Education and awareness have always been an important component of Horizon Health Services’ offerings. And while community presentations are not new, after Covid hit, there was an exponential increase in demand for information and direction from schools and companies on how to survive the fallout.
“The changes with Covid happened so quickly and it was impossible to expect people to adapt on their own,” said Patrick Greene, Horizon Health Services program director and speaker on the topic, Well-being in the Time of Covid. “There was no context in our lifetime and our brains do not like uncertainty.”
Delving into issues like substance use disorders, depression, anxiety, grief and loss, and interpersonal relationships, the Speakers Bureau provides much sought-after answers and enhances the quality of life for employees, students, and their families and loved ones.
Conducted virtually during Covid, in-person presentations are once again available. Tailored to an organization’s particular needs, each usually lasts around 45 minutes to an hour and provides a toolkit of techniques and approaches that participants can later apply. Interactive in nature, time is made for discussion both during and after.
Along with conversations in the media and on other platforms about stress management and self-care during Covid, the presentations have helped normalize mental health, made it safer to ask questions and reduced the stigma,
“People need to know that they are not alone in what they’re going through,” said Greene.
As Western New York emerges from the pandemic, Horizon anticipates even more need for guidance.
“Now that we are moving back into some sense of normalcy, we’ll be seeing more distress as folks are thawing out,” added Greene. “They’ve been in this constant state of alert, preparation and readiness for the past year-and-a-half and then when things start to settle down, issues will start coming up that have essentially been trapped inside.”
Experts across the board are predicting that the need for behavioral healthcare services will continue to escalate and being able to recognize the symptoms of mental health and substance use conditions and continue conversations is vital for maintaining healthy relationships.
To set up a Speakers Bureau presentation for your school or company, contact Christina Pearl at 716-831-2700 or CPearl@horizon-health.org.
Additional Speakers Bureau topics
Mental Health Awareness
Understanding Depression & Anxiety
Postpartum Depression & Anxiety
Mindfulness as a Healing Model
PTSD & Trauma
Anger Management
Helping Veterans with Mental Health & Addiction
Suicide Prevention
Addiction Awareness
Understanding Substance Abuse
Stigma of Treatment
Family Education & Involvement
Treatment
