CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (May 5, 2022)–Kirkwood Community College will host the 2022 Brain Health Summit on May 26 from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. at The Hotel at Kirkwood Center in Cedar Rapids. The event will include presentations by healthcare professionals and community leaders pertaining to mental illness, substance use disorders, and trauma, as well as their impacts on the community.
Intended for anyone who has an interest in brain health topics, the summit will contain valuable information for social workers, clinicians, nurses, teachers, parents, students, human resource professionals, and members of the general public. Expert panels of doctors, educators and social service agencies will discuss various issues including crisis and non-crisis mental health, substance abuse, peer support and counseling services, and equity in mental health. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Brenda Mack, assistant professor of social work at Bemidji State University, who will be examining the wellness and well-being of care providing professionals.
Kirkwood Continuing Education collaborated with Mental Health/Disability Services of the East Central Region (ECR), Northeast Iowa Community College Business & Community Solutions, Hawkeye Community College, the MedQuarter Regional Medical District (MedQ), and media sponsor The Cedar Rapids Gazette to host this inaugural Brain Health Summit.
The daylong educational summit, intended to attract practitioners and community members who may not have the opportunity to attend traditional conferences due to cost, has been made possible through a grant made by ECR. Mae Hingtgen, CEO of ECR, believes the summit is a great opportunity to talk about crucial issues that can be uncomfortable for some people.
“The Mental Health/Disability Services of the East Central Region is proud to be a partner for the Brain Health Summit,” said Hingtgen. “Now more than ever, we are looking for ways to help people understand that it’s okay to experience brain health concerns and that help is available. Opportunities like this summit not only help spread that message, but give attendees the tools they need to find support for themselves and others.”
Phil Wasta, executive director of the MedQ and event sponsor, said the MedQuarter’s Faith & Medicine Task Force jumped at the chance to partner with Kirkwood on the Brain Health Summit.
“After the Task Force launched the GetHelpNowCR.com website on February 14, they were excited to be asked to collaborate on the summit,” said Wasta. “These mental health professionals and concerned community leaders have pulled together a wonderful group of moderators and panelists to make this event relevant and insightful for all who attend.”
For more information, or to register, go to www.kirkwood.edu/brainhealthsummit2022.
*****EVENT*****
What: The 2022 Brain Health Summit
When: May 26
Where: The Hotel at Kirkwood Center on Kirkwood’s main campus in Cedar Rapids
Time: 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. (Registration begins at 7:30 a.m.)
Cost: $29