-In Time: 9:30 AM
Description: "Mental toughness" has long been praised in sports, business, and Black culture, but at what cost? This session explores the unintended consequences of glorifying toughness—how it leads to social isolation, suppressed emotions, and mental health struggles, particularly in Black men. We’ll discuss how peer support can disrupt this cycle and become a game-changer in personal and professional development.

Select One Topic from Concurrent Session II

Status: Open
Date(s): Apr 30, 2025
Time: 10:50 AM - 11:50 AM Eastern Time
Check-In Time: 10:50 AM
Description: This presentation focuses on the importance of being Mindful, which includes being present and aware of one’s thoughts and feelings without judgement versus being Mind-Full that involves being consumed by one’s thoughts and feelings. We will discuss how Mindfulness impacts mental health and wellness. Let’s take a journey together as we look into healthy practices to improve Mindfulness traits.

Status: Open
Date(s): Apr 30, 2025
Time: 10:50 AM - 11:50 AM Eastern Time
Check-In Time: 10:50 AM

Status: Open
Date(s): Apr 30, 2025
Time: 10:50 AM - 11:50 AM Eastern Time
Check-In Time: 10:50 AM

Status: Open
Date(s): Apr 30, 2025
Time: 10:50 AM - 11:50 AM Eastern Time
Check-In Time: 10:50 AM
Description: This training explores the connection between food and mood, emphasizing the impact of nutrition on brain health, including brain growth and emotional regulation. It also addresses the issue of food insecurity and its role in increasing the risk of mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety. The session concludes with practical tips on healthy eating habits to support better mental well-being.

Select One Topic from Concurrent Session III

Status: Open
Date(s): Apr 30, 2025
Time: 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM Eastern Time
Check-In Time: 1:20 PM
Description: This presentation will cover the importance of mental health and wellness in the profession of Law Enforcement. This will be a brief overview of topics including why mental health and wellness, 7 steps to address mental health, what wellness is and 4 pillars of wellness, and what trauma is associated with mental health and wellness.

Status: Filled
Date(s): Apr 30, 2025
Time: 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM Eastern Time
Check-In Time: 1:20 PM
Description: Presentation will challenge the ideas of what men are socialized to embrace in Western culture while also destigmatizing mental health.

Status: Open
Date(s): Apr 30, 2025
Time: 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM Eastern Time
Check-In Time: 1:20 PM
Description: David will share two short stories from his book “Life on the Ward” that identify memorable moments experienced throughout his journey with mental health and then follow it up with a short hands-on activity that relates to my discussion. He has combined these two short stories into one manuscript that will identify several of the current barriers being faced by the mentally ill and finish the discussion with highlighting the importance of groups like “L.E.A.D.”

74687Open The Gaston Mental Health Summit - Every Mind Matters: Bridging the Mental Health Divide image

: Apr 30, 2025
: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM Eastern Time
: Gastonia Conference Center
: Yuen Cheung DNP, RN, NPD-BC
: 704-512-6523

Fees

$45.00: Pre-Registration Fee before 4/14/25. Breakfast and lunch will be provided.
$0.00: For community members, a registration code is required. Seats are limited. A community member is considered as someone who is not associated with any professional organization. Please contact May Cheung at may.cheung@atriumhealth.org to receive a registration code.

Credits

0.50: CEU
5.00: Contact Hours
5.00: Nursing Contact Hours
5.00: Contact Hours (category A) CE for NC Psychologists

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