Live virtual conference offers attendees customizable conference schedule
with convenient session times

Mental Health KC will be a professional live virtual conference this year offering two days of sessions on May 6 and 7 focusing on mental health and overall wellbeing. Registration is open at mentalhealthkc.org. For $50, conference attendees have the flexibility of building a schedule that fits their own calendar, and can participate at the convenience of their home or office.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and this year’s conference marks the sixth year that hundreds of professionals gather to help reduce the stigma of mental illnesses and elevate mental health dialogues in the workplace.

“This year’s virtual conference will be different from our in-person event we’ve hosted in the past. The virtual setting provides the opportunity for more people to attend the conference and allows us the ability to offer an even greater variety of breakout sessions for our attendees to select from,” said Julie Pratt, chairperson of the Metro Council of Community Behavioral Health Centers.

“Our goal is that this variety of sessions will allow attendees to find a conference schedule that matches their needs and one that’s convenient to their calendars too.”

Mental Health KC targets local business leaders, HR professionals, educators, first-responders, government leaders, mental health professionals, general community members, healthcare workers and so many others. The first 200 attendees to register will receive a gift box in the mail.

This year’s keynote speakers are: Laura van Dernoot Lipsky and Bruce Franks, Jr.

Topic: Trauma
Thursday, May 6
Laura van Dernoot Lipsky
is the founder and director of The Trauma Stewardship Institute and author of Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others and The Age of Overwhelm. Widely recognized as a pioneer in the field of trauma exposure, she has worked locally, nationally, and internationally for more than three decades.

Topic: Social Justice/Racial Equality
Friday, May 7
Bruce Franks, Jr.
is a battle rapper, activist and former Missouri State Representative whose story is featured in the Oscar-nominated documentary, “St. Louis Superman.” He has proven to be a voice for the mistreated, disenfranchised citizens of Missouri and has dedicated his life to public service working to eliminate oppression through mentorship, social activism and political bipartisanship. Bruce Franks preaches for action, to liberate the oppressed.

Some of the breakout session topics for the 2021 conference include:

  • Anxiety and the End-of-Life Transition
  • Sensitive Conversations Around Race
  • How to Talk to Teens about Mental Health
  • Mindful Resilience at Work
  • How to Build Individual, Team and Workplace Resilience
  • Living with Anxiety
  • Battling Depression
  • Frustrations during COVID-19

About Metro Council

The Metro Council of Community Behavioral Health Centers is a collaboration of nine community behavioral health centers serving Metropolitan Kansas City. Today, this group leads the charge on the annual conference as well as many other mental health supportive and educational initiatives for the community throughout the year.

For more information on speakers or the schedule please visit the conference website: Agenda – Mental Health KC Conference (cvent.com)

To register, please visit: Mental Health KC Conference – Metro Council