(Atlantic, Iowa) – On Monday, October 25th, the Cass County Youth Mental Health Symposium was held at Atlantic High School. The event, open to all middle-school and high-school students, parents, and community members, included time for attendees to visit booths of over 20 organizations that provide mental health and wellness resources to Cass County.

Students visit a booth at the Cass County Youth Mental Health Symposium

Short presentations were given on issues affecting students today, including anxiety, healthy relationships, and mental health awareness; and motivational speaker Joe Beckman talked about the importance of human connection.

A parent of a high school student who attended the event shared, “The Mental Health Symposium was such an awesome opportunity for me and our community. I was pleasantly surprised at how many vendors were there representing services in our area. Mental Health continues to be a very difficult subject for so many, yet so many of us are affected by it on a daily basis!” She further commented on keynote speaker Joe Beckman, who presented to Atlantic Community School District students during the school day and again at the community event in the evening.

“The speaker brought a simple message to a difficult subject. He addressed issues affecting our kiddos that have taken over our daily living like cell phone use. He was energetic and empowering. I felt his message was well received by those in attendance. Whether you are living with mental illness in your life or someone you love, you walked out with a renewed sense of purpose and the energy to continue to move in the right direction.”

Her enthusiasm was shared by many in attendance. Atlantic High School Teacher Allison Berryhill was thrilled to be able to pass along resources she obtained at the symposium with parents of her students. “I shared many of the resources with parents at conferences as we talked about the importance of mental health,” commented Berryhill.

Atlantic High School Principal Heather McKay expressed deep gratitude for sponsoring organizations that made the event possible. The free event included a meal, door prizes, and free childcare. A large donation was made by the Atlantic Community School Foundation to cover the cost of the keynote speaker, and several organizations donated to cover the cost of meal, including Full Circle Therapy, Zion Integrated Behavioral Health Services, Therapy Place, Cass Health, and Atlantic Bottling Company.

Gift cards and other door prizes were donated by the Family Crisis Support Network. Local organizations providing resources at the symposium included Zion Integrated Behavioral Health Services, Therapy Place, Full Circle Therapy, Cass County PROSPER, Cass Health’s Senior Life Solutions, and Cass County ISU Extension, among others. Participating regional organizations in included Southwest Iowa Mental Health and Disability Services Region, Employee and Family Resources, Boys Town with the Hope4Iowa Crisis Line, COVID Recovery Iowa, Catholic Charities, the Eating Disorder Coalition of Iowa, Iowa Healthiest State Initiative featuring the program Make It OK, and NAMI Southwest Iowa, in addition to many more.

Organizations that helped plan the event, including Atlantic High School, Cass County Extension, Cass County PROSPER, Green Hills Education Agency, and Healthy Cass County, continue to look for opportunities to make mental health resources known and accessible to all people in Cass County.

Free mental health resources available to people in Cass County 24/7 include:
• Your Life Iowa: For problems with alcohol, drugs, gambling, suicidal thoughts or mental health. (855) 581-8111, www.yourlifeiowa.org.
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255), suicidepreventionlifeline.org
• Iowa Concern: For stress counseling, legal education, and financial concerns. www.extension.iastate.edu/iowaconcern/
• COVID Recovery Iowa: (800) 447-1985, Spanish: 531-800-3687, www.covidrecoveryiowa.com
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For information on community wellness events or resources, follow Healthy Cass County on Facebook @HealthyCassCounty. Healthy Cass County is a community-focused volunteer network formed to promote the health and well-being of Cass County residents. Reach out to Cass County Wellness Coordinator Brigham Hoegh at bhoegh@iastate.edu or call 712-249-5870 for more information. Healthy Cass County welcomes participants from across Cass County.