The educational seminar will be held at the Wharfinger Building Saturday. Photo: Sage Alexander
Amid Mental Health Awareness Month, a keynote speaker this weekend aims to help Eurekans answer the question, “Wait. Why did I do that?” by delving into how the brain responds to trauma, stress and everyday problems.
The town hall will feature speaker Rick Griffin, founder and CEO of the Neuro Leadership Academy. He’ll talk about how brain chemistry influences reactions, like why one may respond to situations in survival mode.
Jacob Rosen, managing mental health clinician for Eureka’s CARE program, said understanding how the brain works is “critical,” when working with the local crisis program’s clients. Exploring why their behavior is happening is a very effective intervention, he told the Outpost.
“Dispelling a lot of the unknown, or the sense of the unknown, can help with a lot of the fear or apprehension that comes with mental health. But also, what we know from research, is that being more mindful in our day-to-day life is beneficial to our mental health, and the first step to mindfulness is just being aware,” he said.
The event will take place on Saturday May 9 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Eureka’s Wharfinger building, 1 Marina Way.
It’s the seventh town hall in Eureka Mayor Kim Bergel’s initiative on mental health, a collaboration with CARE. The seminar kicks off the awareness month that aims to cut stigma for people with mental illnesses. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), about one in five of U.S. adults experiences mental illness.
City officials heard Griffin speak at a conference for crisis intervention teams and liked his style. Bergel said she asked herself, “How can I bring this back to our community?”
She hopes people can take home concepts from Griffin, who she said spoke in terms that were very engaging and understandable. She pointed out this topic is something “everybody can identify with,” and found herself relating to some topics in the seminar.
The training program aims to teach concepts from neuroscience and help people learn strategies on well-being and functioning. “I’m hopeful that people leave with some tools,” said Bergel.
The educational event is free, and there will be food. Local organizations will be tabling at the event, including those offering services for mental health care, substance use recovery and homelessness.
If a rally or barbecue is more your speed, other mental health events are scheduled this month in Eureka. See the calendar for mental health matters at this link.